Personalized communication and marketing were once “nice to haves” for businesses. Not so many years ago, it was something only the big multi-billion-dollar brands like Amazon and Netflix were doing. And for customers, it was the unexpected cherry on top of an already satisfactory sundae. Now, people not only expect a delightful sundae with the cherry included, but they want that sundae to be tailored according to their unique preferences.
Log in to view the full article
Personalized communication and marketing were once “nice to haves” for businesses. Not so many years ago, it was something only the big multi-billion-dollar brands like Amazon and Netflix were doing. And for customers, it was the unexpected cherry on top of an already satisfactory sundae. Now, people not only expect a delightful sundae with the cherry included, but they want that sundae to be tailored according to their unique preferences.
This has upped the ante for all businesses, regardless of size. Consumers want to be surprised and delighted with unique experiences and offers based on their individual preferences. When spas can do that, their clientele feels more valued and has a stronger loyalty to the brand. In fact, when done right, guests will often turn into powerful advocates for your business—and we all know that word of mouth is more effective than any other form of marketing.
So, how do you achieve this on a large scale? Cost-effective mobile marketing tools that use proximity engagement could be an answer.
Marketing Reimagined
Mobile marketing has gotten a bad rap over the years, thanks to spam marketers who’ve used it to send mass messages that have no relevance to the recipient. But when mobile marketing leverages proximity engagement technology, it becomes a very effective way to not only reach your customers during times when they are most likely to take action, but also surprise and delight them in the process.
Proximity engagement is a more precise and personalized form of communication with very specific customers. It combines geographic location with other known data about the customer to engage them with timely and relevant messages or offers. It’s a way of using client insights to deliver a message they actually want at the moment it is most relevant.
One spa that has embraced proximity engagement is Ella Bliss Beauty Bar in Denver. When one of their guests arrives at Denver International Airport, for instance, they receive an automated push notification that acknowledges how stressful travel can be and incorporates a personalized offer for their next massage. Talk about surprise and delight!
This is just one example of how a wellness business can leverage proximity engagement technology to connect two related experiences—the stress of air travel and a relaxing massage—in a way that both satisfies a real client need and drives additional business that otherwise might have gone uncaptured. When the competition for spa-goers’ attention and loyalty is fierce, proximity engagement is an extremely powerful tool to win both.
On- and Offline-Engagement
Mobile marketing with proximity engagement technology can also elevate the overall in-person experience. For instance, some spas use it to send welcome messages to a guest’s mobile device the moment they arrive. Further, it can alert staff via mobile notification about the client’s arrival. The notification might include notes about the client’s preferences, like what spa snacks they enjoy or what aromatherapy they prefer. With this information, your team can have these items waiting for the guest beforehand.
These are seemingly small touchpoints, but they go a long way toward delivering a more personalized experience, and such personalized experiences create deeply loyal customers who often become your most vocal and valuable brand ambassadors. So, notifications to the team might include personal updates, like the client just got married, graduated college or welcomed a new baby to the family. Think about how this information could help spa staff create a tailored experience and imagine how that would shape the way your guest experiences the spa.
Proximity engagement can also be used to boost other marketing tactics, prompting clients with reminders at the optimal time to take action. For instance, email, direct mail and social media can all be effective ways to reach customers, but good timing isn’t guaranteed. You have little control over when and where they receive that message, or whether they’ll remember it when it matters. Proximity engagement accounts for a customer’s location, time of day and their preferences based on data you already know about them. This can be used in tandem with a promotional email to, say, remind them of the promotion when they’re within a few miles of your spa, during the time of day they may have some downtime or tend to schedule their appointments.
Tips and Tricks
Proximity engagement is built on the principles of human behavior design, i.e., a person is most likely to perform a behavior in response to a prompt at the precise moment when their motivation and ability to do so are most closely aligned. In the above example, the spa-goer’s ability to take action is higher if they are within close proximity and it’s during a time they typically visit.
Now, how do you implement this? There are plenty of mobile marketing tools that can automatically use data from your other systems to send personalized push notifications to your customers.
Regardless of what technology you implement, it’s still imperative to follow the principles of proximity engagement.
Personalize the message. Focus on providing value by acknowledging client preferences. Consider their service or purchase history, preferences, time of day and other known information.
Make value a two-way street. For example, if you suddenly have an opening for a specific service, send notifications to clients who are near your spa and use that service to let them know you have availability.
Think beyond the marketing message. Push notifications can also be welcome messages, daily inspirations or self-care tips during high-stress seasons; they don’t always have to be promotional.
Use technology. Good tech can automate all of this for you, and some options will integrate with your other business systems, like Mindbody, Vagaro, Booker, etc., to better understand each customer and allow for automations to be put in place.
Mobile with proximity engagement is a powerful tool, but you must prioritize creating value first. Violating your customer’s personal information to create unwelcomed marketing campaigns will erode their trust quickly. When you focus on delivering consistent value first, it will inherently create value for you too.
Andrew Steele is the CEO of LighthousePE and has more than 25 years of operational and leadership experience. He has cofounded numerous SaaS platforms and held roles in sales, marketing and business development for high-growth technology businesses.
