Small business marketing for salons, clinics and practices

Short answer: salons, clinics and practices win clients through referrals and rebookings, a Google Business Profile, a website with online booking, booking platforms, social media, email and SMS, and now AI assistants. Judge each by what it costs for every new client who books and turns up, and whether that client books with you directly next time. Then check your profession’s advertising rules.

Our examples are a hair salon, a physio clinic and an accounting practice. If you’re a tradie, read marketing for tradies instead.

Where clients come from

Australia had 2,814,778 actively trading businesses at 30 June 2026. Health Care and Social Assistance grew fastest in 2025–26, up 6.7% to 227,702 (ABS, released 18 August 2026).

Appointment work differs from most trade work in one way: good clients come back. A cut every few weeks, a course of physio, a tax return every year.

We haven’t found reliable public data on which channels bring the most clients, so measure your own.

Channel by channel

Referrals and rebookings. Book the next visit before the client leaves, and ask happy clients to pass your name on.

Google Business Profile. Google says local results are “mainly based on relevance, distance and popularity”, and “there’s no way to request or pay for a better local ranking on Google.” You can connect a booking provider so clients book from your profile. Our SEO guide explains how Google and AI assistants find businesses. It’s written for tradies, but the steps are the same.

Booking platforms. Booking software takes bookings through your own pages, and you bring the clients. Marketplaces also list you where new clients search, and charge for it. HotDoc and Healthengine don’t publish paid prices, so ask for a written quote.

AI assistants. An assistant can only repeat what’s written somewhere it can read: your website, profiles and listings. Put your services, prices, hours, location and booking link in text.

Cost per booked client

A cheap enquiry isn’t a cheap client. Measure each channel over the same period (a quarter works):

Cost per booked client = (what you paid the channel + staff time spent on its enquiries) ÷ new clients from that channel who booked and turned up

Compare the answer with the gross profit from a typical new client over their first year, not just their first visit, because appointment clients come back.

Worked example. The figures below are made up to show the maths. They aren’t data about any platform or business.

Channel A looks half the price per enquiry. Per booked client it costs twice as much, and fewer of its clients come back.

To run your own numbers, add “How did you hear about us?” to your booking or intake form and record the answer.

Who owns the client

Next time, does the client book with you, or through a platform? Patients who find you on HotDoc or Healthengine book through those platforms. Fresha charges once, then nothing for returning clients. A referral or your own booking link leaves nobody in between.

What you keep from any channel is the client’s details and, if they agree, permission to send them offers. The simplest way to get that is a consent tick box on your booking or intake form.

The rules for your profession

Registered health practitioners (physio, chiro, psychology, dental, podiatry and the other professions under AHPRA’s 15 National Boards). The rules apply to “anyone (person, business or corporate entity) who advertises a regulated health service”. Under section 133 of the National Law, advertising must not:

• be false, misleading or deceptive;

• offer “a gift, discount or other inducement” without stating its terms and conditions;

• “use testimonials or purported testimonials”;

• “create an unreasonable expectation of beneficial treatment”;

• encourage “indiscriminate or unnecessary use” of health services.

“Comments about clinical aspects of a regulated health service are considered a testimonial.” Comments about customer service or communication aren’t. You “do not have to remove or try to remove” reviews on sites you don’t control, such as Google, but take care if you engage with them, and never edit a negative review into a positive one.

Price information mustn’t be “unclear, inexact or vague”, and an instalment price needs the total cost. Specialist titles are only for practitioners with specialist registration, which AHPRA recognises for medical practitioners, dentists and podiatrists. For anyone else, “specialist” or “specialises in” is “likely to mislead”, so a physio shouldn’t advertise as specialising in sports injuries.

Massage therapists. Massage isn’t among the professions AHPRA’s Boards regulate, so the ACCC rules below apply. If your clinic also advertises physio, AHPRA’s rules cover that.

Salons, barbers, beauty and nails. The ACCC says a price can mislead if “GST or other costs are not included”, if something “free” comes with “conditions apply”, or if a “WAS $275 NOW $149” saving uses a price you never charged.

