How to Market your Massage Services

In a society with the hustle and bustle of the go-go culture, self-care comes secondary in many people’s lives. Many individuals who aren’t wealthy or do not occupy the upper echelon won’t even think about getting a massage. The higher the household income, individuals are more likely to go out and pay for a massage;  however, the benefits of massages aren’t as exclusive. Everyone needs a massage every now and then. They just don’t like to admit it. That’s where you come in. As a massage therapist, you have a mission to give others the gift of relaxation, a clearer mind, and a tenderized body. The main question is: how do we get people to come and want to get a massage? And moreover, how can we maximize the amount of individuals to lure them into our specific establishment? The answer is mainly through how you market your up-and-coming or long-established business to your consumer demographic. This can be done in many ways, and the perfect combination of marketing tactics might lead your business to the zenith of opportunity, prosperity, and popularity. We are going to look at what to focus on when advertising for your massage business, broadening your consumer demographic, and lastly, the mediums in which to do so.

Massages are often associated with “luxury treatment,” one that everyone wants. It’s your job now to bring out this desire to be immersed in an experience of relaxation in your customers. Mention the health benefits of massages, capitalizing on something your consumers care about immensely. According to Mayo Clinic, the benefits can include reducing stress, blood pressure, pain, and muscle rigidity/stiffness, improving one’s immune system, circulation, and energy for later on. Moreover, massages increase body flexibility at times and can potentially regulate sleep cycles. Additionally, a periodic massage can relieve some of the negativity of anxiety, headaches, migraines, nerve pain, back pain, sports injuries, reduce symptoms of fibromyalgia and carpal tunnel syndrome, complications in digestion, and much MUCH more! Publicizing and spreading more awareness about these huge benefits to your consumers gives massages more weight in a time where self-care is being more and more prevalent and sought after. Massages are activities that can let your consumers indulge and feel truly satisfied for once. Knowing the selling points of your business is extremely important in making your business truly successful, and the massage industry is no different. Additionally, massage therapists have to know who they’re “selling” to.

Oftentimes, businesses from the massage industry target a very niche demographic, those usually in the upper echelon of income. According to the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA), “While 36% of those making $100,000 or more got a massage last year, only 19% of those making $50,000 or less got a massage.” To tackle this disparity and to broaden your demographic of consumers to maximize profitability and increase the inclusivity of your business as well as establishing the reputation of your business, it is important to also utilize a collection of marketing tactics that are more generalized. Now we are going to discuss the long list of possible marketing strategies, the impacts of them, and if it works for you and your business specifically.

1.)Social Media

Social media is the perfect platform to advertise and spread awareness about your business. This can be through Facebook, instagram, etc. and can reach a more diverse pool of consumers. In doing so, you can share helpful information in order to increase the interest people have towards your business. Nowadays, people online are generally desensitized by the hundreds of ads popping up on their screen each day unless it’s something they are actively looking for. Putting up authentic, down-to-earth content on social media for potential customers to see will create a connection with your consumer population. Establishing pathos and business ingenuity will make your massage services look unique in a world of aloof industry. People are looking for authenticity and originality. Helping to support a business you love by utilizing their services is a huge part of consumerism and is often looked over. This is called content marketing, and in juxtaposition to “selling your content,” your aim is to connect with your consumer and establish a relationship that will ultimately help your business grow. 

Ideas to promote your business through content include:

• Creating articles or videos to put on your social media business account that are entertaining and embody the personality of your business and even yourself can promote your services. 
• Making an email newsletter to get more people interested and remind previous customers of your business. This can include getting an attention grabber like talking about what your business specifically specializes in, what types of services (or upsells) you offer, and why someone might want to utilize them.
• Occasionally putting out surveys on social media or through email to see what your consumer population preferences are when it comes to massage. You can utilize the info to help improve your establishment, and it also shows your customers that you care about what they think.
• Creating a website for your business as another form of medium to put your content on. You can then increase SEO and make your business easier to find on google search. It can also be a place for making appointments online, a page of frequently asked questions, and a “Contact Us” page, increasing the scope of consumers your business can reach. 
• Posting pictures that embody your business’s values on social media. For example, taking photos of customers being relaxed after a massage, creating a scene that embodies “serenity,” or something of the like.
• Make a place online where customers can learn about what you do and what exactly you offer. Learning about certain types of massages i.e. deep massage, Swedish massage, etc. and the benefits that can be reaped is an interesting aspect of the massage community that many consumers would like to learn more about.

