20 Best Barbershop Marketing Ideas To Promote Your Shop

It is difficult to promote your barber shop to get more customers. I don't need to explain that there are many competing barbers. You have to be creative and find ways to stand out from the crowd.

I'm here to lend you a helping hand. That's why I made a list of creative marketing ideas. Perform them to get more visitors to your barbershop.

You can get started with most of the marketing suggestions listed. Some of them need extra skills. Don't worry, I'll steer you in the right direction if you don't already have the skills. But feel free to skip them.

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Creating accounts on social media is one of the first things I do when I create a new website or business. Even before I create the official website for my company.

When you start a business and it becomes popular, people can steal your business name on social media. You must register the accounts as soon as possible so that you reserve the account usernames.

People don't just search for your barbershop name on Google to get more information. They also search it on other social media like Facebook, Instagram and more.

I recommend that you create an account for all the social media websites you know and can find. Once you've created one, fill out all the profile fields with your barbershop info. Don't forget the most important field, which is the website. Use a link to your main social media profile, such as Instagram or Facebook, if you don't have a website

2. List your business on Google

Google saves a spot to the right of the search results for the business you're looking for. Listing your barbershop on Google when your store is open and active is critical. Search for your barbershop on Google and make sure you are in the right sidebar as shown above. If not, don't worry, click the button below to add your business to Google.

Add barbershop to Google Business

When people search for your barbershop, they intend to visit you or see more information. You have to make sure you are there when they look for it. The worst is when Google recommends a competitor when searching for your barbershop. You can prevent this by registering your barbershop as a business with Google.

3. Promote on Barberhead

Barberhead is a website dedicated to listing the best barber shops anywhere. Visitors can vote to change the ranking and review barbershops.

We at Barberhead also provide promotional boosts for barber shops in every city. This means that your barbershop will appear in the top results of its city. This helps a lot because people who visit the pages are looking for the best barber shops in that city. Once you get a boost, your barbershop will appear at the top of the page for 30 days. Does it sound like music to your ears? Click here or the button below to get started.

Promote barbershop on Barberhead

4. Start an affiliate or loyalty program

A loyalty program is a smart way to reward loyal customers. This will help them keep coming back and maybe even refer new customers to you. It is also known as an affiliate program because it happens online.

You can make arrangements that customers will receive a small fee if they refer new customers to you. Another way is that when a customer takes someone along, they get a discount on their next haircut. This makes it less awkward and you don't have to give money away.

You can also give away stamp cards to customers. Every time they get a haircut, they get a new stamp. Once they fill the card, they get a free or discounted haircut.

5. Offer discounts

One of the oldest tricks in business is to offer people discounts. You can do this on social media or by posting a banner or sign outside your store. You can also give away discount cards or posters to people walking in crowded areas.

A good idea is not to do it too often. Or people come less often to wait for the next discount. Do it on special occasions. Do you have something to celebrate? Organize a sale or do it right before a holiday. Everyone wants to look fresh right before a public event.

6. Create a website

A must nowadays is to create a website for your business. Everyone looks up things online before doing things in the real world. A website is a digital address where you can welcome people before they come to your barbershop.

I know creating a website sounds intimidating, but these days you can create yours in minutes. You can make your website as simple or complex as you want. Without any coding or design experience. You can even install a booking system and accept online payments. It's all up to you.

I have tested and used the best services that offer this and I have shortlisted it for you. The 2 best services that offer this are Squarespace and Wix. Both allow you to create a beautiful website for your business. The templates are beautiful. I highly recommend signing up for both and deciding which one you like best.

7. Create a logo

You need a logo if you want people to remember your barbershop, it is your online and offline identity. It grabs people's attention and leaves a strong first impression. People will remember your barber shop and it sets you apart from your competition.

Most of us don't have the skills to make a nice logo. The problem is, we may have a vision for the logo, but we can't execute it. In some cases it might be better to outsource it. So you can try making your own logo or have someone else do it better for you.

Create your own logo

If you want to make it yourself and you have limited skills, I recommend keeping it simple. As Leonardo Da Vinci once said, "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication". Canva is a great place to start if you're a beginner and want to create your own designs. Looka is an alternative if you want to generate your logo.

Hire a designer

Hiring a designer to create a logo can be done in many places. I've narrowed it down to 2 places online depending on your budget. Fiverr is a great place if you are on a budget. There is a lot of low quality offerings, so you have to filter a lot. Upwork is my second recommendation. You can hire great freelance designers and discuss your vision before collaborating.

8. Start blogging

After you've created your website, you can start your own blog. This is a great way to gain followers and influence in the barber niche. Both of the services I recommended in point 6, creating a website, also offer blogging.

You can blog about everything related to hair care, barbers and barbershops. If you do that for a long time, you increase your brand identity. You drip the fame to your barbershop and get more followers and customers. When you get a following, you can branch out and sell products such as merchandise, pomade, hair and skin care.

9. Create a Youtube page

Youtube is a great way to gain followers. Videos are much more engaging than your normal social media post.

You can make videos right from your barbershop. And there is so much content you can create and share on YouTube. You can be an influencer and promote hair products. Show how to use them and recommend your favorite products. You can show how to care or style your hair. Make educational videos and show your technique on how to cut hair.

