Monday, September 29, 2014

Partnering With A Local Business (Part 2)

There are different ways you can partner with local businesses to promote your practice.  This is part 2 of 3 posts.

This week we are talking about customer appreciation events.  These are great to do around the holidays as they can increase gift certificate sales to new clients. Make sure to have a special onsite deal that customers won't be able to get anywhere else, and get them to sign up for your email list too.

There are a couple of ways to go about this:

1. Host your own event and get other businesses involved.
You can host an open house at your business and rent tables to other businesses to raise money for a charity that is close to your heart.   If your place is large enough, definitely host the event, if not, use a nearby hall that you can rent.  (TIP: If you are renting a hall, use a weeknight instead of a weekend to save on the cost of rental.)  Rent table space to other businesses for $25 or so (more if you have to rent the hall), all of which will go to support whichever cause you have chosen.  Each business also offers up something of value towards a raffle.  Give each person a raffle ticket at the door and sell additional raffle tickets for $1 each or 6 for $5, of which all the profits will go to the charity.  You also donate something for the raffle.  You can even have goody bags at the door for the first 20 people, or keep them at your table to give to current clients only.
The goal for this type of event is to bring in new clients by increasing your marketing reach with other businesses while also giving your current clients a reason to come into your business and showing them appreciation for giving you their business.  Win win for everyone involved.

2. Another business hosts the event, and you have your services available there.
If you know of a business that is coming up on a grand opening, or a special anniversary, why not suggest to be a part of that event by offering your services to give massages to their customers (The other business can pay you to be there, or you may volunteer.  Do what works for you.).  They can push your gift certificates that day to their customers for a small percentage of the profits, or be able to hand out coupons that their customers can use with you in the future.  This is great exposure for your business, and it is a nice perk that the partnering business is able to offer to their customers.

Once you have your event in place, write a press release and send it out to the media letting them know about the event and inviting them to it.  Create a flyer to be posted up at local businesses.  Send out an email to your clients about the event.  Post the event all over your social media.  Make sure to add the information to your website.  Have the other businesses send out communications to their customers as well.

Want to learn more about using events to market your business?  Check out Event Marketing: Using Mobile Massage To Get More Clients Into Your Massage Practice.  Enter discount code 3BN7X7KH to get $5 off!


Monday, September 22, 2014

Partnering With A Local Business (Part 1)

There are different ways you can partner with local businesses to promote your practice.  This is part 1 of 3 posts.

First, find a local business that caters to the same clientele that you do.  Maybe there are a few around you.  You can put together a coupon flyer featuring each other's business.  You can keep a stack in your waiting room, hand it out to each person after their massage, or even mail them out to your customer base.  Each business promotes to their clients and you are able to reach more people this way.  By partnering with other local businesses, you are able to reach a broader market (while still targeting who you want as a client), you get to offer your customers a perk (discounts to other businesses they can't get anywhere else), and you save money by sharing the costs with the other businesses.

Here is an example of how this can work:


Notice that all the businesses here target females in this marketing piece.  Here is another example focusing on the guys:


I think you get the idea. 

Are there any businesses you can partner with to create a similar flier?  I would love to hear from you.  Leave your comments below, or send your comments to the Massage Marketing Toolbox facegoup group.

Next week, we talk about partnering with other businesses for a customer appreciation event.  Stay tuned!

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Create Goodwill While Marketing To Your Target Market


Last weekend, my business was a sponsor at a local 5k fun run that raised money for needy families.  I participate in a few different type of events each year usually volunteering my services, time, and possibly a donation (either in-kind or monetary) to a cause that I care about and helps out my local community.

Here I am massaging runners onsite.

As a young child, my parents taught me about volunteering my time and giving back to my community.  It has always been a part of me, and now I use my massage business to broaden my reach.  My clients know that I give back.  I even have one of my business website pages dedicated to my involvement in the community.

Now I can't possibly attend all of the events I would like to or I would be constantly closing down my office so that I can participate by offering sports massage at 5k's, or being a vendor at a vendor fair.  If I'm not working, then I am not making any money to pay the bills.  So I pick and choose which events I can be a part of, and all the others that I can't attend to, I send a gift certificate for a raffle or silent auction prize as long as the organization is certified non-profit status.

