Make Money Selling Human Hair Extensions!

The sales of human hair extensions have steadily been on the rise over the last few years. According to Market research firm Mintel, the estimated size of the market in 2012 was $684 million, with a projection of $761 million by 2017. However, Mintel noted that the figures do not include general market brands, hair extensions, wigs, independent beauty supply stores, distributors, online retailers, etc. With those things considered,  the numbers could reach a whopping half trillion dollars. So, with good reason, many aspiring entrepreneurs are thinking of starting a hair extensions business.  With the hair extension industry growing, you can imagine the enormous amount of competition. It is essential that you market and brand yourself to stand out from the crowd.

What is a Brand?

A "brand” is what your potential customers think of when he or she hears your brand name. It is your promise to your customers. If your customers support your brand, they will support your hustle. By following these tips, you will understand how to make your mark in this saturated market and increase your overall hair weave sales. Let’s begin!

What is Marketing?

Before I can go in depth about any tips on how to promote your brand and your merchandise, we have to dissect the concept of marketing. By the dictionary's definition, marketing is the action of persuading your consumers on why they should choose your product over others in the market. You have to select the right marketing messages and marketing methods to reach and influence your audience successfully. Many business owners think marketing is merely advertising when in reality it is way deeper than only buying ads. Engaging your audience using different platforms is essential to the success of your business. 

1. Website

Having a website is essential to your business. It gives you an online presence necessary to sell your hair extensions. The hair extensions industry is very competitive, and your online store must reflect why potential customers should shop with you. Your website must be compelling, shows value to your customer, and be easy to navigate.

2. Social Media Platforms

In building your brand, it is crucial that you have a presence on social media. 51% of Americans purchase online. According to Statista, the most commonly used social media platforms have the following active accounts: 

• Facebook 2 billion
• Pinterest 58.5 million
• Twitter 330 million
• Instagram 800 million

Social media is where people go to get recommendations, ideas, nail techs, hair salon and retailers of human hair extensions. Social media allows you to interact with people interested in purchasing your products. People buy from people and brands they feel comfortable with and trust. Social media gives you an opportunity to share with your customers and potential customers who you are and why they should engage with you.

3. Advertisements

There are different ways to expand your message through advertising in various mediums. Placing an ad in your local newspaper or on Facebook are inexpensive was to get brand awareness. An advertisement is an integral part of marketing process and designed to inform and motivate people to make a decision. A woman in search of a quality Glueless, Lace Frontal, straight bob wig might Google different hair companies so she can make a purchase. You want her to find your company, so you can provided her with what she wants. To ensure that more people know about your company, invest in some form of advertising like Google Adwords or Facebook. Advertisements vary, and they all work differently based on how you want to reach your audience.

Social media is a great platform to sell your products and to let your potential customers more about your brand. You can create ads and promote posts in order to reach a significant amount of people.Facebook provides you with a way to target audiences with various different ad formats and parameters. You can do a lot on Facebook as follows: tap into recent purchasing behavior, nurture leads and build loyalty, expand to a lookalike audience, and much more. You are more likely to reach your specific audience due to specific targeting of consumers. Advertisements are a great to expand your brand and get out past your local community. 

4. Search Engine Optimization Marketing

SEO marketing stands for Search Engine Optimization marketing and is the practice of increasing the quantity and quality of traffic to your website through organic search engine results. The hair industry is heavily saturated and has a lot of competitors within it. Therefore, you have to push your way to the front of the line. Websites that are well-known and generating more followers will usually pop up first. One of the strategies includes adding keywords, certain links to your website so that search engines can place it at the beginning of the search list. 

5. Discounts

Discounts are a great way to get potential customers to visit your website and purchase from you.  As we all know hair extensions are not always the cheapest, and your potential customers will be w looking for a bargain, especially if they are not familiar with your brand.  If your hair meets or exceeds their expectations they will become repeat customers and share the information with their family and friends. As a business owner it is good to offer discounts occasionally, but not too often, as it is not good for your bottom-line.

6. Events

E-commerce is a great way to sell your products and to reach more people. However, selling your products online is not the only way to expand your brand.  Your potential customers want to connect with you and events are one of the best ways to interact and engage with them. People buy from people; therefore, it is crucial for you to build and foster a trusting relationship with the public. Attending or creating events such as trade shows, pop up shops, hair shows, conventions, and cross-promotional events all aide in the expansion of your company. It allows people to check out the quality of your products and further connect with you.

7. Email Marketing

A great way to gain and keep your clientele is by creating an email list for your website. Allowing a possible buyer to add their email to your list enhances the chances of them shopping with you again. They can keep up with sales, events, promotion, or membership rewards. People enjoy sales and retail therapy, and there is no better way to speak to your consumers by sending them relevant and value-based emails to remind them of the great products you provide. 

8.  Blog/Vlog

Similar to creating social media accounts and attending events, you should have a blog or a vlog to talk about your product to build a level of trust. People buy from brands they trust. Trust is earned over time and can be built through consistent messaging. It is important for you to build a relationship with your new and existing customers and you can do that by sharing relevant and value-based blogs or vlogs. Most websites have an option for you to add a blog and I encourage you to have one or your site. You can create a YouTube channel for your vlogs. Stepping away from the business aspect of it all and focusing on your audience can generate a significant following which is great for your brand!

9. Exceed Expectations

Finding that right vendor for your hair extensions and or products can be challenging and costly, but it is important that it is the best quality. People turn to specific products and pages when they believe that it exceeds their expectations. Additional, your branding materials and image matters. If you are not a designer, I suggest hiring a professional or student intern to help you. Your brand identity needs to be on all your social media platforms, website, promotional collateral, packaging, etc.

10. Quality Product

It is vital entrepreneurs know about their product and ensure that they are providing a quality product. Before putting a product out into the world, it is vital to research and testing. There are many vendor selling hair and they all want you buy with them. I personally spent $10K on testing and certifying the hair we sell. When we started and through the years, we have had our fair share of hair that didn't meet our expectations. However, it was worth the investment to make sure that the quality we sell now is the best. You want to sell your hair with confidence and that could only happen if you test. We used a lab in Atlanta to test our hair to ensure that it was 100& human hair with no fillers or animal hair. You can also do your own in-house burn test to make sure the hair is not synthetic. We also wear the hair for up to 30 days. If your bundles or wigs don't last for 30 days, move on to the next vendor. When consumers know your business for its quality product, they will continue to shop with you, and they will refer others to shop with you. 

To be successful in this highly competitive industry, you have to stand out! Make a mark in your community and get your face out there! 

If you are interested in selling quality human hair extensions, please reach out to learn more about our Wholesale Program.