Tax and BAS agents. The TPB’s Code of Professional Conduct has no advertising item, but if you’re unregistered, advertising “that you will provide a tax or BAS agent service” breaches a civil penalty provision. Registered practitioners may use the Registered tax practitioner symbol in advertising, but “must use the symbol in conjunction with their registration number”.

Solicitors. In Queensland, rule 36 of the Australian Solicitors’ Conduct Rules 2023 says advertising must not be “false; misleading or deceptive or likely to mislead or deceive; offensive; or prohibited by law”, and only accredited specialists may say “accredited specialist” (QLS). For personal injury work, the Legal Services Commission says the Personal Injuries Proceedings Act includes “restrictions on advertising and touting” and that it’s reviewing its materials, so check its current guidance. In NSW, rule 36 of the 2015 Uniform Law conduct rules covers the same ground.

Everyone: email, SMS and reviews.

• Marketing needs consent. A commercial message is one that “offers, advertises or promotes a business, good or service” (business.gov.au). Get express consent, such as a ticked box, and keep a record. Inferred consent “does not cover sending messages after someone has just bought something from your business”.

• Reminders vs marketing. On that definition, a reminder that only gives time, place and how to reschedule isn’t offering or promoting anything. Add a special or a rebooking offer and it can become marketing: the ACMA warns that breaches “can occur even if a message is mostly ‘factual’”. Send offers separately, to people who’ve agreed.

• Every marketing message must identify you and include an unsubscribe option that’s honoured within 5 working days, works for at least 30 days, is free and needs no login.

• Branded texts. From 1 July 2026, a text with your business name at the top needs a registered sender ID (ACMA). Unregistered ones are labelled “Unverified” (business.gov.au).

• Reviews and claims (ACCC). It’s against the law to “create fake or misleading reviews” or “arrange for others” to create them. Incentives must be “applied regardless of whether the reviewer leaves a positive or negative review” and “clearly disclosed”. Suppressing or editing genuine negative reviews can mislead. Claims about prices or services must be “accurate, truthful and based on reasonable grounds”.

A 90-day plan

Where Localdex fits

Localdex is our product, so weigh this section with that in mind. It’s a directory built for AI assistants as well as people. Its categories include physio, psychology, accounting, legal services, and hair and beauty.

• Its free website check scores how much an AI assistant can learn from your site, out of 35.

• A free profile can earn up to 65 more as you add structured details.

• Customers, or their assistants, send requests. The customer approves each request before it goes out, to at most three businesses.

• It’s free to list during the pilot.

• It covers South East Queensland and Northern Rivers NSW.

We can’t promise leads, bookings, rankings or AI recommendations. Treat Localdex like any other channel: log what it brings in and work out your cost per booked client. Your profile is advertising too, so your profession’s rules apply to it.

Check your website free · How Localdex works for businesses

FAQ

Can a physio or dentist put Google reviews on their website? Only reviews that don’t comment on clinical aspects. AHPRA treats those comments as testimonials, which advertising can’t use.

Do appointment reminders need marketing consent? A reminder that only confirms the booking isn’t offering or promoting anything. Add a special or a rebooking offer and it can become a marketing message, which needs consent and an unsubscribe option.

Is a booking marketplace worth it for a salon? Fresha’s marketplace fee is a one-time 20% commission on each brand-new client it sends, minimum A$8. Add that, your subscription and staff time for a quarter, divide by new clients who turned up, then check how many rebooked.

Can a bookkeeper advertise BAS services? Only if registered with the TPB as a BAS or tax agent. Otherwise it breaches a civil penalty provision.

