10 best ideas for Marketing your massage therapy business

For any massage business, promotion is important to get new clients. There are many marketing ideas that can be implemented for your massage therapy business, but we have narrowed down the list to 10 tried and true marketing ideas for your massage business.

These marketing strategies can be implemented using online marketing or at the parlor and you don’t need any prior experience!

1. Build a great massage therapy website

A website is core to any marketing strategy. There are many free or low-cost website builders on the market, but there is a difference between an aesthetically pleasing site and one that will actually provide great information to your potential clients before they book their appointment.

You can find a local web designer who specializes in massage therapy websites for reasonable prices if you need help with designing your site. Many business owners can use a website builder to create a professional-looking site themselves without needing any HTML knowledge.

2. Start sending an email newsletter

Email marketing is one of the first channels to go to. Email is so successful for massage therapy sites and spas because when people are looking for new services to try, they often check their inboxes.

You can use Mailchimp or any email marketing platform you’re comfortable with to create your newsletter template and contact list of clients who would be interested in getting updates from you on a regular basis. Check out our list of highly recommended marketing tools.

But it all starts with growing your email list. Think about the following three steps to grow your email list:

Step one: You can start by asking clients if they would be interested in joining your email list. It’s a common question that sometimes people forget to ask when booking an appointment or purchasing massage packages. Similarly ask for their address at Point of Sale to make this easy.

Step two: You can also post a signup form at your massage parlor or spa that says “Join our email list to get monthly updates about new services and events!” You might want to use CTAs (call-to-action) like “Get a FREE second massage if you join” or a monthly prize draw as list-building tactics.

Step three: If you already have some customers who are on the mailing list, but not all of them, consider sending out a card to the ones that aren’t or asking them when they visit again. Some massage parlor marketing pros will send a Christmas card or something. You can ask them to come by to pick up a small gift.

A weekly or monthly email newsletter can also help keep customers informed about new events at the parlor and openings for appointments. Here is some inspiration for what content to include in your newsletter when you are out of ideas.

3. Develop a social media management strategy

Make use of social media as much as possible by posting new content, such as links to articles relevant to massage therapy or events happening at the parlor that clients might be interested in attending. Social media is an excellent way to create connections with clients and prospects and show some personality.

The social channels you should be posting on depending on your business goals, location, and clientele.

Social media marketing is an essential part of any massage therapy parlor’s marketing strategy these days. Lots of your customers are there and it can lead to greater customer loyalty and more potential referrals.

There are many different social channels you should be using for each type of service or purpose.

– You can think of creative ways you can use social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram

4. Master search engines and start a blog

If you’re marketing your massage therapy business online, start a blog that will be updated regularly. It’s a great way to attract your target audience and teach them about massage therapy. Even simple tips and listicle blogs that answering questions can be of great value.

Don’t forget about search engine optimization (SEO) when you’re blogging, too. It will help people find your posts in the results pages of Google. Do some research on how to make sure that your site and blogs are easily found by Google and other search engines.

Building up your website’s SEO is the next step to drawing in new clients. By optimizing for specific keywords, you can help people find you when they are searching online.

Depending on the type of massage therapy you specialize in, there are also blogs devoted to that topic which can be a great place for your blog if your target audience is interested in learning more about it. For example, if you offer deep tissue massage exclusively, then look up some dedicated blogs related to it.

5. Offer incentives to refer friends/family members

Word of mouth is a powerful marketing tool for massage therapists, and it’s one that you should encourage. Offer incentives to refer friends or family members who may be interested in your services. A personal invite goes a long way – and it is fun to stimulate going to a spa together.

You can offer a free session, a discount on the next visit, etc., as an incentive. Here are a few ideas:

• Ask them to refer at least one person and give them $10 off their next massage.
• Get two massages (one each) for the price of one when they bring in a new client with an original referral code you can provide. This is usually good for both parties since it is a plus on the referral that they are getting.
• Give your new customer an introductory package for free, which is usually one hour of massage time with any therapist on staff. This can be good to offer people who may not have had a chance to find someone yet.

