Marketing with Guts, Grit & Giggles: How to Turn Strategy Into Gold!

By Carly Knowles

Marketing isn’t about shouting louder. It’s about connecting smarter! It shouldn’t be an afterthought, it must be a driving force behind your growth, visibility, & brand identity.

Winning the Australian Beauty Industry Award for Best in Marketing three years in a row didn’t happen because we got lucky or because we posted pretty pictures on Instagram. It happened because we built a strategy and then showed up for it consistently.

If you’re ready to supercharge your marketing and get results that actually move the needle, we’re here to share the intel and what’s worked for us.

So, what is the secret sauce?

Honestly for us: planning, data, creativity and a dash of humour!

Our marketing is underpinned by a clear policy: connect with purpose, communicate with authenticity, and create content that resonates far beyond the scroll.

Build a Plan, Not Just a Post

Every January, we sit down as a team and build out our annual marketing calendar. We map out launches, key promotions, and seasonal pushes, but we also make space for spontaneous, on the fly moments (because nothing kills creativity faster than over planning). All of our ideas are supported by structured content pillars: Educate, Connect, Inspire.

Think of your marketing calendar like a training plan for a marathon, it keeps you moving in the right direction and stops you from sprinting into exhaustion by Easter.

Sell Without “Selling”

One of the most powerful things we do is post non-salesy content. Educational tips, behind the scenes, team moments, even a bit of humour. This builds trust without shoving an offer down someone’s throat all the time.

Lead with Value, Not Just Offers!

By amplifying your educational content, you are helping your audience understand their concerns and what may be able to help them, the science behind your treatments and offerings, and how your clinical expertise translates into real world results.

Make your marketing objectives bold, strategic, & grounded in value driven growth.

For us, we set out to deepen client connection, increase digital visibility, & drive strong ROI, without relying on discounting or generic messaging.

For example, we launched service specific campaigns supported by educational content, storytelling, & results driven messaging. In one year, this helped us grow revenue by 17%, increase net profit by 25%, and generate more revenue dramatically (over $190K more than the previous year.)

Boost Client Engagement Through Value Based Content

As I’ve said, we focus on education first marketing, demystifying skin, scalp, & treatment science. These posts, paired with authentic humour, have increased engagement by 325% across all platforms & attracted a younger, wider audience while strengthening brand loyalty.

Our “Reality TV Clinic” series and prank wars between me and the team didn’t just go viral (13.4 million views, thank you very much) they made people fall in love with our clinic culture. That’s what sells. People book with people they like.

Use Data to Get Clever

We pull reports from our salon software every month, demographics, spend patterns, treatment popularity. This data tells us what people want and when they want it. For example, when we saw a lull in bookings, we used text marketing to push last minute offers, and boom our books filled. It’s about working smarter, not just working harder.

Collaborate Like Crazy

We partner with local businesses and influencers regularly, cross promotions, giveaways, and collaborations keep your name in new circles. This is also how we’ve attracted some of our best staff, by using our socials not just to sell services, but to sell our workplace culture. The right people found us because we showed people how Bella Pelle looks like the kind of place they’d want to be.

Measure, Learn, Repeat

authentically who we are as people. What clients see on social media is exactly what they get when they walk into the clinic…just with a little more professionalism (most of the time).

Marketing without measuring is just… posting. We measure everything, from social media engagement to revenue generated. If something flops, we don’t cry (well, maybe for a minute), we tweak it and try again.

And when something works (like our 12 Days of Christmas campaign smashing targets by $50k), we put it on repeat!

Don’t Be Afraid to Be Human

This might be the most important tip of all. Your personality is your point of difference.

For us, humour has been a game changer. From a tongue in cheek cancellation policy videos that reduced no shows by 94%, to skits that poke fun at the beauty industry in a loving way, people connect with honesty and authenticity.

Humour has been a powerful tool in our marketing strategy, but I recognise it won’t suit every business. The key is to find your own authentic way of humanising your brand so it feels real and relatable to your audience.

Humour is part of our DNA as a team. I grew up in a house full of comedians, where sarcasm was our first language and taking the piss out of each other was the norm. That’s why it remains a key driver for us. Our Prank Wars, The Boss Roast, Reality TV Clinic series, and Meet the Team content continue to go viral and, more importantly, foster genuine connection. But it works because it’s

Your Brand Won’t Build Itself. It’s time to be brave Get in front of the camera, make the content, and stop caring about what anyone else thinks, the people who matter will love it and connect with you, and as for the haters? Well, anyone who attended the A.B.I.A this year and witnessed our speech, you all know what I think about them! Let’s just say they’re not your audience anyway.

Market Emotion, Not Just Aesthetic!

Through emotional selling, ensure your focus is on how clients feel: confident, cared for, and empowered, not just how they look. Marketing is not a set and forget activity. It’s a living, breathing extension of your business. If you want marketing that actually works, you need to:

• Plan ahead

• Connect deeply

• Show up consistently

• Measure relentlessly

• Have a little fun along the way

When you do all of that, plus some, you don’t just win awards, you win loyal clients, a thriving business, and a brand that people can’t stop talking about.

@carlyknowles @bellapelle

Carkly Knowles is the owner of Bella Pelle Winner of 2023/4/5 ABIA Best in Marketing and VIC/TAS/SA Salon/Spa/Clinic of the Year - 5 Treatment Rooms or More