Anthony Sansone, La Bella Sole Tanning Lounge

Anthony Sansone may only be 26, but he’s not new to the tanning game! With four years of business already under his belt, the young entrepreneur is quickly navigating the vast waters of the indoor tanning industry and finding his own voice and vision. Anthony shares some of the marketing tactics that have helped him succeed up to this point.

My parents do wedding expos, so I always contribute as a sponsor and get a booth at the shows. We offer special packages for brides and grooms, so it’s a great way for getting our name out while spreading education to a new audience.  These shows definitely put you in a different market because some of these people want to tan for their wedding, and it might be the first time they have ever tried it.

We also keep up on new tanning technology because the right equipment can speak for itself and make marketing a lot easier. People love hearing about what’s new and what’s best, and there is always more demand for those things.

Once a year we do a big Christmas party. It’s a catered event with food, drinks and a DJ – everyone has a great time. It’s not anything too extravagant, but we get just under 100 people and it turns out to be a really nice event.

Of course we do email blasts and radio ads – a lot of radio ads – but our number one form of marketing is still word of mouth. That’s why I treat my clients so well. People come to my salon because it’s one of the best in the city and because we treat them well. You can’t be greedy with customers because you never know when one could refer three people, who refer three people and before you know it someone has started a chain that has brought you 100 customers.

To learn more about the salon, visit www.labellasole.com.