From the MASSAGE Magazine article, “Expert Advice,” by Charles W. Wiltsie III, in the May 2010 issue. Article summary: When deciding how to market body-sculpting and cellulite-reduction services, massage therapists need to decide how to position themselves in the market. To do that, two questions need to be answered: “What is massage therapy?” and “What are the benefits of massage therapy?”
by Jon Lumsden
Are you looking for a great time-saving marketing solution to help build your practice? How about a marketing tool that gives you the option of including your own personal message or special offers to your clients? If this sounds good to you, then you should research newsletter companies that provide ready-to-use newsletter templates. This is a great way to implement a regular marketing program that saves you both time and money while helping to grow your practice.
The advantages of going with a newsletter company include a more professional-looking marketing piece than you could create on your own, while saving you the hours it would take you to research, write and design each issue. There are companies that offer newsletters that are ready to send once you add your contact information. Some companies also offer newsletter issues that you can open in your computer and type in your own personal message or special offer before you print your copies to distribute.
The advantage of opting for personalizable issues is that by adding your own message, you can make generic newsletters better represent you and your practice. For instance, you can introduce a new technique you’ve just learned, share a brief testimonial (with permission) from a happy client and announce a special for the month, all of which makes your newsletter more personal and real to your clients. And, you will save lots of time by letting the newsletter company do the research and provide the content on massage benefits, news and recent studies.
Would this be worth $10 to $15 to you, for each master copy? (You may make as many copies from the master as you want.) You can learn more by doing an online search for phrases like “massage newsletters” and “massage marketing.” You’ll also see what other therapists are posting on their websites, so be sure to imagine you’re the massage client and see how you feel about the information being provided to clients.
When considering your choices, be sure to choose a company that reflects your practice philosophy and style. Are the articles easy to understand? Do they share information on massage benefits that will inspire your clients to call you for their next appointment? Is the layout inviting? By investing a few hours researching your options, you can save countless hours in the future and find that ideal marketing solution for your practice.
Massage therapist Jon Lumsden offers massage-client education newsletters, e-newsletters, websites and marketing advice through his company, Massage Marketing. He has been creating client newsletters for health-care practitioners, including chiropractors, dentists and physical therapists, since 1988. For more information, visit www.MassageMarketing.com.