For many of your clients, the holidays are a time to celebrate—as well as a source of major stress. As a massage therapist, you’re in a position to offer them two things in the coming months.
One is a great massage, which represents a welcome hour of me time in their busy schedule, and a mini-vacation from stress. The second is help with their holiday shopping, in the form of massage gift certificates.
Here are some holiday marketing ideas from Jennifer L. Anderson, L.M.T., owner of Body Harmony Massage in Meridian, Idaho. (For additional holiday marketing tips from two more massage therapists, check out “The Top 6 Ways to Market for the Holidays” in the September print edition of MASSAGE Magazine.)
1. Be Festive
Decorating sets the holiday mood and gives you the opportunity to market gift certificates and other retail items.
“Don’t be afraid to decorate your space a little to get people into the spirit of the season,” said Anderson. “When they are feeling festive and the holidays are on their mind, clients will be more likely to think about the holidays and gift-giving.
“It doesn’t have to be much—just a wreath or a small ornament tree to give a little wink that it’s that time of the year.”
2. Bundle Up
“Running seasonal packages to offer clients gives them something new to try—and an excuse to take a break from the holiday insanity,” Anderson said. “Combine some products with seasonal scents with a little extra pampering than a standard session and you’ve got yourself an easy package that pulls a little higher price point and helps you fill your schedule [at a time] when everyone forgets to take care of themselves.”
3. Stay in Touch
“Sending out email messages to your clients is very important this time of year. You may need to send a few more than usual so you don’t get lost in the sea of ads everyone gets this time of year,” Anderson said.
“Make sure your clients know what your seasonal specials and gift certificate sales are. We also like to send clients an email that looks like a wish list they can forward to someone struggling to find them a gift. It’s lighthearted and somewhat joking, but turns into a surprising amount of bookings and gift certificate orders.
“As a bonus, many of those who receive this wish list end up subscribing to our email list, which grows our reach for the next holiday push.”
4. Say Thanks — and Give a Little Gift
“I take the holiday season as a time to give thanks, so we thank our best clients this time of year. We offer clients who have referred to us throughout the year a holiday card from us, which includes a coupon punch card offering discounts on services and upgrades as a token of our appreciation,” Anderson said. “We also give away small gift cards to local coffee shops and sample gift bags to our most frequent clients to thank them for their loyalty.
“You want your clients to know that you appreciate their continued business and referrals,” she added, “and this time of year is a perfect opportunity to be a little extra generous with those who make your business possible.”
About the Contributor
Jennifer L. Anderson, locally known as “that purple-haired massage lady,” is a passionate owner of a massage practice, wellness and massage instructor, writer, meditation recording artist and avid learner. Her Maximizing Massage Profits ebook series and full author bio are available on Amazon.