Christmas SMS Campaign 2026

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

Top Tips  How to view your results

Week 1

Week 1: VIP Christmas Priority

Send from Monday 12 October 2026

Start your 6 Weeks of Christmas SMS campaign with the clients who already know and love your salon.

This week, we're focusing on your most loyal, frequently visiting clients who haven't yet secured their next appointment.

Who should you target?

For Week 1, we're keeping the client selection simple.

Target clients who:

✓ Have visited 4 or more times in the last 12 months
✓ Have no future booking

These are some of your most loyal clients, so giving them first choice of your Christmas availability feels helpful rather than promotional.

It also gives them the chance to secure their preferred stylist, therapist, date or time before your busiest weeks start filling up.

Step 1: Create your VIP client selection

In SalonIQ:

1. Go to Menu > Intelligent Marketing
2. Open1 Client Selection
3. Create a Add selection
4. Select Blank Template
5. Name your selection something easy to recognise, such as:
   Christmas 2026 - Week 1 VIP Clients
6. Add the criteria segment "Visit Count" and click to edit minimum visits to 4 or more and click the date and select "In the last year" and save.
7. Add No Future Booking segment.
8. Save your selection and check your client count

Quick check: Before moving on, take a look at the clients in your selection to make sure the results look right for your salon. You can amend the minimum visits or time frame to increase or decrease the number of clients you wish to market to.

Step 2: Create your message

Once your VIP client selection is saved, select view clients and you're ready to create your SMS message.

Select Choose template and search, then click on "Christmas Week 1"

Hi [First name], we're giving our loyal clients first choice of our Christmas appointments. If you'd like your usual December slot, book here: [Book online]

You can simply now send this message, edit to your own words or create your own bespoke message by typing in the details box and inserting the merge fields.

Step 3: Check before you send

Before sending your campaign, take a moment to check:

✓ You've selected the correct Week 1 VIP client selection
✓ Your online booking link has been added
✓ The SMS reads correctly by using the test SMS button
✓ You're happy with the number of clients receiving it
✓ You've checked the final SMS credit/character count

We recommend sending yourself a test first so you can see exactly how the message will appear on a client's phone.

Once you're happy, you're ready to send. 🎄

Week 2

Week 2: Turn new clients into Christmas clients

Send from Monday 19 October 2026

This week, we're focusing on clients who have recently discovered your salon but haven't yet booked their next appointment.

They've already chosen you once. Now let's give them a timely reason to come back and turn that first visit into a second.

Who should you target?

For Week 2, target clients who:

✓ First visited within the last 6 months
✓ Have no future booking

These clients are still relatively new to your salon, making this a great opportunity to encourage that all-important next visit.

Christmas gives you a natural reason to get back in touch without needing to offer a discount.

Step 1: Create your New Client selection

In SalonIQ:

1. Go to Menu
2. Select Intelligent Marketing
3. Select Client Selection
4. Create a new selection
5. Choose the selection Clients who first visited last week from the pop up
   
   
   
   
6. Click on the First visit segment box and change the date period from last week to last 6 months
7. Add No Future Appointment segment
8. Give your selection a clear name, such as:
   Christmas 2026 - Week 2 New Clients
9. Save your selection and check your client count

Quick check: Take a look at the clients in your selection before moving on. You should be seeing relatively new clients who don't currently have another appointment booked.

Step 2: Create your message

Once your VIP client selection is saved, select view clients and you're ready to create your SMS message.

Select Choose template and search, then click on "Christmas Week 2"

Hi [First name], we'd love to welcome you back before Christmas. Secure your next appointment at [Salon name] here: [Book online]

Use the relevant SalonIQ merge fields for First Name, Salon Name and your online booking link, rather than typing these details manually.

Step 3: Check before you send

Before sending your Week 2 campaign, check:

✓ You've selected the correct Week 2 New Clients selection
✓ Your Salon Name merge field is correct
✓ Your online booking link has been added
✓ The message reads correctly in the preview
✓ You're happy with the number of clients receiving it
✓ You've checked the final SMS character and credit count

We recommend sending yourself a test first so you can see exactly what your clients will receive.

Once you're happy, you're ready to send.

Week 3:

Retail Purchasers -

Send - Monday 26 October 2026

Encourage clients who have purchased retail products in the past 12 months to return to the salon to restock their favourites or buy Christmas gifts.

1. Select your clients in SalonIQ

1. Go to Menu → Intelligent Marketing → Client Selection.
2. Create a new client selection.
3. Choose the existing selection “Clients who have bought retail in the last 6 months”.
4. Edit the Retail Purchase criteria to cover the last 12 months.
5. Name your selection Christmas 2026 - Week 3 Retail Purchasers.
6. Save the selection and check the number of clients.

Important: Do not apply a No Future Appointment filter. We want to include retail purchasers whether or not they have an upcoming appointment.

2. Create your SMS campaign

Use the campaign template named Christmas Week 3.

SMS message

Hi [First name], time to top up your favourites? Pop into [Salon name] before Christmas to restock or pick up a gift. Call [Salon number] for details.

Week 4 of 6: Bring Overdue Clients Back Before Christmas

Campaign date: Monday 2 November 2026

What's this week's campaign about?

Christmas is getting closer, and now is the perfect time to reconnect with clients who haven't visited your salon for a while.

Some clients simply need a little reminder to book their next appointment. By targeting clients who are overdue for a visit and don't have a future booking, you can encourage them to return before the festive rush.

This week's goal: Bring overdue clients back into your appointment book before Christmas.

Step 1: Who should you target?

This week, we're targeting clients whose last visit was longer ago than the recommended timeframe for your business type.