6. Use video and youtube

Video content is strong for any type of business. Massage therapist marketing can use video to show some of the techniques they use. Post a video on youtube and link it in your website. Youtube videos are more likely to be seen than just an article or blog post.

Here are some ideas

• A video describing massage therapy in general
• Video specifically about different types of massage and what to expect from them (i.e., Swedish, Shiatsu)
• Techniques for various conditions or ailments that people may be dealing with at the time such as a stiff neck, and lower back pain.
• Show how massage therapy has benefitted others
• List the different types of massages and what they’re used for, including benefits from each one
• Demonstrate a technique that you use often (i.e., trigger point release) or show your hand in action so someone can see it happening while watching the videos .

But also don’t forget to be entertaining instead of purely informative. You can make youtube videos more fun by adding in a soundtrack, adding silly visuals to make people laugh or by showing yourself doing the massage vs. just talking about it

7. Take Appointments through your website

Any real website should have a way to convert visitors to customers. And especially for Massage therapy marketing there has to be a way to set an appointment. So make sure your website allows you to make appointments. Your website platform should include this or have an appointment scheduling module or plugin.

If you’re not up for building a website yourself, then turn to one of the many professional companies that build them for massage therapy businesses or other service-based industries like yours.

The good part about a scheduling function is that you can set the appointments without the need for a phone call and they can do it 24/7. You can ask for the email address there, add them to your email marketing list and send automated appointment reminders

8. Go for a Niche, and zero in on your target group

Don’t be afraid to go a bit more niche in your offering and marketing, and zero in on your target group.

You’ll find that massage therapists are often so focused on marketing to the general public that they forget their true target audience: others like their current customers who also love what you do and want to get in line for a session.

An ideal niche for your business is to go more specific with a focus on one type of clientele.

For example, you might have two massage therapists at your clinic who specialize in pregnant clients and the other in athletes.

The more you specialize, the stronger your marketing efforts can be for that specific group of people, and the less likely it is to scare away others who aren’t interested in what you have to offer. There’s nothing wrong with branching out into other niches too!

It’s important to remember that by marketing exclusively to certain groups of people, you’re not excluding anyone else; everyone benefits from the relaxing therapy experience.

9. Get active in your community and local advertising

Never forget that being seen is super important, to stimulate awareness and get active in the local communities. For instance, if you offer massage for pregnant clients, get involved with pregnancy-related events and organizations.

When it comes to local advertising, there are a ton of things that fall into this category when marketing your business:

• Signage at parlor – Conspicuously place signs on the exterior door or in the window so people know you’re in business.
• Local newspapers and magazines- Advertising in local publications is one of the easiest ways to market.
• Signs or lettering of your car – If you offer massage for pregnant clients, create a sign with the phrase “Pregnancy Massage” that can be placed on the windshield or on the side with lettering if it is a company car.
• Discount coupons handed out at work or school – Even if they don’t go for it themselves, the people around them may make a purchase because they know someone who is interested.
• Collateral marketing pieces – These are things like brochures, postcards, or flyers that can be handed out to potential clients.

10. Host a special event, Open House or VIP days

Now everybody wants to feel special and welcomed.

An open house is a great way to get people in your doors and make them feel like they are being treated special, after all, it’s their first time here! You can do this by offering something that other massage therapists don’t offer such as a free chair massage or a complimentary beverage with any service purchased from you. This will

Special events at your massage therapy business, such as a VIP day can be another way to get people in the door. This will require more planning and time on your part but it is worth it because you are getting new people into your massage therapy business that may not have known about you if there was no event or open house!

Keep those massage marketing ideas coming

Now that you know some of the best ways to market your massage therapy business, it’s time for you to get out there and start implementing them! As a small business owner, it would be irresponsible for you not to be looking into new marketing ideas in order to surprise and delight your current audience.