In this article, I’m going to quickly run through some of the best marketing tools for massage therapists. Massage Therapy is a service-based business. In other words, it’s all about getting walk-in customers. In today’s economy that can be a difficult set of circumstances to take care of by your lonesome. This is where outside help comes into play. Marketing Consultants can give you a much-needed boost in a very short period of time.
1. Get listed on Google and other online directories
In a world dominated by technology, having an online presence has become more important than ever.
Whether you are building your client base from scratch, or you are adopting a more targeted approach of your niche to gain recognition, you should definitely consider employing the right massage marketing strategies into gaining recognition on search engines!
Your prospective clients are online, probably searching for a refreshing and rejuvenating massage after a hectic day. Being present on the below-mentioned platforms is what you need to help those clients experience your gift of touch.
A) Google My Business
Do you know customers are 70% more likely to visit businesses with a Google My Business listing?
Having your business listed on Google is a way to ensure that your leads can find you on Google Search results.
Once they come across your business, your listing shows them where and how to visit your center on Google Maps, along with your web and physical address.
The example given below shows the Google search results for ‘massage therapy in Chicago’. The initial organic results of this search lists businesses with Google My Business listing.
This makes it easier for the searcher to go to their website, get directions, contact information, open hours, and read reviews of former clients as well.
Once you sign up for Google My Business, start accepting bookings directly from your listing using Reserve with Google!
You can convert your Google My Business listing into a booking engine through Reserve with Google (RwG).
RwG lets Google searchers book online appointments with you directly from Google Search, Maps, and the RwG website. You get a ‘Book’ button on your business’s Google listing which can provide your customers with a hassle-free booking experience, and they can book you anytime, anywhere.
According to a survey, Reserve with Google has paved the way for 75% of reservations solely from new customers.
Note: To get listed on RwG, you will need to choose a massage booking software that can facilitate bookings through Google.
B) Yelp
People prefer businesses they know and the ones they can trust. You can ensure this and give your business a boost by getting listed on popular online directories.
Yelp is one such free business directory that can be of use in terms of increasing your customer base.
From creating and running ads for your business to providing your customers with a platform to post reviews about your business, Yelp offers many features to help your business grow.
You can also update your business information and include photos of your massage therapy business or services so that your prospective clients can get all the information they need.
For example, check out Redmint’s Yelp listing that highlights all the business details that a prospective client might want to know prior to booking an appointment with them.
Photos of their services, reviews provided by their past clients, and the appointment scheduling option makes it certain that their Yelp visitors will definitely consider booking an appointment with them!
Source: Redmint
C) Massage-specific online directories
Online directories like Massage Finder, Massagetique can help you widen your reach.
Since most of these directories let customers search for massage therapists using their Zip codes, getting listed here will mean that you’ll be able to increase brand visibility in your local area.
You can also ask happy customers to leave a review there, and build a positive image for your business.
2. Volunteer at local events
One of the promotional ideas that can help you in attracting attention to your massage therapy business is – marketing your business at local events. This can help draw the attention of your target audience towards the benefits of massage, and eventually towards your services.
You can volunteer at athletic events by contacting the event organizer. A pre and/ or post-event massage is extremely necessary for an athlete to energize at the beginning of the race, improve their performance, or re-energize after the event. This is where your services can prove beneficial.
You can set up a pop-up booth at the event and get all set to provide your on-site massage services to the athletes.
You can also offer your services by setting up a chair massage service or any other massage services in trade shows, expos, health fairs, etc.
Research a bit on online platforms, look up for events in your local community, and keep yourself updated with any future events where you can get an opportunity to showcase the joy of your services.
While volunteering at events might not help you gain money, it definitely helps you gain new connections in the form of future clients, and an experience that will help you polish your massage therapy skills.
Apart from the new clients, you can also get an opportunity to form new connections with professionals in other fields who can potentially partner with you in the future.
