Tanning businesses play a crucial role in helping customers achieve a gradual summer glow, making May the perfect time to launch summer prep promotions.

Summer prep promotions offer an opportunity to provide valuable services and products while educating customers on the importance of responsible tanning practices. By offering strategic promotions on services and products, salons can incentivize customers to start their summer preparations early and teach them how tanning and other services can still be useful all summer long.

The key messages to emphasize during summer prep promotions are the importance of sunburn prevention and summer skin care. In addition to promoting the benefits of a base tan, summer prep promotions can also highlight the importance of using tanning and skin care products, as well as sunscreen when necessary, and practicing sun safety habits. By combining tanning services with educational initiatives on sun safety, tanning salons can position themselves as partners in their customers’ overall health and wellness journey. Instead of merely offering a cosmetic service, salons become advocates for responsible tanning practices, empowering customers to enjoy the sun safely.

When designing summer prep promotions, focus on advertising your offers outside of your current customer base. You also don’t need to offer a big discount. This type of promotion can be compelling based simply on the message rather than the value it provides. You’re simply reminding people why your services can be beneficial this time of year. The package or offer is just what draws them in, even if it’s not a huge discount.

Consider packaging a number of tanning sessions with an indoor/outdoor tanning product and a variety of skin care products. If it suits your needs, consider also throwing in a session or a few sessions in spa or wellness equipment that’s good for hydration or skin care. Introducing new customers to that equipment now will give them another reason to keep coming back once summer is in full swing.

It’s also a good time to leverage your lower-level equipment that is less in demand. Because people who are attracted to this type of promotion will likely be starting their tans from scratch, lower-level equipment should suit their needs well. And, since these sessions aren’t costing you much or occupying more valuable and in-demand equipment, you can consider presenting the tanning portion of the package as free. If you put together a product package priced at, say, $100, that sale coupled with the presumption of gaining new clients is likely worth throwing in quite a few Level 1 sessions for “free.”

Leveraging digital marketing channels such as social media and email newsletters can help spread the word about summer prep promotions and engage with customers on a deeper level. Sharing tips and educational content on sun safety through these platforms can reinforce the salon’s commitment to customer care and build trust and loyalty among its clientele.

Summer prep promotions offer tanning salons a unique opportunity to educate customers on the importance of responsible tanning practices while driving business growth. By offering promotions and discounts on tanning packages or products and highlighting the benefits of getting a base tan before summer, salons can position themselves as leaders in the industry and valued partners in their customers’ summer preparations. So, as the summer season approaches, get ready to glow responsibly and enjoy all that summer has to offer.