There are few things in life more relaxing than a great massage. Today, people seem to be more stressed than ever, so services like massage therapy are becoming increasingly sought after. However, it can be hard to make sure that you’re standing out online if you live in an area with dozens of others in your field. That’s where marketing for massage therapists comes in.
As a business owner, there’s nothing more relaxing than
knowing with certainty that you have as many appointments booked as you’d like.
Here are our top marketing solutions for encouraging return clients, getting
found online, and keeping your practice full!
OFFER PACKAGE RATES OR LOYALTY REWARDS
Everyone loves a good deal. Clients are more likely to
return when they can get a price cut by paying for a bundle of massages
upfront. Everybody wins with this solution: your clients will feel more
valuable and like they’re getting a better deal, and you’ll get funds into your
account more quickly!
A client loyalty program can help bring old clients back and
encourage new clients to visit. Consider offering a 10 for 10 deal: every 10
massages gets your client 10% or $10 off their next visit. Make sure you
mention your new rewards program throughout your marketing and ads since this
will help you stand out from other massage therapists from the get-go.
Another idea you could try is partnering with a salon or spa
in your area to offer package deals. (For instance, teaming up with a stylist
or manicurist.) Whether you opt for reciprocal discounts or a custom relaxation
offer, referrals can give you a leg up on getting found!
HIGHLIGHT YOUR SPECIALITY
Don’t be afraid to specialize, and to leverage that
specialty by networking with other health and wellness professionals to get new
clients. There’s no need to compete with day spas who exclusively offer
relaxation massages when you can get all the work you can handle by working
with fibromyalgia patients, geriatric patients, sports injuries, or any other
specialty clients.
For instance, mobile massage services are booming,
especially in busy metropolitan areas. A mobile massage business has very little
overhead and can operate on a lower budget. Mobile massage equipment can be set
up at sporting events, business conferences, health fairs, and other
gatherings.
Once you’ve chosen a specialty, it’s always a good idea to
highlight this on your marketing materials and social media accounts. This will
help position you as an expert at what you do, as opposed to a generalist and
help you decide where to market your services.
BECOME A SOURCE OF KNOWLEDGE FOR YOUR CLIENTS
By becoming an expert in your field, you’re more likely to
earn trust and referrals. Sharing links, photos, and blogs to your social media
accounts will help establish you as an authority in their minds. Keeping your
clients educated will also help you stay at the forefront of their minds.
While sharing posts and stories from third-party sources
isn’t a bad way to stay relevant, you shouldn’t rely exclusively on sharing
information from other sources. To stand out from the crowd, you’ll need to
produce unique content.
Consider blogging or starting a weekly email newsletter with
timely information that is relevant to your ideal clients. Writing every week
might feel daunting at first, but it doesn’t need to be in practice. You can
post articles about the health benefits of massage therapy, breakthroughs in
homeopathic medicine, helpful stretching exercises, something you’ve learned
during your continuing education, or anything you specialize in
that’s related to your business. Publishing a blog consistently that is
centered on massage therapy or health and wellness will boost your website’s
local search results and establish you as an expert in your area.
How to Get Started
Start by thinking about what your clients ask you about
during sessions. Do your clients often forget how often they should come in for
a visit? Do they remember what stretches they can do to keep their hamstrings
loose between sessions? Is there one area of massage that you specialize in,
like helping athletes or pregnant women? Are you passionate about helping your
clients feel completely blissful during sessions, or would you rather dig in to
help them loosen deep knots?
Once you’re generating original writing, make sure you share
these thoughts across your social media accounts. Let your current and future
clients know what you’re great at, who you are, and how you can help them live
their best lives. When you become too busy with clients to keep writing, you can
always outsource that work so you can focus on doing what you love.
Remember, people prefer to work with experts in their field.
By keeping on top of communication and education, you’re on your way to being
recognized as one!
ACCEPT APPOINTMENTS ONLINE
Hovering by your phone all the time so you can field
appointment calls is time-consuming and exhausting. There are better ways you
can spend your time. The good news is that today, there are plenty of ways you
can accept appointments online! Clients will appreciate the convenience of
scheduling their appointments on their laptop and without waiting for a
callback, which will encourage potential clients to book with you.
Most website platforms like WordPress, Squarespace, and Wix
all offer scheduling that you can add to your site. If you don’t have a
website, you can use a separate app like Acuity or Calendly to offer digital
scheduling.
Your Facebook Business Page is another easy way to set up
online scheduling. Here’s how to do it:
- Go to
your Business Page and click the blue call-to-action button below your
cover photo.
- Click
Book Now.
- Click
Appointments on Facebook to manage your appointments through Facebook, and
click next.
- You’ll
want to show your available appointments, so set the days and times you
want to regularly offer appointments on your calendar before clicking
Next.
- Adjust
your Page preferences for things like appointment approval and advance
notice and click Next.
- Review
your services. If you don’t want to review your services, click Not Now.
- Click
Add a Service to list another service (like 60-minute massages and
90-minute massages) and click Done!
- (Here
are Facebook’s full instructions for customizing your
appointments.)
MARKETING FOR MASSAGE THERAPISTS
These are just a few helpful ideas on marketing for massage
therapists you can add to your business’s overall strategy. Between connecting
with clients through packages, offering online booking, and marketing your
services through social media, there is a wealth of opportunity available to
grow your massage therapy client base. The key is to know and understand your
local client demographic and choose the methods that best reach them and fit
your needs.
Fortunately, massage therapy lends itself to a variety of marketing techniques. Try your favorite of the ideas listed above and get ready for more appointments as your audience grows!
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