8 Great Ways to Get Massage Therapy Clients
How to Get Massage Therapy Clients
1. Use referrals
Getting your existing clients to help you find new clients is one of the smartest marketing strategies out there. First of all, if you are an exceptional massage therapist, then your clients are probably already talking about you with their friends and family.
Sharing comes naturally to people, especially if it’s about something interesting or beneficial. At the same time, you should give your clients that extra push to convince their loved ones to stop by.
You can do so by introducing a referral program. Existing clients who help you find new clients would receive perks, such as a discount on a massage package or a free lotion sample. You can be creative with the incentives.
Overall, a referral program can be a great way for you to spread the word about your massage business.
2. Make sure people can find you online
Digital marketing is a must if you want massage therapy clients. That’s because people now use the internet all the time.
Going online is easy when you have a smartphone. So, you need to make sure that people come across your massage business when they use their devices.
First, create a website for people to learn about the different services that you offer. Make sure to have information on how to book an appointment.
Don’t worry if you’ve never created a website before. The process is simple if you use a website builder.
Afterward, get people to visit the website. This is where social media comes into play.
Create accounts on different social media platforms and include your website link on your profile. Anyone who comes across your profile will then be able to click on the link, visit your website, and become a client.
3. Niche down
New massage therapists might want to advertise to everybody. Mass appeal sounds great on paper but not in reality.
Approaching the business from an angle is a smarter idea. This is how you can stand out in the massage industry.
Niche down by either focusing on a specific group of clients or a specific type of massage. For example, you can be a massage therapist who primarily works with professional athletes or new mothers. You can also be a specialist in hot stone massage or Shiatsu massage.
You will naturally become an expert in something if you specialize. Then, you can fine-tune your marketing campaigns.
For example, instead of talking about the benefits of massage in general, you can talk specifically about the benefits of Shiatsu massage.
People who have never had a Shiatsu massage will be intrigued. They will stop by and try it out. If they like the experience, then they will revisit and become regular customers.
4. Outsource and automate
Marketing is not just a one-time thing. It’s continuous. As a business owner, you should always have marketing processes running in the background.
This may be hard to do if you’re just one massage therapist who simply wants to focus on giving great massages.
So, what’s the solution?
You can hire people to handle the marketing side of the business. They would be in charge of getting new clients and convincing existing clients to stay.
You can also use technology to automate processes and save time. For example, you can use email marketing software to schedule and automatically send emails.
In addition, you can use booking software to make scheduling appointments as easy as possible. All of this means that you have more time to focus on what you know best: giving great massages.
5. Talk to as many people as you can
Massage therapy is part of the service economy. It’s a people-based business. Therefore, as a massage therapist, you need to make networking one of your top priorities if you want clients.
So, how do you network?
Don’t just start talking to random strangers on the street. A lot of people don’t like that, especially if they’re in the middle of something.
Instead, go to events and venues where people are more likely to open up. For example, you can go to town hall meetings and community centers. There are also designated networking events for people looking to make connections.
Introduce yourself and get to know everyone who attends these events. Hand out business cards. People will keep you in mind if they ever need a massage.
Also, don’t forget to ask what other people do. This is how you can create mutually beneficial relationships.
6. Create business partnerships
Referrals don’t just have to come from your clients. They can also come from other small businesses.
Think about the other business establishments that your clients like to visit. For example, people who go to spas tend to prioritize their health and wellness. They also go to gyms and eat organic foods.
Therefore, you can partner with gyms and gourmet food places. Send your clients their way. The other businesses can do the same for you.
Providing referrals is a simple process. For example, you can hand out brochures after clients finish an appointment and recommend that they also check the other places out. If applicable, tell your clients that they can get a discount by mentioning that you sent them there.
7. Consider paid advertisements
Launch paid advertisements if you want to do something that can give you immediate results. You can get a lot of massage therapy clients by advertising online. That’s because digital marketing is trackable.
For example, if you launch an advertisement on Facebook, you can track how many people see the ad, how many people click on the ad, how many people visit your website, and how many people make appointments.
Everything is quantified. This allows you to evaluate the effectiveness of your marketing campaign in real-time.
For example, if an advertisement is getting a lot of impressions but not clicks, then maybe the call to action isn’t strong enough. You might also be advertising to the wrong people.
Analyze your data and run experiments so that you can make the most of your marketing dollars.
8. Convince passerby to come inside
Make sure you optimize the marketing materials at your business location. Give pedestrians a reason to come inside.
For example, you can stand on the corner and pass out flyers. Tell people about any special promotions, such as free massages for a limited time.
If you don’t want to raise your voice, then you can play pre-recorded messages over a speaker system. However, make sure you are legally allowed to do this. You don’t want to disturb the peace.
In addition to passing out flyers and making announcements, you can create flashy banners to display near the entrance. You can hang the banners on a wall or window. You can also use sign holders to get posters to stand up by themselves.
In general, grab people’s attention so that you can turn pedestrians into customers.