Massage Therapy Marketing is More Important Than Ever.

Massage therapists in the United States have doubled in the last two decades, bringing a lot of competition into the market. It will help if you boost your marketing strategies to attract new clients and stand above your competition.

The global COVID-19 pandemic has had a severe impact on the massage industry. In 2020, the massage therapy industry saw a sharp revenue decline, and many massage therapists closed their doors.

However, the massage therapy industry is showing vital signs of recovery. This growth is driven by increased demand for massage services as people seek ways to relieve stress, reduce chronic pain and promote relaxation.

As the industry continues to rebound, there will be opportunities for entrepreneurs interested in starting a massage therapy business. However, it is essential to note that success is not guaranteed.

Proper market research and careful planning are necessary for any new business, especially in the competitive world of massage therapy.

With a solid plan in place, you can maximize your chances of success and build a thriving business in the massage industry.

This article will teach you the four cornerstones of effective massage therapy marketing.

Including strategies to help you ramp up your business.

Here are The Four Cornerstones for Your Massage Therapy Marketing Plan

As a service-based business, massage therapy depends on appointments with clients to generate income. It would be best if you had a targeted marketing strategy for areas that will attract new clients and encourage existing ones to book appointments.

By focusing on the following cornerstones, your massage therapy business can successfully market its services and grow its client base.

1 – YOUR BRAND

Build a trustworthy and recognizable brand. If you have a physical office, it’s nearly impossible to be successful with walk-in clients alone.

Your potential clients need to know the location of your business, what services you provide, and why you are a better choice than your competitors. Building a trusted brand is a vital cornerstone of your marketing strategy.

To build the best brand, align it with your massage therapy business’s core values. Doing so can create a memorable brand that leaves a lasting impression on consumers.

To make such a brand, your company must have a compelling purpose and be consistent with the values of its clients and offer them a service that is obvious in its value.

Here are some keys to building a solid brand for your massage therapy business:

• Learn and understand your target audience. Develop a client identity and research your ideal clientele. Then build your brand to attract that group.
• Keep consistency throughout your branding, including your physical place of business, website, logo, social media accounts, etc. It needs to look and feel the same in all those places.
• Make sure your brand name is unique, simple to remember, and easy to speak.
• Analyze your competitors to see what names they use for their brands.
• Build a robust online presence and keep a good reputation online. Ranking high in search engines and map listings will significantly increase your branding.

Measure your Brand awareness through the number of clients who recognize your brand.

To build brand awareness, you must create a compelling and relatable story. Only then will you be able to create a truly memorable brand.

2 – YOUR ONLINE PRESENCE

Online presence has become more critical than ever in a technology-dominated world.

Whether you are building your client base from scratch or adopting a more targeted approach to your niche, consider employing the right massage marketing strategies to gain recognition on search engines!

Building a robust online presence is another vital cornerstone in your marketing plan. Here are four primary targets for your online presence.

A Business Website

A professional website is just as vital as your physical office in today’s fast-paced world.

You always become available for your potential clients with your functional, attractive, and nicely designed website.

Your website visitors will be encouraged to book a massage appointment through your engaging site.

Here are some other points to consider for your business website:

• Please keep it simple, nicely designed, and easy to navigate for visitors.
• Have your site content well-written, to the point, and relevant to your offer. Your content will be the determining factor for your potential clients, so ensure that it is informative and professional.
• Prices, services, addresses, and contact information should be included and easy to find.
• Include images and videos to appeal to your target audience.
• Make sure your site is mobile-friendly and test it on several mobile devices.
• Check the basic SEO of your site if you know how. Ideally, you want your landing pages to load quickly, within seconds.
• Install a widget or system for online reservation functionality.

Building a website today is relatively easy and can even be easy and affordable through DigiBIZ web development services.

There is no excuse not to have a nicely designed website for your massage therapy business.

Online Directories

Did you know that customers are 70% more likely to visit businesses with a Google My Business listing?

That’s right. One of the main methods people learn about local businesses is through a search engine where they ask questions like, “find massage therapy near me.”

As a business owner, it’s essential to ensure that your leads can find you on Google Search results.

Having your business listed on Google is a way to ensure that your customers can easily find information about your business, such as your web and physical address, contact information, and hours of operation.

Customers can also read reviews from other customers before deciding to visit your business.

Creating a listing on Google My Business is an easy and effective way to reach more customers and grow your business.

Other places to list your business include Yelp, Massagetique, and Massage Finder. Most directories allow clients to search for massage therapists using zip codes, allowing your brand visibility to increase in your area.

