According to a survey conducted by the marketing firm Ad-ology Research, a growing numbers of people in younger demographics are influenced by social networks when choosing a day spa or hair salon.

Fifty-seven percent of 18- to 24-year-olds and 48.5% of 25- to 34-year-olds say social media influenced their choice of a hair salon or day spa, according to Ad-ology Research. Across all demographics, online media had the most impact, with local Web sites (28.8%) and online Yellow Pages (22.3%) ranking as the most influential. Direct mail and newspapers were the top-ranked traditional media types.

“The younger crowd wants the latest styles, but they also want to go somewhere popular, somewhere their friends go,” said C. Lee Smith, president and CEO of Ad-ology Research. “Salons and spas need to get active online because chatter on social networks and positive comments can attract these young potential customers,” Smith said.

Other key findings:

• Currently, only 3% of consumers prefer to schedule hair and spa appointments online.
• 34.3% of African Americans say a sports sponsorship is an important factor in their choice of a hair salon or day spa.
• In addition to quality, cleanliness, price and location are top factors in salon and spa selection.

Read the entire article at http://www.skininc.com/spabusiness/management/marketing/49600392.html