Marketing a salon, barber or beauty clinic is mostly about the second visit. A new client found through a booking marketplace can cost a one-time 20% commission, with a minimum fee per client, and whether that pays depends on how often they come back. So be easy to find on Google and Instagram, show work that looks like the client's own hair or skin, keep reviews honest, and make rebooking the easy option. If you offer injectables, the TGA bans advertising prescription-only products to the public, so sell the consultation instead.
Written by Dan Picken, founder. Last checked 6 November 2026.Workforce figures from Jobs and Skills Australia's hairdresser and beauty therapist profiles (February 2026 data). IBISWorld estimates there are about 38,000 hair and beauty businesses. The review figure is from the ACCC's 2023 sweep of 137 businesses, where beauty products were among the worst sectors. A crowded, mostly small-business field, where the salon down the road is one tap away and trust in reviews is shaky.
How people choose a salon
Someone wants a new colour, a fade or a lash set. They scroll Instagram, check Google Maps and reviews, look for a price they can predict, then book whatever has a time that suits. The ones who rebook become the business.
The psychology
Hair, skin and nails are on show every day. A bad result can't be returned like a jumper, so new clients weigh the risk before they weigh the price.
01
A bad colour costs weeks of wearing it, plus the cost of fixing it. The possible loss looms bigger than the gain of a better salon.
Show them: How the consult and strand or patch test work, and what happens if a client isn't happy.
02
People trust proof from someone who looks like them more than proof in general. A gallery of one hair type tells everyone else to go elsewhere.
Show them: Photos sorted by hair type, length, skin tone and starting point, labelled with the stylist.
03
A low 'from' price sets the expectation. When the bill is double, the client feels tricked, even if the work was great.
Show them: Price ranges, and what moves the price: length, thickness, time and toner.
04
In NSW, unqualified people can't work as hairdressers for a fee, and injectables must be given by registered practitioners. Clients want to see who's doing the work.
Show them: Who does each service, their qualification, and Ahpra registration for anyone doing injectables.
05
Deposits, packages and cancellation fees make people hesitate. And services come with consumer guarantees that can't be excluded.
Show them: Your deposit, cancellation and fix-up policy, in plain words, before they book.
From my audits
These are the patterns that come up most in salon and beauty marketing, and the first things I'd check.
Profiles named 'Salon Name Hairdresser Balayage Gosford' instead of the name on the sign, which breaks Google's guidelines.
A single 'Services' page listing dozens of treatments, so there's nothing for 'brow lamination' or 'skin fade' searches to land on.
Menus uploaded as a photo or PDF, with no prices in the text of the page.
Product names, nicknames and prices for injectables in posts, menus and booking systems.
Reports that show new bookings from ads or a marketplace, but not how many of those clients ever came back.
New client worth
Pick the service, then put in your own numbers. It shows what one new client is worth in their first year, what you can afford to pay to win them, and how a booking marketplace fee compares. The fee defaults to Fresha's published 20% one-time commission, and a minimum its pricing page shows as $6 without naming the currency, so check yours. Checked 6 November 2026. Every other starting number is made up.
One new client, first year
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Assumes clients who come back keep coming all year at your regular gap, so real value is usually lower. Check your own booking system for the real rebooking rate.
AI search
People ask AI tools things like 'who's good with curly hair in Newcastle' or 'is BIAB better than gel'. Google says its AI features may run several related searches behind one question, and that Business Profiles help local businesses appear. Specific, written-down facts are what get picked up.
AI answers lean on details: who does curly cuts, grey blending or skin fades, and where. If it's only in your Instagram grid, it's hard to quote.
Name, suburb, hours and booking link should match on your site, Google profile and booking page, so tools don't have to guess.
What to do now
My take: AI tools recommend the salon that's easiest to describe accurately. Make yours easy to describe.
Australian rules
Most salon ads only need to meet the Australian Consumer Law. Anything involving prescription medicines or registered practitioners has much tighter rules. Checked on 6 November 2026, NSW first.
Fake reviews, undisclosed staff or paid reviews, and removing genuine bad ones can all mislead, says the ACCC. Google also bans incentives for reviews and asking selectively for positive ones.
The TGA says ads can't refer to prescription-only injectables, including generic terms like 'anti-wrinkle injections' and 'dermal fillers', nicknames and hashtags. Advertise the consultation.
Ahpra's 2025 guidelines for non-surgical cosmetic procedures ban influencer testimonials and advertising aimed at under-18s, and apply to every regulated profession.
Vouchers sold since 1 November 2019 must last at least 3 years, with the expiry shown and no fees after purchase, with a few exceptions.
Waxing, manicures and pedicures and cosmetic tattooing are skin penetration procedures, and the premises must be registered with the local council. Solariums are illegal for beauty businesses.
Cosmetic lasers need a licence in Queensland, Western Australia and Tasmania, and IPL in Tasmania. NSW has no licence, so don't advertise one.
A marketer's summary, not legal advice. The full set is on the salon and beauty advertising rules page.
The channel mix
The beauty and salons hub
No. Botox is a prescription-only medicine, and the TGA says ads can't refer to prescription-only injectables, even through nicknames or hashtags. Advertise a consultation about skin concerns instead.
No. Google's policy bans offering incentives such as discounts or free services for reviews, and the ACCC says any incentive must apply whatever the review says and be disclosed.
Most must be redeemable for at least 3 years from purchase, with the expiry date shown and no fees after purchase. The rule applies to vouchers sold since 1 November 2019.
No. ARPANSA says cosmetic lasers are only regulated in Queensland, Western Australia and Tasmania, and IPL only in Tasmania. Operators still need proper training.
Yes. NSW law prohibits unqualified people working as hairdressers for a fee. A Certificate III in Hairdressing is the usual qualification, and apprentices work under supervision.
It depends on rebooking. Fresha, for example, charges a 20% one-time fee on brand new marketplace clients, with a minimum fee per client, and nothing on returning clients. If those clients come back, the fee is usually small next to their year's spend.
Keep going
Takes a minute. Audits come back within 1 to 2 business days. For anything else, I'll get back to you as soon as possible.
What happens next