INTRODUCTION

Want a stress-free holiday season? Start marketing now. Waiting until November is a rookie mistake—by then, many clients have already booked services, bought gift cards, and planned their self-care schedules. The key to holiday success is early preparation. In this guide, you’ll learn proven strategies to book out your calendar, increase retail sales, and build buzz well before the holiday rush.

1. Revive Your Email List

Email marketing is one of the most effective ways to re-engage past clients and remind loyal clients to book early.

Try sending an early-bird holiday campaign such as:

“Book your holiday glow facial before Oct. 15 and get a complimentary add-on treatment!”

Need help crafting emails? Use tools like Flodesk or Mailchimp to design beautiful campaigns quickly. You can also get seasonal email templates from GlossGenius that are built for beauty professionals.

Pro tip: Segment your email list. Send VIP clients early booking access, while new clients can get a “holiday first-timer” special offer.

2. Tease Holiday Gift Cards and Bundles

Gift cards and bundles are holiday gold. They’re easy to sell and provide steady cash flow during the busiest season.

• Start teasing these offers in September to get clients thinking ahead. Ideas include:

• Instagram Stories with countdown stickers (build urgency).

• Posts showing gift-wrapped products or curated skincare bundles.

• Offering digital gift cards through platforms like Square or Vagaro.

Example Bundle: “Holiday Glow Kit” – includes a travel-sized cleanser, exfoliator, and gift card for a mini facial.

3. Social Media Campaign Ideas

Social media can be your best tool to stay top-of-mind and drive bookings. Create a mix of educational, engaging, and promotional content.

Try:

• Holiday Skincare Tips Series: Share 5 daily posts on topics like “How to Beat Dry Winter Skin” or “Best At-Home Masks for Holiday Glow.”

• Giveaways: Encourage followers to enter by tagging a friend or sharing your post. Offer a free mini facial or retail product.

• Countdown to Black Friday: Build anticipation by teasing exclusive offers each week leading up to the big day.

For design help, use Canva’s holiday templates or explore ready-to-post content from Bosses in Beauty.

4. Use Client Testimonials

Social proof sells—and during the holiday season, clients want to know they’re choosing the best provider.

Ask happy clients to record short testimonial videos after a facial or peel, and post them as Instagram Reels or TikToks. If video feels intimidating, start with written reviews and add them to your holiday graphics.

You can collect reviews seamlessly using tools like Google Business Profile or Yelp for Business.

5. Create Scarcity

Scarcity drives urgency. If you don’t let clients know your spots are filling up, they’ll assume they can wait until December.

Use strategies like:

• “Only 10 holiday appointments left!”

• Countdown timers in Instagram Stories.

• A “holiday booking calendar” pinned post showing available times.

Booking software like GlossGenius or Vagaro can help you display real-time availability and send automated reminders.

Conclusion

The holidays don’t have to be stressful—you just need to plan ahead. By reviving your email list, promoting gift cards early, creating engaging social media campaigns, showcasing client testimonials, and using scarcity marketing, you can fill your calendar well before November.

Start now, and enjoy a holiday season filled with loyal clients, increased revenue, and a business that runs smoothly even in the busiest months.

Our Top 5 Resources for Solo Estheticians

ASCP Esthetic Insurance: Enjoy comprehensive general, professional, and product coverage no matter where you work, featuring the highest dollar amount of coverage available in the industry.

Take advantage of our exclusive link to receive a discount on your annual insurance plan and save $20.

Gloss Genius: Take control of your business. Use our exclusive link and try it for free for 14 days, no credit card required.

Beauty Biz Pro by Jake Randolph: Discover how to dominate your local search results and attract dream clients with this FREE step-by-step guide tailored for beauty professionals, How to Rank your Beauty Business #1 on Google.

Corpoderm Health & Beauty: Introducing the new DP Skin Essentials! This subscription-based, 100% digital skin analysis tool is here to elevate your skincare game! With a simple software download for your laptop and a user-friendly phone app, you can upload pictures and analyze up to 8 key criteria for your clients’ skin health. Pre-order yours today and mention The Solo Esthetician to access unbeatable savings!

Procell Therapies with Carole DeZarn: The fastest growing system on the market. With less than 9000 devices worldwide, you can be one of the first to offer it in your area. All made in the USA with a lifetime warranty. Procell Therapies has the HIGHEST Return on Investment in our industry. Sign-up today!

Top Business Resources for Solo Estheticians

Explore our curated resources designed specifically for solo estheticians to enhance your business and streamline your operations. These tools provide essential support in marketing, branding, inventory management, and customer engagement, helping you to thrive in your solo practice. Utilizing these resources can help you focus on what you do best—providing exceptional services to your clients—while handling the business side with ease.

Bosses in Beauty - 7 Figure Team: Ready to scale your beauty business? This program teaches you proven hiring strategies, systems, and policies so you can grow your team, increase revenue, and work less. Learn from Raya—who scaled her business to 7 figures—and join a community of beauty bosses on the same journey.

Keap: Industry-leading marketing automation software that helps you manage your client relationships with ease. Keap allows you to automate your marketing campaigns, track leads, and keep your appointments organized—all in one platform.

Later: A powerful Social Media & Influencer Marketing platform that enables you to plan and schedule your posts effortlessly. With Later, you can visually organize your content, analyze performance, and engage with your audience, making social media marketing a breeze.

inFlow: Simplify your inventory management with inFlow, a user-friendly tool that helps you track stock levels, manage orders, and streamline your operations. This software ensures you never run out of essential products, allowing you to focus on delivering excellent services to your clients.

Looka: Use Looka's AI-powered platform to design a logo and brand you love, even if you don’t have design skills. With a few clicks, you can create a professional brand identity that reflects your unique style and attracts clients.

NiceJob: Automate your review generation, referrals, and social media content with NiceJob. This tool helps you build a strong online reputation by collecting testimonials from satisfied clients and sharing them effortlessly across various platforms.

Brand24: Gain AI-powered access to mentions across social media, news, blogs, and more with Brand24. This tool provides valuable insights into your brand's online presence, helping you monitor conversations and engage with your audience effectively.

Discover more Esthetic resources inside our Resource Directory

At the Solo Esthetician,

We understand the importance of having the right tools and resources. If you’re not yet a member of our group, we urge you to join our Facebook community of over 90,000 esthetics professionals worldwide to connect, learn, and grow together. Together, let's elevate the esthetics industry and thrive in our passion for beauty and wellness.

All the Best,

KimBella

Founder, The Solo Esthetician