Besides feeling better about yourself and all the other positive notions around volunteering, what does giving back to your community do as far as marketing your business?  Well, it does a few things.

  1. If you have employees, it can help them to feel good about where they work.  Happy employees that like their job invest more of themselves in the workplace.  This will lead to better customer service (another marketing key we will explore at a later date).
  2. Networking.  When you are out in the community, you are able to meet all sorts of people, and they have a chance to meet you.  You can network with new clients, potential clients down the road, other businesses, and organizations.
  3. You have a chance to reach your target market and they will feel good about you as a business since you are doing something helpful for the community.  People like to do business with other people and being involved with the community sets your business in that light.  Creating goodwill will most always be a positive for your business.
  4. When participating in large scale events, you have multiple chances to reach your target market.  Before the event, the organizer may send out emails, facebook posts, tweets, or other communications to the participants.  You can work with the organizer of the event to be included in those communications.  At the event, there may be a goody bag for participants in which you can provide a promotional gift or coupon. Obviously, if you are active at the event, your potential clients may become clients on the spot by interacting with your booth.  There may be some press coverage for the event as well.  
Do you participate in philanthropy with your business?   Tell me what you do, or what you would like to do. Either comment below, or head to the Massage Marketing Toolbox facebook group.


If you need some ideas about how events can help build your business, you should check out Event Marketing: Using Mobile Massage To Get More Clients Into Your Massage Practice.  Use promo code 3BN7X7KH to get $5 off your purchase!




Monday, September 8, 2014

Finding A New Massage Therapist

This is a bit of a homework post for you.  I want you to find a new massage therapist for yourself, make an appointment, and report back to me what you find out.  Here are your questions to answer:

1. How did you find this new therapist?

2. What did you like about your experience?

3. What could have been improved upon?

4. Is there anything that you would like to now add to your business because of this experience?


Now you might be wondering what does this have to do with marketing my business?  This assignment can be considered market research for you.  I want you to pay close attention to why you chose the particular massage therapist that you went to.  You can go where ever you want to go.  It could be to your closest competitor, or further away if you choose. 

I'm looking forward to your story.  Comment below, or head on over to the Massage Marketing Toolbox facebook group to share what you've learned.

Monday, September 1, 2014

Create A Simple Marketing Calendar

It's almost the end of the year, not really, it is just the end of summer, but you should already be focusing your efforts on next year's marketing.  I do this by creating a simple marketing calendar with ideas for each month.  At the end of each month go back to your calendar to make notes on what worked, what could be tweaked a bit to make it work better, and what didn't work at all so when you are looking to do the next year's marketing, you will have a head start.  Many times during the month we find inspiration for a promotion for next year, but when that time comes around we have forgotten it.  Easy fix to that dilemma is to add it to your marketing calendar.  I will give you an example of how one month would look and I'd love for you to create an entire year's worth of ideas. 

You can use any format that makes sense for you either using a spreadsheet or a word document.  Things to include are any monthly marketing activities, special holidays, and special promotions.  Below is an example for the month of October.

October – National Massage Therapy Awareness Week (19-24), Halloween (31)
Post and update wellness tips to facebook and twitter.
Update website with Halloween/National Massage Therapy Awareness Week promotion.
Write at least 2 articles for blog.
Send out monthly e-newsletter.
Donate at least 2 gift certificates to local fundraisers for charities that match our brand.
Create article for publication next month focusing on Hands for Heroes/working with military especially Veterans Submit to paper by October 15.
Mail out client birthday cards for November birthdays.  Send out on October 27.
Create newspaper ad for 'The Rose' for December gift certificate sales push ($50).  Needs to be ready by the first week of November.

Go ahead and put every month into a document and start adding important items to it for your marketing.  This calendar only works if you take the time to review it each month so you know what you need to do for what you planned.  This is not something you create, and then file away somewhere.  You need to keep it visible and use it consistently to keep your monthly marketing on track.  It is not set in stone however, and edits can be made throughout the year.  Do you want a  FREE Monthly Marketing template?  Head on over to the facebook group to download it.

Let me know what you've come up with.  I'd love to see your marketing calendar working for you.