How to Start Your Hair Salon in China

Hair Salon in China is now a lucrative business. It is no secret that the cosmetics sector is growing rapidly in China. This sector also includes the hairdressing industry. When you are walking in the trendy streets in Shanghai you will see more and more hair salons opening. This is thanks to the Chinese millennials, the main consumer group that isn’t shy to spend more money. This consumer group highly values trends, fashion, and their own appearance, which makes them extremely sensitive to new trendy businesses. Here in this article, you find the first steps in making your hair salon business successful in China.

 Understand the Chinese consumer market

Before entering the Chinese market, you should take the following steps into consideration. First of all, you should understand the Chinese culture and consumer market. As far as the Chinese culture and consumer market, in recent years there have been some developments. The Chinese millennials also known as China’s big spenders have taken a huge part of the Chinese consumer market. And concerning the cosmetics market, is simply the primary consumer group.

And why you may ask? This consumer group isn’t afraid to spend money on luxury products or to invest in improving their appearance. The latter is the main reason why the cosmetics industry in China is a booming business right now.

Define your target audience

When it comes to starting a business or advertising in China, America, France, etc. it is compulsory to find your target audience and how to reach them. While it is important to reach as many people as possible, it is more efficient to target a segment of the population. If you advertise for a specific group of consumers, you will target them directly. Because of this, you will exclusively reach the consumers who are interested which will subsequently mean more revenue for your business.

‘’Everybody is too general, be more specific.’’

Therefore, before you decide what your message is, and through which channels you should convey it, you must define your target audience.

Be unique and memorable

When you are walking in a breathtaking city like Shanghai, you will see that you are able to buy or do everything. In every shopping mall and in trendy neighborhoods like French Concession you will stumble upon numerous hair salons.

The last thing that your business should do, is going to a price war against your competitors. However, if you do this, you will definitely lose due to a massive number of competitors.

So, what do you need to do? The answer is, being unique. You have to differentiate your business from the rest.

For starters, you will need to begin with a charming name, an easy-to-remember logo, and a catchy slogan. These aspects are generally the first things people will notice about your business. If their first encounter leaves a good first impression, they will recognize it in the future. Moreover, your prospects may even think about hair salons and become loyal customers.

Next, you should have a unique selling point (USP), to attract your customers. With a UPS, you will be different from all the other competitors in the hairdressing industry. Prospects will be surprised and enthusiastic while existing customers will come back for more.

Create a Chinese website for your Hair Salon

There are four good reasons to create a website for your hair salon business. something very important to keep in mind, your website has to be accessible to customers in China.

Your Hair Salon needs Visibility on the Chinese Internet

Increasing visibility is one major factor that makes having a website important. Even if people have heard about your hair salon, they may want to look it up online first, before leaving the house. Provide a map and directions to your company’s shops or offices on your website so that visitors are less likely to have trouble finding the place.

Accessibility

A website is online and accessible 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Because of this, potential and existing customers can visit your site for support or information about your hair salon business whenever it is most convenient for them. Your website will act as an essential and always-available resource for information that would otherwise only be accessible during your company’s business hours.

Having a Chinese Website = Low-Cost advertising

The website has a far wider reach than any other form of advertising. While it takes time to build up enough traffic to your website to make a worthwhile impact on your company’s marketing campaign, it costs next to nothing to do so. Your website will be the center of your company’s online presence.

Your website can also have other important features. For a hair salon, I recommend having a feature on your website, where customers can make an appointment. Due to this customers aren’t restricted to business hours.

You can also sell complimentary hair products on your website. Customers can go online to purchase the product whenever it fits them the best. A website with an online shop can provide a dramatic boost in sales.

Make your Hair Salon Famous in China with WeChat and KOL

Today, being active on social media is a must for a business, especially in China. If you want to take your hair salon business to China, forget everything you know about Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, WhatsApp, etc. Here in China, it is all about WeChat.

This social network by Tencent counts more than 1 billion active users every month. On this platform, you have the opportunity to promote your hair salon business to Chinese customers. And most of all, you have here the opportunity to interact with prospects and loyal customers. Just as with WhatsApp, you can send messages, respond to frequently asked questions, and therefore provide good customer service.

Promote your Hair Salon in China Organically through Word-of-mouth

In 2018, it is a must to have your own website and be active on social media. Every day new companies enter the digital world by creating their social media account. However, this is not the only thing that is important. I mean social media and digitalization are nice and all but you should never underestimate the power of word-of-mouth communication, especially in the hairdressing industry.

This rule is as old as the industry itself. If you are searching for a good hair salon, you will probably first ask your friend. He or she will recommend you a place and if the place is affordable, you will probably go there. Why does this sound so familiar? Because this process is very common. In addition, the advice of a friend is more trustworthy than an advertisement on the internet.

To benefit from word-of-mouth advertising, you need to build a good reputation and provide good customer service. As a result, existing customers will recommend your hair salon to their network.

This process sounds may be wordy but it is very efficient due to its trustworthiness.

‘’Never estimate the power of word-of-mouth communication.’’

Gentlemen Marketing Agency help you launch your hair salon project in China

Need help to become the next trendy hair salon business in China? Gentlemen Marketing Agency is a specialist in marketing to China. Feel free to contact us.

Also, read:

• The Development of the Hair Care Market in China
• How to sell your shampoo brand in China
• NANO JAPAN Skincare Supplements Are Seducing Chinese Beauties