The beauty industry is constantly changing. New technologies and treatments are constantly being developed, product formulations change and new ‘buzz’ ingredients come in and out of fashion. When new technology and treatments enter the market, there are a small number of people who jump in straight away, while the majority sit back and wait to see how it goes… These watchers will generally trickle into the field, and as it picks up momentum more and more salons start jumping on the bandwagon until it’s commonplace. It can be a real challenge to know if a treatment is a fad that will disappear as quickly as it comes, or if this is a genuine treatment that delivers results and will soon become the ‘next big thing’. It is also a really fine line determining when to stop watching, and start doing!
When new treatments arrive, those who generally ‘win big’ are the Innovators, and the Early Adopters. They are the ones who get all the new clients who have heard about this ‘great new thing’ and want to try it. Let’s take a closer look:
- Innovators are the first – they carry the most risk, and also reap great rewards by becoming leaders in their field.
- Early adopters are the first to follow the innovators, with less risk and yet as much or similar rewards as innovators. They are more selective in their adoption of new technology and become opinion leaders on the new innovations.
- As the technology starts to become more known and mainstream, the next phase of adopters join – the Early Majority. They are still in time to capitalise on this new treatment before the rest of the industry catches up.
- The Late majority follow, and this is usually due to requests from clients or losing business to the early adopters and early majority.
- Then we have the Laggards – they are the ones who jump on the bandwagon right at the end of trend, when the innovators and early adopters have already moved on to the next ‘big thing’.
Just like business owners, our customers and clients fall into these same categories. We all have clients who LOVE trying new products and treatments – these are our innovators and early adopters. These clients will seek out new treatments and technologies and will hunt for someone who offers that service, and will often not mind travelling a farther distance in order to get it. Then we have our ‘early majority’ who have discovered the treatment through social media, word of mouth or advertising. These clients might be a little more cautious, and they will spend time researching the treatment and the people who offer it. They are far more likely to choose someone who has been offering this treatment for longer – it’s still new, they want someone experienced, or they want to go to the same person their friend went to.
So, you can see how being an early adopter has huge benefits not only financially, but also in terms of reputation, business branding and new customer acquisition.
Covid-19 throughout 2020/21 has been very challenging for the beauty industry, and we will continue to feel the impact in our businessess during 2022 and even beyond, as we deal with new mutations and potential future ‘waves’. Now is the time to stand out from your competition and sieze the opportunity to attract new clients and build your brand and reputation in your local area. At Blush Academy, I am committed to bringing you access to high quality education to continue your professional development as a beauty and dermal professional.
If you are ready to step up and boost your business, BB Glow is the perfect skin treatment introduce to your salon and your clients. It is still in the early adopter phase here in Australia, despite having been around for nearly over 10 years in Korea and Eastern Europe. This makes it the perfect new treatment to add to your salon or clinic, as it has an established history of being safe and effective but yet is still rare and new enough to give your business a competitive edge. BB Glow is the perfect treatment to keep your existing clients engaged and returning, as well as enticing new clients to your business. To find out more, read our other posts on BB Glow, visit the course page or send us a message on facebook!