Your barbershop is your brand. The more viewers and followers, the bigger your brand becomes.

10. Do giveaways

People like free stuff, I don't have to convince you of that. People are willing to do things to get free stuff. Giveaways are a smart and easy way to market and promote your barbershop.

You can schedule giveaways for anniversaries and holidays. Prizes can be hair products or free haircuts. Of course you have to gain something from the giveaways.

A great and easy technique would be to create a social media post. If people share and tag it with some of their friends on social media, they'll be in with a chance of winning the prizes. You let it run for a few days and pick a random winner. Well done, you just showed your barber shop and brand to loads of new potential customers.

11. Create business cards

Talking to people and recommending your barbershop is super beneficial. It is a must for the growth of your barbershop. But people have busy lives and forget. Giving people your business card will help them remember your barber shop. It also leaves a great first impression. It's also super cheap and easy to make.

Once you've decided to make business cards, I recommend keeping the design simple. Put your logo, which you made in step 7, on the front and in the middle of the card. Include the name, phone number, website, and social media accounts of your barbershop.

I can't recommend a place to make business cards because I don't know where you live. But you can make it online unless you live in the middle of nowhere. They'll even send it to your house when it's done.

12. Partner with other businesses

Most of us who run a business want the same things. We all want success. Why not work together and help each other if it helps both of us?

Think of companies that are in the same business as you, but don't do exactly the same. Stores that sell grooming products for men. Contact them, they might be interested in a collaboration. You can promote and use their products in your barbershop. They can promote your barbershop in their stores. Giving away posters or coupon codes when selling products can help you immensely.

Be creative, other barbershops don't do this. If you think outside the box, you can dominate your territory.

13. Go to meetups and events

Going to barber meetings and events is a great way to connect with like-minded people. It will keep you motivated and you will be able to learn more. Networking allows you to collaborate with companies as mentioned in the previous step.

You can also share and show your freshly printed business cards that you made in Step 11.

Facebook and meetup.com are the places to go if you want to find barber events near you.

14. Join barber competitions

If you're good at what you do and think you could win a barber contest, it might be a good idea to enter. Or do you have a fellow barber in your barbershop who is good, you may want to enter him for a competition.

Winning a competition and achieving a title is an important factor. It can attract more customers to your barbershop. People want the best barber they can get. If you can prove that your barbershop can deliver the best cuts, it will attract the crowd. Even if you're not first, second or third is still a huge achievement.

15. Create merchandise and products

Followed all the steps and got some traction? Very well! Selling merchandise and products is the way to take your business to the next level.

Schorum is the most famous barbershop in the Netherlands and one of the most famous in the world. They have made a huge name for themselves and have started selling hair products. The brand is called REUZEL, you may have heard of it if you live in Europe. They took their barbershop and brand to the next level when they sold products. Imagine, other barbershops use your products to style hair for their customers! That's an major marketing game.

When you sell merchandise with your brand and logo on it, it's free marketing for your barbershop. But you can't start selling merch until you've made a name for yourself and have a following.

16. Connect with local blogs and magazines

Blogs and magazines are always looking for inspiration. New content to interest their readers. Try reaching out if you have an interesting story or want to collaborate with them. Start by making a list of blogs and magazines. But make sure they write about barbers, men's hair care and styling.

Magazines may want to feature and promote your barber shop. This will do wonders for your barber shop. In return, you can give their magazine away, sell it, or put it in your waiting area.

17. Host events

Organizing get togethers and events puts your brand in people's minds. Your barbershop is a space that can be used for things other than cutting hair. You can always use another space or rent something if your space is too small.

Invite customers and tell them to take people for Friday night drinks at the barbershop. Hire a DJ or play some tunes and have a great time. Barbershop marketing through good vibes, what more could you want?

18. Create a mailing list

When you interact with new people, it's a good idea to collect their email addresses. This allows you to contact them if you have events, discounts, offers, news and more. An email list is an easy way to market to people who are already familiar with your brand.

It might be weird to ask people in the real world for their email address.

Collecting emails online is smarter and a hands-off approach. Allowing people to subscribe to your email list through your best website is the easiest way. You can also organize events and ask for emails to keep them up to date. Giveaways and collect emails in return.

Reviews can help you improve your hair cutting and styling skills. Besides improvement, you can also use reviews to do marketing for your barbershop.

You can collect reviews by giving customers a piece of paper to fill out. If that's too inconvenient, you can ask them to rate you on Google or any other website you use for reviews. Ask them if you can use their review to help the barbershop by sharing it online.

Share the reviews on your website and social media once you have collected some reviews. Lots of people create highlights and stories on Instagram for customer reviews.

People love reviews and will base their decisions on recommendations.

20. Outsource the marketing

When it's all said and done, marketing is a skill in itself. Barbers are passionate and busy people. If you're making good money, hiring someone to do marketing for you might be a better option. So that you can focus on what you are good at, which is being a barber.

You can hire someone, part-time or full-time, to promote your barbershop. Depending on your budget. Upwork is a great place to start finding a marketer. I wouldn't recommend Fiverr for marketing as the quality is much worse.