Men might not behave as many massages as women, but they aren’t far behind. The American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) notes that in July 2015, 19 percent of women and 16 percent of men reported having a massage in the previous 12 months. Relief from stress is one of the leading factors driving men – and women – to seek massage, according to the AMTA. Between July 2014 and July 2015, 33 percent of massage consumers had a massage for relaxation/stress reduction.
The statistics indicate that men have gotten the word about the benefits of massage for stress reduction and pain relief and management due to illness or sore muscles from strenuous sports activity or on the job physical activity. If you aren’t attracting men to your spa or massage practice and want to, now is a good time to start planning for the New Year.
Attract more male clients
Be sure your business looks physically inviting to men. Switch from pastels to more gender-neutral colors, for example. Men also like rich textures and stone. Also, consider creating separate waiting room areas with male-oriented reading material available. Having a greater mix of male and female employees and therapists also can help men feel more comfortable.
Think about creating a separate menu just for men. Since men need to feel that the treatment “is working,” your menu should focus on deep tissue and sports massage to provide relaxation and soothe sore muscles. If necessary, change the names of your services to make them more them more appealing to men. If you are thinking of adding a skin treatment to the session, a scrub using Dead Sea salts can accomplish men’s need to ‘feel the results.’
Marketing to men
Some of your current marketing activities may work for men, but you’ll need to change your messaging.
Website: It should have messages and images that appeal to male clients. Start by separating the menu tab into two separate pages, one for men and the other for women, with customized offerings for each. Include some images of men as well as women. If you include testimonials or customer quotes on your site, add some from male clients.
E-mail: Instead of creating one email marketing blast to everyone, create one for your women clients and another for men to ensure you convey the right messages and focus on the appropriate treatments and specials.
Social media: Make sure to add posts that provide information that appeals to men and not only women. You might want to add posts about sports activity with advice to avoid injuries (not that this won’t be of interest to women). Focus your posts on treatments and products geared to your male clients and try engaging men by addressing questions and issues that male clients have raised during treatment sessions. Include posts on male health issues and at-home wellness.
Retail: Among your retail selections, include a separate section with offerings for men.
Team training: Providing expert service should be the number one priority of all team members. However, some of your team may need coaching on communicating with male clients relative to treatment options and products and booking future appointments.
At the end of the day, your spa or massage practice's overall goals are to provide a welcoming atmosphere and address client problems. However, how you package and market your offerings might need some adjustments to build up your male clientele.