When a woman comes to you and raves about the magic you have worked with her crown, it’s the perfect opportunity to grow your business. Your salon lives and breathes transformations and hairstyles, and that means you want the whole world to know what you can do. The beautiful thing about consciously building a mountain of testimonials every single week is that your customers become your free marketing team. 

To show you how easy it is, we’re going to talk you through everything you need to know to grow your hair styling business this way. All you have to do then is work through the steps one by one until you have the thriving salon that you have always wanted. 

Ask for testimonials 

If you don’t ask, you don’t get — this is as true in business as it is in so many other areas of life. Nudging a long-term client for a few kind words about your magic touch is something you may never have thought to do, but it’s something that no reasonable queen will mind. In fact, the chances are that she will feel flattered that you’re reaching out and giving her a platform on which to share her experience with the masses. If you can make her feel special when you ask her, she’s not only more likely to post a review, but she’s also far more likely to go the extra mile and make it really quite something. 

Make replying quick and easy 

A quick testimonial button on your website or the option to post one of your socials is all you really need here. If you’re asking a sister to download a form, tick a selection of boxes, upload the form, attach it to a message…you get the picture: she’s just not going to invest all that time. Make the process as easy as pinging yet another DM out there into the world, and she is going to cruise through it in a couple of minutes and love that she has been asked. Exactly what you want when you’re looking to get as many glowing testimonials and reviews as possible. 

Follow up to show you care 

A new customer you have only served a couple of times may not be quite as amenable to leaving a review as someone who has been with you for years, nor should you expect them to be. The trick here is to go all out with your customer service by reaching out and following up to make sure that she is always in love with the woman she sees looking back at her in the mirror. Popping up in her DMs or her inbox with a couple of styling tips and the offer of some type of discount is a great way to keep your salon at the front of her mind. Over time, you’ll find that the relationship has reached a point where you feel comfortable pinging over your testimonial button. 

Incentivize your customers 

While buying testimonials left by bots is not the way to go, there’s certainly nothing wrong with offering a little incentive to real customers. If everyone who leaves a testimonial by the end of the week is entered into a competition for a free styling session after hours, you’ll find that the uptake rate is so much higher. You’re asking them to spend a tiny fraction of their time for the chance to win something they can’t buy: a private salon experience for one in the evening. It’s these kinds of offers that really catch the eye and get so many more women talking out there on the block. 

Social media shoutouts still work 

There’s more to growth than simply amassing testimonials and hoping that your target audience stumbles across them sooner rather than later. Using them to create image quotes and then posting them alongside some viral music or as part of a glowup slideshow is a great way to go about things. If you find that you have a few testimonials that really speak your language and immediately feel like they’re right from the heart, these are the ones you certainly need to be using. Align them with a soundtrack that reflects the vibe of your salon, and you’ll be onto something impressive in no time at all. 

Testimonials need to be in the spotlight 

Have them as a running banner on your website and a sliding gallery on your social profiles, and you’ll find that the kind words you have received are always visible. You want to show everyone who stops by to check you out as you do your thing what you’re really all about. There’s no better way to do that than with a hearty helping of social proof, and testimonials from the heart are how you do it. Bonus points if you can incentivize your audience enough to leave video testimonials where they show off their new-look crowns and weaves, as this is what will really hit home. 

Get a testimonial from a known face 

All it has to be is a known micro-influencer in your area to really start moving the needle and getting people talking. You don’t have to try and pitch to a Hollywood A-lister, and spending your time doing so is just not a great way to grow your business. What you want is someone your audience knows, someone they can relate to, and someone who keeps it real at all times. Spotlight the testimonial they give you, and you’ll find that your salon’s profile really starts to climb. 

Add a feel-good factor 

The one thing that so many salons and stylist businesses forget is that when you get a great testimonial, you need to share it with the whole team. Does a queen love the way those wavy extensions we supplied you with look in the mirror? Spread the word around all of your part-time stylists and the girl on the welcome desk, and you’ll find that everyone gets a real boost. 

When you’re ready to make sure every testimonial shouts out the quality of the wigs and extensions you use, we’re always right here.