Marketing
September 2, 2024
The best massage marketing strategies are the strategies you can execute on a consistent basis. Your marketing success depends on your ability to commit to a plan for an extended period of time. The good news is, you don’t need to complete a long list of marketing tasks. You just need a few strategies that you like and can stick with for the long haul. It can take a while to gain momentum, but once you have it, you’re unstoppable.
Before we get into massage marketing strategies, you first need to understand what marketing is. Simply put, marketing is understanding your clients and their needs, and then promoting your services as a solution to their problems.
This is not the same thing as advertising, though advertising is a part of marketing. Marketing is about building relationships. Some of your marketing strategies will be geared toward sales, but many of your efforts should be geared toward educating, helping and entertaining. The goal of marketing is to connect with your target audience, and make them aware of how you can help them.
The best place to start is inside your office. The easiest people to reach are the people you’re already doing business with. Your current clients are one of your greatest assets when it comes to marketing your business and gaining new massage therapy clients.
Choose at least 2 things from this list to do with every single client you see in your office. These strategies will build customer loyalty, increase client retention and get referrals. Remember, the key is to choose strategies that you can commit to doing on a consistent basis.
Make sure your clients know about all the services you provide. The objective is not to sell them on a different service, but rather to make them aware of all you have to offer. Promote new services by putting up a sign in the waiting area and mentioning your new offering to every client that comes in. Odds are good they know someone who would benefit from your other services, or they might be interested in trying something new themselves.
There’s no shame in asking your clients for referrals. Your loyal customers are more than happy to sing you praises to their friends, if they are not doing so already. They know people who can use your help. Make a game out of it by creating a referral rewards program. Who doesn’t love rewards?
Let people know you appreciate them. Building strong relationships with your current clientele ensures your long term success. Send a thank-you note or welcome package to all of your new clients. If someone refers a friend or takes a few business cards to give to their doctor or yoga instructor, show your gratitude by sending them a few kind words.
Good marketing strategies keep you connected to your clients and ensure you’re offering services and products they need. So, a few days after their appointment, check in with them to see how they are doing and if they need anything else. You can automate this with email, send a personal text or make a phone call.
The goal of marketing is to stay connected with your current clients AND to connect with potential clients. This requires a constant stream of communication that takes place outside of your office. Choose 1-3 strategies from this list that you think you’ll be good at or enjoy doing.
Email marketing is one of the most effective ways to stay in touch with your clients. Create email marketing campaigns that educate, inform and/or entertain your subscribers. It’s fine to send a coupon or promote a sale occasionally, but don’t make that the main thing. Send 1-4 emails a month.
Having a strong presence on social media is an easy way to get in front of a lot of potential clients. Choose a platform where your ideal clients spend time. Focus your efforts on building brand awareness by creating posts that are useful, intriguing or entertaining. Paid advertising is also an option. Schedule your post 3-5 times a week
Networking can happen anywhere, whether you join a professional organization or talk to parents at your kid’s soccer game. The key to marketing yourself in these casual conversations is to introduce yourself in a way that invites questions. Don’t say, “I’m a massage therapist.” Instead, say something like, “I help busy executives relieve stress, so they can perform at optimal levels'' or “I improve the quality of life of chronic pain sufferers by providing a way to relieve and manage their pain level.” If you cater your introduction to the person you’re speaking to, they’ll be intrigued.
Make sure your website is designed to attract the people you want to work with. Start by making sure the language speaks to your target audience's needs and desires. Implement SEO strategies to improve your positioning. This involves doing research to find out what people are typing into search engines when they’re looking for businesses like yours.
Posting regular articles on your blog gives people a reason to keep returning to your website. It's a great way to inform your readers of the many benefits of massage therapy in a non-salesy way. Repurposing your blog content to use in your email newsletter and on social media is one of the most efficient online marketing tactics, according to a survey conducted by Semrush. Publish at least 1-2 blog posts a month.
You don’t have to do every single thing on this list. All you need for success is just a few massage marketing strategies that you can do consistently. The longer you commit to a strategy, the bigger the results. That means you won't necessarily see results overnight, but if you keep at it, your marketing efforts will compound over time.
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