3. Reach out and partner with local businesses
You have the right industry knowledge, so what you need is a terrific way to introduce and amplify the awareness of your services among your target market locally.
You can establish the presence of your services and leverage a wider client base by adopting yet another brand-building strategy, that is, partnering with local businesses.
Right now, your train of thought must be moving in this direction – “Okay, but how do I achieve this, and even if I do, how do I benefit from this?”
Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.
- Reach out to local businesses like beauty salons, hair salons, spas, gyms, yoga centers, healthcare providers, local chiropractors, physiotherapy clinics, etc. by sending them an email describing your business, or visit them at their business unit. Build a good rapport and propose your wish to temporarily partner up with them.
- You can utilize a little space of the salon or any other local business you’ve partnered with, set up your massage table, service products, and other requirements for a few hours. Offer to provide your services to the customers who visit the local business.
- You can also consider giving certain offers or discounts on the services you offer to your customers because this can help boost your brand promotions.
- Announce your partnering-up venture on your social media platforms to attract a new crowd, and spread awareness among your existing customers as well.
The teaming up of local businesses coming within the health and wellness field like massage therapy and physiotherapy or healthcare providers tend to pull in those customers who are benefitted from both the services.
For example, if a customer visits a local psychotherapist clinic to reduce stress or anxiety, they can be referred to your business for additional help like an aromatherapy massage.
This massage marketing idea is mutually beneficial for both businesses as partnering up can help in cross-promotion, saving money by referring each other, acquiring a new customer base, and enhancing business visibility.
4. Leverage social media to get more clients
Having a social media presence can help in magnifying your business’s visibility and expanding your audience.
It can help you engage with potential customers, gain insights into what they like, and answer any questions they might have about your business – making it a great massage marketing idea to try out in 2021!
Before you dig deep into the usage of social media, let us give you a quick tip –
Do a little bit of research and map out which platform your customer base spends most of their time on, and target those specifically.
For example, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest form the social hub for millennials, however, Gen X is mostly found to use Facebook.
Here are a few ways by which you can boost your social media presence and get more customers:
- Showcase your brand logo and use your brand-specific themes and colors throughout your profile to build your brand aesthetic and bring you closer to your current as well as your prospective clients.
- Share content such as self-care tips for your customers (like diet tips, skincare tips, etc.), any massage specials you are running, benefits of massage therapy, etc. You can also share these on your Instagram or Facebook stories and later add them to highlights so that your customers can go through them when they revisit your page.
- Run engaging Facebook and Instagram contests, and increase your brand exposure. You can announce exciting offers like free or discounted massage sessions for the winner of the contest.
- Attractive photos of your pleasant treatment room, special Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year offers, products like massage equipment, variety of oils, creams, candles used, etc. can go up on your Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest profile and provide a visual treat to your profile visitors.
- Posting pictures of happy clients post-massage can be added to your list of massage promotion ideas. Take it a notch further by supporting the post with a customer testimonial.
- Engage with your customers by posting questions. This can help you understand your clients’ views and what they might be looking for.
- Set up a selfie booth in your treatment room and provide your customers with a platform to click a photo, amidst a relaxing massage. Encourage them to post those photos on their social media handles and tag you. You can repost their content and amp up your presence.
- Unravel your creative side and utilize reels to make short, attractive videos surrounding your business. Reels and short videos that end up on the Explore page can help you gain a wider audience.
- Look into your industry-specific community groups where you can be of help, and pitch in your services.
- You can also generate referrals using social media. The more you grow your circle of connections on your Business page, the more likely it is for you to get recommendations from the ones who’ve enjoyed your services.
- Add booking CTAs to your social media profiles and convert your profile visitors into paying customers. Adding a Book Now button or the link to your booking page to your social media can help customers book an appointment with you directly. A massage therapy scheduling software catered to satisfy this need can help you add a Book Now button to your Facebook and Instagram Business pages, and your booking link on other platforms.
