11 Unique Salon Grand Opening Ideas for 2024

So, you’re starting your new business and looking for some amazing salon grand opening ideas to help you welcome all your new customers?

First of all, congratulations! This is great news!

Before you welcome your first client in the door, though, you’ll need to decide how you want to handle your salon opening event. Will you throw a big party, or will you run a series of related salon promotions to launch your business?

When it’s planned well, an opening party or promotional event can be a major marketing boost for salon businesses. It can help you build relationships with the local community and bring in new clients.

In an industry where reputation is everything, grand openings can help you to make the best impression and draw a crowd to your salon, right from day one.

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1. 11 Hair Salon Grand Opening Ideas
2. Hair Salon Grand Opening Invitations​​​​
3. Salon Grand Opening Gift Ideas
4. Salon Opening Offers
5. Conclusion

11 Hair Salon Grand Opening Ideas

Marketing your brand new salon business can be a lot of fun, even though it also takes a bit of effort to plan and organize this kind of event. After all, planning a party or a special event to attract customers is a great opportunity to flex your creative skills and show off your brand.

Employees often enjoy these events as much as the guests at salons do.

Here are some suggestions to get you started and help you create the perfect grand opening to advertise your business and services:

Throw a Party

This is the obvious choice, but it can turn into an amazing event people will remember and talk about for years to come. Some things that you’ll need to take care of are:

• Choosing the right date (avoid holidays and other local events. Also, it is better to have your salon open for a week or two, so all the little problems are sorted out before this)

• Your budget (don’t spend your whole marketing budget on the opening party)

• Guest list (invite potential clients, suppliers, friends, and anyone in the local community that you want to attract. You may also ask people to register beforehand so that you know how many guests to plan for)

• Entertainment (you don’t want to bore your guests, so bring a dj or anything that you think your clientele would really enjoy)

• Drinks and food (you’ll want to have enough on the menu to serve everyone, but also make sure people won’t get drunk- avoid having an open bar, for instance)

• Decorations (keep these in line with your style and budget)

• Professional photos (a photographer will make your event work for you even after the date- think about getting images that you can share on your social media pages)

Partner with Nearby Businesses

If there are other small businesses operating nearby, consider working with the owners on cross-promotions.

For example, you could share product samples or small gift bags to distribute to guests. You might also offer mutual sales on related services (such as a discount coupon at a community cafe for customers who attend your opening party or book your hair salon services).

Plan for:

• Food and catering (consider hiring a local cafe or restaurant to cater your opening event or party, and ask if they’ll give you a discount in exchange for advertising)

• Mutual promotion opportunities (build relationships with mutual customers by sharing samples, flyers, or business cards)

• Choosing the right business (they’ll need to fit well with your own brand image if you want to target your clientele- for example, partnering with a trendy local bar is a great way to reach a younger, hip audience)

Do not miss our post on new salon opening announcement.

Invite Local Influencers

Increase your salon’s social media coverage by including local influencers and beauty bloggers on your list of party guests.

Make sure to:

• Do your research (you want to attract new clients, so try to contact influencers that you think they follow, with public images that align with your business’s values)

• Create a “shareable” experience (your salon space, as well as the opening event/ party itself should be something they will be happy to share on Facebook, Instagram or Youtube. Even the food and drinks you serve at the party should look good)

• Ask them to blog or write articles about the experience (the right article is great advertising for a business)

• Have a realistic budget (you want things to look good, but don’t break the bank. Have a plan in place to cover the costs of food and drinks, as well as any entertainment and “extras” such as take-home gifts or promotional materials. Try to stick to your budget)

Organize Tours

Offer tours of your business where you show off your salon and introduce your staff.

These could include:

• Staff bios and a “meet and greet” party

• A “Q and A” session with free beauty or hair-care consultations and recommendations of services and hair products

Organize a How-To Class

This is a great opportunity to showcase your skills and specialties, as well as the talent of your staff members.

Think about:

• Your salon’s image (show off something that promotes your own special niche or skills, if possible- if your focus is on older clients, you might teach a class about styling thinning hair, for example)

• Your salon’s website (you can publish follow-up articles and encourage guests to join your mailing list)

Offer Free Services

Sometimes, the best way to promote salons is to let people experience the quality of their work for themselves.

Invite guests in for a free scalp massage or a trim, and then offer related services.

Don’t forget to:

• Offer a consultation (this is a great way to build a relationship and plan future appointments)

• Get their contact information (and add them to your social media sites, if possible)

Conduct a Raffle

Gather clients’ contact data in exchange for participating in a raffle with some nice prizes.

