We Asked: What is your favorite marketing technique?

Here is what you told us...

We have a local paper, and I've published an article listing the services I provide.  I've found [that] because I live in a small town, that's been quite effective in establishing a bigger clientele for myself.
Julie McLeod
Nipigon, Ontario, Canada

My favorite marketing technique is to let my existing clients know that I value their business and their good opinion of me and my work, very highly, and that I will reward them for referrals. I print up business cards - standard info on the front side, and on the back, this text: "(referring client's name) has referred me for therapeutic massage; please credit him/her $10 toward the cost of his/her next massage (signature of new client.)."
Suzann Roalman
Athens, Georgia

I allow my clients to market for me. This is a cooperative venture. The client may talk to someone else, who may then call me.
Mikki McGee
Brisbane, California

At our business we offer wellness-care classes on different topics to keep people interested in different things. We also do gift certificates to get new people in, so we get referrals from people's friends.
Dianna Schmidt
Silverton, Oregon

What I love most about massage and acupressure is working in partnership with people and sharing educational information to support them in physical, emotional and spiritual healing.  My newsletter, Healing Hands, is sent to 1,500 people in the spring, summer, fall and winter.  Recent topics included benefits of massage, dream work, the chakras, self-care and the holidays.  Healing Hands also includes a graphic and description of how to use an acupressure point.  People receiving Healing Hands - or shown it by friends - have become regular clients.
Christopher Szarke
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Basically, just word of mouth and handing out business cards is what I do.  I work a lot of sporting events around Anchorage, where there are a lot of skiing races and running races.  I hand out business cards at those.  It has been successful.
Michael Bernas
Anchorage, Alaska

The way we market is by referral - by word of mouth.  If you give good service, people go out and talk about it, and it seems to get a better response than any newspaper advertising.
Marsha Smyth
Independence, Missouri

I just do a lot of massage, that's the main thing.  When you first start out it's important to hone your skills.  When you hone your skills and do the best you can, people will come to you.
Cynthia Garnica
Stratford, Connecticut