Massage therapists may wish it otherwise, but marketing is an integral part of running any business, be it bodywork or boogie boards. Whether you’re a practitioner of healing touch who has a solo studio, works with other massage therapists or even runs a full-scale bodywork clinic and spa, marketing is a great way to make more money and hopefully garner new clients as well.
If you’re one of the many touch practitioners who focused his or her studies on the hands-on part of the job and did not receive formal training in the ways of the business world, you’ll have to hit the ground running if you hope to tackle marketing in a successful way.
Fortunately, there are several fairly simple ways to market your skills as a massage therapist or bodyworker and, in the end, to earn more money and also more clients. Consider an everyday detail and staple of your session room—massage cream. Let’s look at the various ways one could use massage cream for marketing purposes.
For starters, make sure you’re using the best cream for your brand of hands-on skills. In other words, the cream you select should have the best blend of friction and glide for you and your work. If you and your clients enjoy a massage cream that brings other benefits to the table, such as aromatherapy or hydration, look for that in your lubricant as well, or stock a few to suit the needs of your particular clients.
Check to see the manufacturer of your preferred massage creams sells them in sample sizes. If so, order a few dozen to give first-time clients at the end of each session. You could even have stickers made with the name of your practice, along with your contact information, to place on these small massage cream containers.
This is a fun idea for holidays and client birthdays as well—and it could help keep your name and services at the forefront for clients, their families and friends.
Another way to use massage cream for marketing is to sell the particular massage cream you use to clients. Order various bottle sizes that are suited to consumers and keep them in stock in your studio, so clients can choose to purchase the creams as gifts or for at-home use.
After all, selling a few products you truly believe in is a wonderful way to boost that bottom line, without having to feel like a salesperson instead of a practitioner of healing touch.
In addition to giving away small sample bottles of massage cream and selling larger bottles at your studio, you can also market via massage cream by making it known on any brochures, advertisements or spa menus that you use a top-notch massage cream in every session.
Brag about the quality ingredients in your massage cream and any of the benefits it brings, and you may see an uptick in clients.
—Brandi Schlossberg