Happy clients can also be encouraged to leave a review at these places and therefore help build your positive online reputation.

Social Media Connections

It makes complete sense to market your brand on social media since most of your target audience participates on those platforms.

Most of your competitors are also promoting their brands on social media. You’ll want to find a way to stand out from all the others.

Below are a few tips to consider:

• Share great content. Shared content can be new information, self-care tips, website blog posts, videos, testimonials, and massage specials. Great content is more likely to be engaging and shared.
• Post questions. A great way to engage with potential clients is to ask questions and respond to their comments. Questions help you see things from their point of view so that you can answer their problem.
• Showcase photos. Share attractive pictures that show off your various treatment rooms, holiday decorations, variety of products, massage equipment, or special offers.
• Happy clients. Post pictures of satisfied clients and your appreciation for them. You can include a promotion or even a client testimonial.
• Run contests. Increase your brand presence by having fun contests through Instagram or Facebook. You can offer a free or discounted massage for the winner.
• Book Now. Allow social media visitors to become paying clients by adding a “Book Now” button to your Instagram and Facebook business profiles.

While the above tips can help you build your social media connections organically, you can also use paid options through Facebook and Instagram ads for quicker results.

Influencers can also help promote your massage therapy business if you find and partner with one or two in your area.

Online Reservations

With people’s schedules getting busier and busier, it’s no surprise that online bookings have become increasingly popular.

40% of all online bookings now happen outside of regular business hours. Online bookings also show that people appreciate the flexibility that online booking provides.

When choosing an appointment scheduler for your massage therapy business, it’s essential to choose one that is reliable and easy to use.

Phone-based and email-based appointments are no longer enough – you need an online booking system that your clients can access anytime. By making it easy for your clients to book appointments, you’ll be able to maximize your business’ potential.

3 – YOUR CLIENT REFERRALS

Imagine if each of your clients were to recommend your massage therapy service to just one of their friends. Your client base would double.

As a local business, leveraging word-of-mouth marketing and referrals is vital as often as possible. Your client referrals are the third cornerstone of your marketing strategy.

It would be ideal for any marketing plan to have every happy customer refer a friend to your services for free, known as client advocacy.

There’s no shortcut to doing this besides actually providing the most fantastic massage experience for your clients.

Here are two tips that can help:

Begin Affiliate and Referral Campaigns

Affiliate programs and group discounts are great ways to encourage new customers to try out your massage clinic.

People like to get massages with their friends, spouses, or coworkers. You can leverage this by offering a group discount promotion that gives your client a specific discount or percentage off their price when they bring another person to your massage clinic.

Referral campaigns can also work by offering your existing client commissions for each new client who comes to your massage clinic and mentions your current client’s name or a unique referral code.

Promote Reviews

Online reviews are just as crucial as traditional word-of-mouth marketing in today’s digital age.

With nearly 100% of customers reading online reviews when making decisions between businesses, ensure people can find positive reviews.

You can offer incentives to encourage more clients to leave reviews, such as a discount for a Google Maps review or Instagram mention. Sometimes, all you need to do is ask your clients at the right time.

Timing is vital; for example, you could ask them once they’ve made a repeat appointment (which signifies satisfaction).

By following these simple steps, you can ensure that your business’s online presence is strong and that positive reviews will attract new clients while simultaneously satisfying your existing ones.

4 – YOUR CLIENT LOYALTY

Remember, it’s essential to focus on gaining new clients for your massage therapy business and retaining your current clients so they will return again and again.

Having the right clients can be much more profitable than getting new clients to visit your business in the first place.

So don’t take your existing clients for granted—focus on providing them with the best possible experience so they’ll want to come back again and again.

One way to do this is to ensure you have an online reservation system in place so you can capture your clients’ contact information.

You can use your existing client information for the following:
Create a Loyalty System. Offer exclusive promotions and discounts to your current clients to keep them returning.

Email and SMS Marketing. Email marketing is still quite an effective method to bring you a return on your investment, even with the newer technologies.

You can nurture your existing clients by emailing them a discount if they haven’t booked your service. It’s great for offering seasoning promotions or sharing helpful information, tips, or blog post links.

By keeping your existing clients happy, you’ll ensure that your massage therapy business will succeed for years. Customer loyalty finished the four cornerstones we have covered for effectively promoting your massage therapy business.

CONCLUSION

A solid medical practice marketing plan can boost your massage therapy business above your competitors.

You don’t have to tackle each of these at a time but take a bit-by-bit approach where you can evaluate progress and adjust accordingly.

Above all, your marketing strategy is learning about your target clients and giving them what they want.