How to Market Yourself as a Massage Therapist

If you’re just starting out, you may be wondering how to market yourself as a massage therapist. Especially, if your whole business is just you and your hands. The answer is simple. You need to do three things: brand yourself, get in front of people and make offers.  

That’s it. It’s really that simple. 

Let’s get started.

How to market yourself as a massage therapist in 3 simple steps

Step One: Brand yourself

Think of your brand as your identity. Before you can market yourself as a massage therapist, you need to brand yourself. Your brand may include a color scheme, massage logo and marketing materials, but that’s not all. You must have a personality, a way of doing things or a particular style. Represent yourself in the way you want to be remembered.

Step Two: Get in front of people

If you want people to know you're a massage therapist, you have to tell them. According to the Rule of 7, people need to see or hear about you at least seven times before taking action. That means you need to get in front of a lot of people, in several different ways. Marketing yourself as a massage therapist takes time and a willingness to put yourself out there.

Step Three:  Make offers

If you don’t offer something, no one buys anything. It’s not enough for people to know you and what you do. The purpose of marketing yourself as a massage therapist is to drum up business. If you want to turn people into clients, you have to offer up your services. There are multiple ways to do this. Offer to give someone a massage or promote a sale or new service.

Brand yourself as a massage therapist for instant recognition

The purpose of a brand is to help people recognize you. With a brand, you can present yourself to the world in a very intentional way. Choose what people associate your business with. This is true for solo practices and larger clinics with multiple therapists.

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Create your branding around one of these things (or both).

1. Who you are as a person and a therapist
2. Who your clients are

You can design your personal brand around your personality, values and vision. Going this route will make it easy to consistently portray yourself in the same light. People hire people. So, let them know who you truly are.

If you have a bubbling personality, use that warm spirit in your messaging. If you're an introverted meditation master, use that zen in your marketing. This is the best way to attract clients who click with you. Not everybody is a good fit, but your ideal clients will connect with your personality, passions and purpose.

Another way to go is to make your branding all about your clients. This is an effective strategy if you specialize in one modality or work exclusively with a certain type of client. Like attracts like. Mirror your clients with your branding.

If you specialize in sports massage, cater your branding to athletes and coaches. If you offer a blissful experience for those in need of R&R, let your branding paint that picture. Whoever it is you want to work with, choose your images, colors and words specifically for that target market.

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Do these things to get in front of potential clients at least 7 times

Seven is the magic number for converting a prospect into a customer. If that seems daunting, it’s not as hard as you might think. You don’t have to actually meet potential clients 7 times. You just need to pass through their periphery. 

Once they’ve seen your logo or heard your name a few times, they’ll begin to recognize you. After a few more mentions, they’ll feel like they know who you are – and that’s the turning point.

Here are a few ways and places to get in front of people. Try out as many as you can. Stick to your chosen strategies consistently for a few months. At the end of that time period, evaluate what’s working and what’s not gaining traction. Then adjust your strategy accordingly.

• Create a massage website to showcase your expertise, services and brand.
• Hang the best-looking sign you can afford outside your business.
• Reach out to local wellness professionals. Offer them a free demo massage in exchange for referrals.
• Attend networking events that will connect you with other business owners in the area.
• Partner with neighboring businesses. Display each other's business cards or promotional materials where customers will see them.
• Post massage flyers around your neighborhood.
• Ask your clients to refer their friends and family
• Ask your own friends and family for referrals.
• Promote yourself at community events like farmers markets and street fairs.
• Consistently post helpful health tips on social media.
• Include your massage business card in the tip for your server, hairstylist or driver.
• Volunteer at charitable events by offering free 5-minute chair massages to participants and donors.
• Paid advertising on Google or Facebook
• Write an article for your gym’s blog in exchange for a byline that links to your massage website.

How to entice people to book an appointment with you

Making offers is an essential part of marketing. Without this crucial step, marketing will fail. Asking for a sale can be nerve-wracking and uncomfortable, but it doesn’t have to be. You take care of people for a living. You don’t need to be salesy. Show them you care, and offer your help. That’s all there is to it.

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Here are some ways you can make it easy for people to buy from you.

• Add online scheduling to your website.
• Give first-time clients a discount.
• Create a satisfaction guarantee.
• Partner with your local gym or yoga studio, and offer a special discount to their patrons.
• Create packages people get excited about.
• Create a script for asking for the sale and practice it. Say something like, “Want to book an appointment” or “I can help you with that, if you like.”
• Create a referral rewards program. People are more likely to book when a friend recommends you.
• Create a holiday sale.
• Send a birthday coupon.
• Make a special promotion for your social media followers.
• Donate a portion of your sales to a good cause.