Learn From Olive and June to Create a Salon Loyalty Program That Works

TLDR

Olive & June, founded by Sarah Gibson Tuttle and named after her great-grandmother and grandmother, has nailed the art of the "nailfie" – those perfect Instagram shots of fresh manicures. If you're a salon owner looking to build customer loyalty, take a cue from Olive & June's Olive You Club. By offering perks like free shipping and member discounts for a small annual fee, they've created a community that keeps customers coming back. Consider launching your own membership program, complete with referral bonuses. Offering exclusive sneak peeks and early access can get customers excited to join. With the right loyalty strategy and tools, you can increase retention and watch your salon thrive.

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Learn From Olive and June's Successful Membership Program

As a salon owner, creating customer loyalty is key to sustainability and growth. One proven tactic is implementing a membership program that provides ongoing value and incentive for clients to continue frequenting your business. The popular nail salon chain Olive & June, with over 590k Instagram followers, has built a thriving membership program that salon owners can learn from.

Offer Alluring Perks and Benefits

Olive & June’s “Olive You Club” membership provides members with complimentary shipping, 10% off all purchases, special previews of new products, and access to an exclusive Facebook group. These types of perks give members a sense of exclusivity and special treatment that fosters brand loyalty. Salon owners should determine what unique benefits they can offer to make a membership enticing for clients, whether it’s discounted services, first access to new treatment options, or members-only events.

Make it Easy to Share and Refer

Olive & June also offers a straightforward referral program where members receive $10 off for referring a new member. This incentivizes word-of-mouth marketing and makes the membership easy to share on social media. Salon owners should consider providing referral perks, discounts or rewards to tap into clients’ networks and gain new membership sign-ups through social sharing and recommendations.

Keep it Simple and Affordable

Olive & June’s membership is very affordable at only $40 per year, and it renews automatically to provide ongoing convenience. The key is to make the membership simple with a reasonable fee that provides value without being cost-prohibitive. An affordable membership with automatic renewal is easy for clients to buy into and keeps them engaged long-term.

By following Olive & June’s lead, salon owners can craft a compelling membership program to boost customer loyalty, gain new clients through referrals, and create a recurring revenue stream to help grow their business. With the right mix of benefits, perks, simplicity and affordability, a membership program can be a game-changer.

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How to Create a Loyalty Program for Your Salon

Define Your Goals

To establish an effective loyalty program, first determine your objectives. Do you want to increase client retention, boost sales or build brand awareness? Defining clear goals will help shape the rewards and benefits you offer members. For example, if increasing retention is the goal, consider offering free or discounted services after a certain number of visits. For sales, provide members-only discounts and promotions.

Choose a Membership Structure

Decide if you want a paid, free or tiered membership program. A paid program, like Olive & June’s $40 per year membership, provides recurring revenue. A free program is easy to join but may attract less committed members. A tiered program, with increasing rewards and benefits at higher levels, encourages members to spend more to achieve the next status.

Develop Attractive Rewards and Perks

The benefits you provide will determine the program’s success. Consider rewards like discounts on products and services, free add-ons, gift cards, members-only events and sneak previews of new offerings. Olive & June members get 10% off all purchases, free shipping and access to exclusive promotions.

Promote Your Program

Market your loyalty program to new and existing clients through social media, email, in-salon signage and word-of-mouth. Highlight the benefits of membership to motivate people to join. Olive & June promotes their program on their website, email newsletters, and social media. They also offer a generous referral program, rewarding members for referring friends.

Continuously Improve

Monitor how members engage with your program and make adjustments to keep them satisfied. Send surveys to get direct feedback. Watch for opportunities to add new perks or partnerships. Review membership fees and reward values periodically based on the program’s performance. Making ongoing improvements will help build a loyal membership base.

With the right goals, rewards, and marketing, you can create a loyalty program that boosts your salon's success and keeps clients coming back. Modeling your efforts on proven programs like Olive & June's is a great way to start. Define your objectives, choose a membership structure, develop attractive perks and promote your program to build loyalty and increase business.

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Drive Referrals and Increase Customer Lifetime Value

Offer an Attractive Loyalty Program

To drive referrals and increase customer lifetime value (CLV), consider implementing an attractive loyalty program like Olive & June’s Olive You Club. Their $40 annual membership provides benefits such as free shipping, 10% off all purchases, sneak peeks at new products, and access to an exclusive Facebook group. These types of perks incentivize customers to keep coming back and spending more. Per Diem offers you tools through which you can follow their model by offering similar memberships with appealing rewards and creating a private online community for your members to foster brand loyalty.

Implement a Referral Program

Referral programs help acquire new clients through word-of-mouth from existing satisfied customers. For example, Olive & June rewards referrers with $10 off which you could match or improve upon. Make it easy for customers to refer your business by providing a unique referral code or link they can share socially or by email. You can launch your own creative referral program through the Per Diem appointments app.

Capture Customer Data

Loyalty programs also provide the opportunity to capture customer contact information and purchasing behavior data. With their consent, you can use this data to create targeted marketing campaigns and personalized offers for your highest-value customers to increase their lifetime spend. Send exclusive promotions and product recommendations based on their preferences and shopping habits.

Continuously Improve the Experience

To achieve long-term success, consistently evaluate how to improve the customer experience for your loyalty program members. Survey members to determine what additional perks or benefits they would find most valuable. Consider tiered membership levels with increasing rewards to motivate customers to spend more. Host special events and provide early access to sales for your VIP members. The more you invest in creating an exceptional experience for your loyal customers, the more they will continue to invest in your business.

By following the examples set by innovative brands with successful loyalty programs, you can boost referrals, gather valuable customer data, increase CLV, and build a base of brand advocates to help your salon thrive. The key is strategically designing a program that resonates with your target customers and gives them an experience they can’t find anywhere else.

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Final Thoughts

Olive & June's named "Olive You Club" offers the perfect template for salons looking to increase customer loyalty. By providing members with free shipping, discounts, sneak peeks, and more, Olive & June incentivizes repeat business. Emulating their tactics, salons can craft loyalty programs that entice clients to return again and again. An attractive referral component, offering perks for sharing salon membership with friends, expands reach. Ultimately, salon owners must view loyalty programs as investments in future revenue streams and customer relationships. Thoughtfully designed, they will pay dividends in retention and growth.

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