Sources

• AHPRA, guidelines for advertising a regulated health service (date of issue 14 December 2020; checked 13 October 2026): https://www.ahpra.gov.au/Resources/Advertising-hub/Advertising-guidelines-and-other-guidance/Advertising-guidelines.aspx

• AHPRA, testimonial tool (page reviewed 23 August 2021; checked 13 October 2026): https://www.ahpra.gov.au/Resources/Advertising-hub/Resources-for-advertisers/Testimonial-tool.aspx

• AHPRA, who we are (page reviewed 15 April 2025; checked 13 October 2026): https://www.ahpra.gov.au/About-Ahpra/Who-We-Are.aspx

• Tax Practitioners Board, Code of Professional Conduct (last modified 30 April 2026): https://www.tpb.gov.au/code-professional-conduct

• Tax Practitioners Board, civil penalty provisions (last modified 7 January 2025): https://www.tpb.gov.au/civil-penalty-provisions

• Tax Practitioners Board, Registered tax practitioner symbol guidelines (last modified 4 May 2026): https://www.tpb.gov.au/registered-tax-practitioner-symbol-guidelines

• Queensland Law Society, what are the rules about solicitors’ advertising generally? (undated; checked 13 October 2026): https://www.qls.com.au/practising-law-in-qld/ethics/australian-solicitors-conduct-rules/rules-resources/what-are-the-rules-about-solicitors-advertising-generally

• Legal Services Commission (Qld), personal injuries proceedings and advertising (undated; checked 13 October 2026): https://www.lsc.qld.gov.au/for-the-profession/personal-injury-and-proceedings-act-2002-2

• Law Society of NSW, advertising legal services (undated; checked 13 October 2026): https://www.lawsociety.com.au/practising-law-in-NSW/ethics-and-compliance/regulatory-compliance/advertising-legal-services

• ACMA, avoid sending spam (last updated 29 November 2024): https://www.acma.gov.au/avoid-sending-spam

• ACMA, telemarketing and e-marketing: common issues and mistakes (last updated 15 December 2025): https://www.acma.gov.au/telemarketing-and-e-marketing-common-issues-and-mistakes

• ACMA, SMS Sender ID Register (checked 13 October 2026): https://www.acma.gov.au/sms-sender-id-register

• business.gov.au, promoting your business by email or text messages (undated; checked 13 October 2026): https://business.gov.au/marketing-and-advertising/promoting-your-business-by-email-or-text-messages

• business.gov.au, develop your marketing plan (undated; checked 13 October 2026): https://business.gov.au/planning/business-plans/develop-your-marketing-plan

• ACCC, online reviews for product and services (undated; checked 13 October 2026): https://www.accc.gov.au/business/advertising-and-promotions/online-reviews-for-product-and-services

• ACCC, false or misleading claims (undated; checked 13 October 2026): https://www.accc.gov.au/business/advertising-and-promotions/false-or-misleading-claims

• Google Business Profile Help, tips to improve your local ranking on Google (checked 13 October 2026): https://support.google.com/business/answer/7091

• Google Business Profile Help, set up bookings through a provider (checked 13 October 2026): https://support.google.com/business/answer/7475773

• Google, Business Profile for Australia and New Zealand (checked 13 October 2026): https://business.google.com/aunz/business-profile/

• Google Ads Help, cost-per-click (CPC) definition (checked 13 October 2026): https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/116495

• Google Ads Help, about average daily budgets (checked 13 October 2026): https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/6385083

• Meta for Business, Facebook and Instagram ads pricing (checked 13 October 2026): https://www.facebook.com/business/ads/pricing

• Fresha, pricing (checked 13 October 2026): https://www.fresha.com/pricing

• Timely, pricing and plans (checked 13 October 2026): https://www.gettimely.com/pricing/

• HotDoc, for general practice (checked 13 October 2026): https://practices.hotdoc.com.au/general-practice/

• Healthengine, list your practice (checked 13 October 2026): https://practices.healthengine.com.au/list-your-practice/

• Healthengine, Patient Connect for allied health and specialists (checked 13 October 2026): https://practices.healthengine.com.au/patient-connect-allied-specialist/

• ABS, Counts of Australian Businesses, including Entries and Exits, July 2022 to June 2026 (released 18 August 2026): https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/economy/business-indicators/counts-australian-businesses-including-entries-and-exits/latest-release

Current as of 13 October 2026.