Best Marketing Automation Software for Beauty Salons (2026)
Fill empty appointment slots, win back lapsed clients, and grow your salon with automated campaigns that run while you work.
The Problem
Most salons lose 20–40% of potential revenue to empty appointment slots that could have been filled with targeted promotions. The average beauty salon owner spends less than 2 hours per week on marketing — not because they don't want to market, but because it's time-consuming without automation tools.
- →Average salon has 20–30% of available appointment slots go unfilled each week
- →Lapsed clients who could be reactivated are never contacted
- →Birthday promotions and seasonal campaigns require manual effort without automation
- →No system for measuring which marketing efforts actually bring clients in
- →Social media posting consumes 3–5 hours per week for most salon owners
Top 5 Software Solutions
Ranked for salon marketing software
Vagaro
★★★★☆4.7/5Most comprehensive marketing automation suite
Best for: Salons wanting full campaign automation
Fresha
★★★★☆4.6/5Free marketing automation with blast campaigns
Best for: Budget-conscious salons
Boulevard
★★★★☆4.7/5Premium text and email marketing platform
Best for: Upscale salons focused on client engagement
GlossGenius
★★★★☆4.8/5Smart Pricing to fill gaps automatically
Best for: Solo operators using dynamic pricing
Feature Comparison
How top platforms compare on salon marketing software capabilities
| Feature | Vagaro | Fresha | Boulevard | GlossGenius Gold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Email Blast Campaigns | ||||
| SMS Text Campaigns | ||||
| Automated Lapsed Client Campaigns | ||||
| Birthday Offer Automation | ||||
| Dynamic/Smart Pricing | ||||
| Win-Back Campaigns | ||||
| Review Request Automation | ||||
| Campaign Performance Analytics | Basic | |||
| Loyalty Points Program |
Pricing Comparison
Cost of salon marketing software capabilities across platforms
| Software | Plan | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vagaro | All plans | From $30/mo | Full marketing suite included |
| Fresha | Free | $0/mo | Email blasts and automation included free |
| Boulevard | Essentials+ | From $176/mo | Texts billed separately ($0.01–0.02 each) |
| GlossGenius | Gold only | $48/mo | Smart Pricing available on Gold plan |
* Prices are per user/month billed annually. Contact vendors for current pricing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything attorneys ask about salon marketing software
What is the best marketing software for a nail salon?
Vagaro has the most comprehensive marketing automation for nail salons — email, SMS, loyalty programs, and automated campaigns are included from $30/mo. Fresha offers the same core marketing features for free. Boulevard's marketing is excellent for premium salons willing to pay more. GlossGenius Gold's Smart Pricing is unique — it automatically reduces prices during slow periods to fill gaps.
How does automated salon marketing work?
Automated salon marketing uses your booking data to trigger campaigns automatically. Examples: a 'We miss you!' text to clients who haven't booked in 8 weeks, a birthday offer 3 days before a client's birthday, a rebooking reminder 5 weeks after a color appointment, or a Monday morning promotion when the week looks empty. You set it up once — the software runs it continuously.
What is Smart Pricing for salons?
GlossGenius's Smart Pricing feature automatically adjusts service prices during slow periods to incentivize bookings. When Tuesday afternoon has empty slots, the system can automatically reduce prices and notify clients about the discount — filling gaps that would otherwise go unbillable. It's the salon equivalent of hotel dynamic pricing.
How do I get more Google reviews for my salon?
The easiest method: set up automated review request texts to send 2–4 hours after appointments. Include a direct link to your Google review page. Vagaro, Fresha, Boulevard, and Mangomint all support automated review requests. Most salons that implement this see Google reviews increase 3–5x within 60 days.
How much does salon email marketing cost?
Email marketing is included in most salon platforms at no extra cost: Vagaro, Fresha, GlossGenius, and Booksy include email campaigns with their standard subscriptions. Boulevard includes email blasts at all tiers but charges per text message sent. The main cost is staff time to create campaigns — automation reduces this to 30–60 minutes per month.
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