2.)Making sure you stand out

The main way to beat out your competitors and have the most customers come to your massage business is to not only offer what others cannot or do not have, but also personalize your brand. This can include a bold online personality on a multitude of social media platforms, a niche theme within your services, or offering unique incentives. These “unique incentives” can be providing discounted massages in raffles, coupons, or a free trial for those interested in weekly appointments. Although people will take advantage of the added benefits you're giving to consumers, the generosity will pay off because more frenzy will surround your business, it will build your reputation, and more people will be interested in paying full price for your services.

3.)Let’s Talk about Groupon

One really great way to advertise discounted massages is to put your offers on Groupon. Groupon has been evolving online shopping since its debut in 2008. It has 70 million subscribers and a sizable amount of the consumer population, especially in the U.S., uses it. Businesses themselves have also benefited from the platform if they use it to their advantage. For example, according to Inc, “Findings revealed 66 percent of the merchants said the Groupon promotions were profitable.” There is no up-front fee if a business wants to enlist Groupon as a tool, and it has the potential to increase the accessibility of people being able to utilize your services as well as make your brand name more widespread. On the other hand, don’t depend on Groupon heavily to make your profits spike. The overall net gain Groupon can impart on businesses can be considered as controversial, but it’s a good step in getting customers in the door. 

Here are some things to pay attention to if and when you utilize Groupon as a massage therapist:

• Make sure it is legal for your business to run a Groupon deal. Some states disallow it if you are a health care provider. Know your state laws and re-read your contracts to find out if this applies to you.
• Be wary of deal seekers and people whose perspective of the “value” of a massage may be drastically different than your own.
• Be wary of customers challenging the fine print and rules involving the discount.
• Be strategic about WHAT to promote like less popular, yet high-priced services.
• Decide if the price is really worth it based on your business model when you put out a discounted service.
• Make sure your Groupon offers don’t impede on your other scheduled appointments.
• Put limitations on the offer including time availability or anything else that could lower the chances of customers taking too much of your possible business revenue.
• Compare your offers with others to see if you have better deals than your competitors or what you need to provide a better deal.
• Make sure you have enough therapists that can cover a discounted massage.

 All in all, periodic promotions like these are more likely to help your business more than hurt if you choose promotions that best suit your line of business based on your prices for certain services and what can give you the most profitable return long term. 

4.)Keep getting more clients

A really great way of doing this is through asking existing clients to stay in touch. This can be through an email newsletter, a contact list, and followers on social media. Additionally,  requesting for clients to share with their friends and family about your services. According to Outbound Engine, “91% of customers say they’re willing to refer friends, but only 11% of businesses actually ask them to do so,” meaning it doesn’t hurt to ask. More referrals = more customers long term = more appointments = way more ka-ching and mOnEy ;).

5.)Keep trying new up-and-coming marketing trends and tactics/keep researching

Make sure your marketing and your business stays up-to-date with current trends and what your consumer demographic wants. Marketing is a long process and there is rarely such a thing as “instant gratification” in this field. Be patient, work hard, and act savvy. After a while, you should see significant changes in your load of clientele and profits, which you will use to employ even better marketing tactics; hence the cycle continues. This brings me to my next point that marketing is also not a short-term investment. Keep putting more of your energy into it and nurture your business. Don’t be discouraged and keep persevering if you are passionate about massage and making others’ lives better with the goal of relaxation. We have faith in you to do the job well and to be a real force to be reckoned with in the massage world. We can’t wait to get a massage from you built off of enormous efforts and the fruits of your hard work. So now that we have enabled you to go out there with your best marketing techniques, have some fun, ignite the spirit of your business, and get marketing!!!

 

Sources:

Relax! 5 Marketing Ideas for Massage Therapists | OutboundEngine

Massage: Get in touch with its many benefits - Mayo Clinic

12 Reasons Everyone Needs a Monthly Massage - COR (trainingcor.com)

Massage Therapy Industry Fact Sheet | AMTA (amtamassage.org)

10 Pros and Cons of Using Groupon | Inc.com

Groupon® Official Site | Online Shopping Deals and Coupons | Save Up to 70% off

Groupon and Group Buying for Massage Therapists (massagepracticebuilder.com)