Business type	Last visit	Select dates on or before
Hair salons	More than 8 weeks ago	7 September 2026
Beauty salons	More than 4 weeks ago	5 October 2026
Barbershops	More than 4 weeks ago	5 October 2026
Clinics	More than 6 weeks ago	21 September 2026

Important: Only include clients who have No Future Bookings. We don't want to send booking reminders to clients who already have their next appointment arranged.

These dates are based on the Week 4 campaign running on Monday 2 November 2026.

Step 2: Create your client selection in SalonIQ

Follow these steps to build your targeted client list.

1. Go to Menu > Intelligent Marketing > Client Selection.
2. Click Create New Selection.
3. Click Add Selection.
4. Select Blank Template.
5. Add the selection Last Visit.
6. Set the date range to On or before and enter the relevant date for your business from the table above.
7. Add a second selection: No Future Bookings.
8. Leave the No Future Bookings settings as:
   • All services
   • Date range: All time
9. Click Save & Get Client Count.
10. Review the number of matching clients and click View Clients.

Your selection should now show:

Step 3: Choose your Christmas SMS template

Once you've reviewed your client selection:

1. Click Choose Template.
2. Search for Christmas Week 4.
3. Select the template.
4. Review your SMS before sending.

Your Week 4 ready-to-send SMS

Hi [First name], it's been a little while since we've seen you. Christmas appointments are filling, so book your next visit at [Salon name] here: [Book online]

This message is designed to be friendly, personal and focused on encouraging clients to book.

Before sending:

• Check that your online booking link is correct.
• Preview your message to ensure any personalisation fields display correctly.
• Send yourself a test SMS.
• Review the number of SMS credits required.

Remember, message length and personalisation fields can affect how many SMS credits are used.

Step 4: Send your campaign

Once you're happy with your client selection and message, you're ready to send!

Check your recipient count, confirm the SMS credit cost and send your Week 4 campaign.

Week 5 of 6: Who Visited You Last Christmas?

Campaign date: Monday 9 November 2026

What's this week's campaign about?

Christmas is just around the corner, and it's time to reconnect with clients who visited you during last year's festive season but haven't yet booked their Christmas appointment this year.

These clients already chose your salon for Christmas once. A friendly reminder could encourage them to do the same again!

This week's goal: Encourage last year's Christmas clients to return and secure their festive appointments for 2026.

Step 1: Who should you target?

This week, we're looking at clients who:

• Had a service between 1 November and 31 December 2025.
• Do not have an appointment booked for November or December 2026.

Unlike Week 4, which focused on overdue clients, this campaign looks specifically at clients who visited during last year's Christmas period.

Step 2: Create your client selection in SalonIQ

1. Go to Menu > Intelligent Marketing > Client Selection.
2. Click Create New Selection.
3. Click Add Selection.
4. Select Blank Template.
5. Add Had Service.
6. Choose Custom Dates and enter:
   • From: 01/11/2025
   • To: 31/12/2025
7. Add No Future Appointments segment and edit the date - Select custom dates to be from 01/11/2026 until 31/12/2026.
8. Click Save & Get Client Count.
9. Review your matching client count and select View Clients.

 

Step 3: Choose your Christmas SMS template

Once you've reviewed your client selection:

1. Click Choose Template.
2. Search for Christmas Week 5.
3. Select the template.
4. Preview your message.

Your Week 5 ready-to-send SMS

Hi [First name], you visited us last Christmas and we'd love to see you again. Book your festive appointment here: [Book online]

Before sending:

• Check your online booking link.
• Make sure personalisation fields are correct.
• Send yourself a test SMS.
• Review your recipient count and SMS credit cost.

Remember that message length and personalisation can affect the number of SMS credits used.

Step 4: Send your campaign

Once you're happy with your selection and message, you're ready to send.

Review your final recipient count and campaign cost before confirming.

 

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Coming next: Week 6 🎁

Monday 16 November 2026

Black Friday & Christmas Gift Cards

For our final week, we'll be switching our attention to Christmas gifting, helping you promote gift cards and any Black Friday offers you have planned.

We'll publish the final campaign instructions and SMS templates ahead of Week 6.

 

Track your campaign results

Once your SMS has been sent, don't forget to check back and see how it performed.

SalonIQ tracks your campaigns for you, so you can see how many clients received your message, how many returned, and the value of the appointments generated.

How to find your campaign results

In SalonIQ:

Menu → Intelligent Marketing → Campaigns

At the top of the Campaigns screen:

1. Set the From date to the date you sent that week's campaign.
2. Set the To date to today's date.
3. Click Refresh.
4. You'll see the campaigns sent during that period listed underneath.
5. Find the relevant 6 Weeks of Christmas SMS campaign you want to review.

What do the results mean?

You'll see several figures alongside each campaign:

Sent
The number of clients your campaign was sent to.

Cost
The total cost of sending that campaign.

Returned
The number of clients from that campaign who have subsequently returned/booked following the campaign.

Value
The value attributed to those returning clients, helping you see how much revenue the campaign has generated.

Sent Date
The date the campaign was sent.

Client Conversion
The percentage of clients who received the campaign and have subsequently returned.

Give your results time to build

Don't worry if the figures are low when you first check.

Your results can continue to build after the SMS has been sent as clients receive the message, click through and make their appointments.

Come back and check your campaign again over the following 7-10 days to see how it develops.

Keep an eye on all six weeks

As you work through the 6 Weeks of Christmas SMS, you'll be able to use the Campaigns screen to see which audiences and messages are driving bookings for your salon.

By the end of the six weeks, you'll have a much clearer picture of:

✓ How many clients you've reached
✓ How many have returned
✓ The value generated from your campaigns
✓ Your client conversion rate

One targeted SMS each week. Then come back and see what it delivered.