Take a look at the Instagram page of Spa Mobile shown below. The brief description they’ve given in the bio conveys a subtle yet pleasant message of their services. They’ve also mentioned the link that redirects them to their website, and the location of their business.
The overall color coordination of the page is calming and gentle to the eyes. The Instagram action buttons like Message, Book Now, Contact that have been added are extremely important as these can help them get new customers through their Instagram page.
It doesn’t end here! To ensure that your business is well on its way to being recognized, you should definitely consider using LinkedIn to make business connections.
With over 8.6 million healthcare practitioners, including institutional investors and healthcare influencers, forming an extensive community of healthcare trends, you’d unquestionably find LinkedIn to be an effective marketing as well as an educational platform.
You can reach out to professionals who match your interests, like health care providers, fellow massage therapists, and build your network. Make yourself more approachable and share content that can connect your expertise in the field to the needs of your potential customers.
5. Start a referral program
Who could possibly be better at helping you generate more leads than your happy satisfied customers who got to experience the soothing joy of your massage services?
A referral program is a type of word-of-mouth marketing, in which a customer is encouraged to refer your business to their family or friends, and avail rewards in return.
Here’s how you can go about creating your own referral program:
1. Provide attractive introductory offers that your customers would definitely want to take up and would propel them to promote your brand to their circles of influence as well.
2. Allow your existing customers to take some time to know and enjoy your services, and then you can pitch in your referral program.
People trust the opinion of their family and friends, so if you get referred by your client to their inner circle, they are more likely to book an appointment with you.
3. You can offer incentives for customers to introduce your services to their family and friends.
For example, your referrers can achieve reward points and avail them the next time they visit you. Reward points can include special massage sessions at discounted rates, coupons for massage products, etc.
These rewards can be introduced to your new customer as well. Hence, a win-win for both the referrer and your new intake. Similarly, you can incentivize new leads by offering discounts and coupons in exchange for their email addresses.
4. Offering massage package deals is beneficial in terms of retaining customers and having a steady income. You can offer discounts to referrers of your services, in these service packages.
Consider teaming up with local businesses like spa, salon, etc., and offer package deals that include services of both the businesses.
5. Online reviews can play a pivotal role in a referral program, because nowadays, being seen as a trusted business requires quality reviews. Online reviews are read by nearly everyone who uses the internet. It is this virtual referral of your services that can help you get more massage clients.
Referral programs can help boost your revenue by significantly reducing expenditure on bringing in new customers.
And that’s not just it! At the end of the day, if you get referred by at least one customer, that means you’ve gained their trust, and that’s indeed a splendid job. Happy days!
6) Publish a Blog
Post regular articles about the health benefits of massage therapy, the latest breakthroughs in homeopathic medicine, dietary advice, helpful stretching exercises and/or anything you specialize in that’s related to your business. Publishing a regular blog centered on health and wellness and massage therapy will help boost your website’s local search results and establish you as an expert in the field.
7) Find Your Niche
Don’t be afraid to specialize, and then leverage that specialty by networking with health care professionals to get clients. There’s no need to compete with fancy day spas offering relaxation massages when you can get all the work you can handle working with sports injuries, pregnant women, fibromyalgia patients, geriatric patients or any other specialty clients.
8) Go Mobile
For many clients, the worst part of a massage is the end, when they have to get dressed and drive home. Consequently, mobile massage services are booming, especially in busy metropolitan areas. A mobile massage business has little overhead, and can operate on a virtual shoestring. Mobile massage equipment can also be set up at business conferences, sporting events, health fairs and many other types of well attended gatherings.
9) Go Corporate
Contact any local corporations or large businesses nearby and offer a corporate discount. Go through the HR department and offer your services as a way to improve their health and benefits package.
Conclusion
To be honest, I could write a book on this topic because it is that important. Finding the right tool will never guarantee success, but it can give you an edge. A good tool will help you optimize your time online by automating some of the more menial tasks so you can spend more of your time doing what matters most…promoting your business.