Remember to:

• Plan your prizes (use your own gift bags, or cross-promote with another business- you may even want to include samples of products you’ll be selling)

• Create raffle tickets (include a section for contact information)

Do not miss our post on hair salon flyer.

Get Involved in the Community

Check your local community center or municipal website to see if there are any events coming up. Your salon could host a booth or volunteer your time and services at a local event in exchange for some free advertising.

Some things to consider are:

• Finding an event/ venue that’s compatible with your brand image (If you focus on older clients, you may want to volunteer at a seniors’ community center, for example)

• What benefits do they offer in return (can they provide advertising on their own website, bulletin boards or flyers? Ask them)

Use Social Media (as much as possible)

Perhaps you already have a Facebook and Instagram account. If not, get one and use these to promote your new salon business as soon as possible. Try creating some videos of your business and services, and post these to Youtube and TikTok, too.

Pay attention to:

• The quality of your posts (any images and videos need to look good. Think of them as professional promotional materials and try to eliminate any clutter in the background or additional noise)

• The services you showcase (focus on things that make your salon special and highlight these)

Have a Contest

This is a fun one. To kick things off and promote your new salon, consider hosting a competition such as a scavenger hunt, video competition, or “before and after” makeover contest with a fun prize such as a gift basket or a free service for the winners.

To do this, you’ll need to plan:

• The contest itself (what it will involve and what the rules will be)

• The prize (make sure that you decide this ahead of time and promote it, along with the competition)

• How many winners you’ll allow (you’ll have to budget for this, so make sure that you have a clear idea of how many prizes you will give away. Communicate this to the contestants, too)

Promote the Event

Most importantly, you’ll need people to know about it so that they come. You want to make it easy for your target audience to find your business.

Let people know about the opening event or party using:

• Social media (spread the word on Facebook, Instagram and other sites)

• Radio ads (pay for a short message on a popular local station- consider the timing carefully, since you want it to run when your future customers are likely listening to the radio, so that they hear your new salon opening announcement)

• Your own website (write an article promoting it, and send it to your emailing list)

• The newspaper (the newspaper could run an ad or an article about your salon’s opening events)

• Flyers (check Pinterest for hair salon grand opening flyer ideas, images and new salon opening quotes that you can include, or else hire a professional to design them)

If you need any more event ideas do check out our post on salon happy hours.

Hair Salon Grand Opening Invitations​​​​

The way that you invite people to your salon opening is almost as important as the event itself. You want to make the right impression on your guests, even before they arrive.

Consider using:

• Personalized emails (if you have a list, personal invitations are always better)

• Social media (post on your salon’s page and use advertising, too. If you’re completely new to the area, look at the people who frequently attend nearby restaurants, shops and gyms and send them a personal invitation)

• Local businesses (you can leave fliers at their store, or ask them to promote you on their social media. Start a partnership and build on this, going forward)

• Your Window Display (take advantage of your store windows, if your salon has a visible location in a well-traveled ares)

Salon Grand Opening Gift Ideas

You can make lasting connections with potential customers this way. Think of each gift as a chance to tell a story about your business and your salon’s image. Give out things that reflect the values and style of your business.

You might give potential clients:

• Hair Products (these could include miniatures, samples or styling products that you’ll sell later in your back bar)

• Branded Accessories (such as tote bags, brushes, or hand mirrors)

• Gift Cards (for a discount or a free service- these are especially effective when they need to book another service to receive the discount)

• Loyalty Cards (the members with these cards will get a higher level of benefits than you usually offer)

Salon Opening Offers

Launching your business with appealing offers is a traditional marketing strategy that remains one of the most effective.

You can attract people to your salon business using:

• Discounts (these can be on all services on your salon menu, or specific ones only- offer a percentage or a dollar amount off)

• Free additional services (such as a free trim with color treatments)

• 3 for 2 offers on products (the cheapest out of 3 is free, in these cases)

• “Bring a friend” offers (these can be either referral or group discounts)

Conclusion

Opening a new salon business in any city or town is a major undertaking. This doesn’t mean that it can’t be an enjoyable and rewarding process, though.

With the right planning and a clear budget, you can make this process both smooth and effective. Make sure to involve your team in the planning, and don’t be afraid to reach out to the local community, too.

You can put your own creative twist on our salon grand opening ideas and customize them to fit your needs. It’s important to start your salon business on a positive note, so take your time planning the right opening event for you, and enjoy the process.

Citations

Thinking of opening your own business? Be prepared!
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/000768

Business gifts: A form of non-verbal and symbolic communication
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/02632373

Sustainable event management: A practical guide
https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781315439723