Build it, and they will come to a nice concept, but in a highly competitive environment, unfortunately, that phrase often doesn’t “hold a lot of water.” No doubt you’ve already figured out that you need to do some marketing level to keep your spa or massage practice out in front of your marketplace and differentiate it from competitors.
Here’s where positioning yourself as an expert can be a precious tool to stand out from the crowd. Name recognition carries a lot of weight and doubly so when a client favorably mentions your name to a friend or family member who has already heard about you and your business.
Here are a few things you can easily do to showcase your know-how and give yourself and your spa or massage practice local visibility and enhanced credibility that can lead to more business:
Seek speaking opportunities
Not for profit and business organizations often are looking for speakers for their meetings. Search for organizations where topics relative to health care, for example, will be relevant. For example, a talk on the value of massage to help alleviate stress might be an interesting topic for a local business group. The purpose of the talk is not to sell your services but to suggest massage therapy as a way for individuals or company owners and managers to ensure their teams' well-being. Provide tips on how companies can start in house wellness programs.
Start a blog
Start a blog and post something at least once a week. You can focus on some aspect of your treatments, changes in user preferences, case studies of clients you’ve helped, the value of various ingredients and trends in the industry. Invite followers on Facebook and other social channels to sign up to receive notifications of new posts and also provide links to your latest posts to social channels. If you don’t want to maintain your own blog, look for opportunities to contribute to other blogs and comment on posts where you have relevant information to offer.
Write letters to the editor
If something related to health care or skincare appears in the newspaper, write a letter to the editor responding to the article, adding more information to educate readers. Regarding skincare, you might want to offer some perspective on the use of sunscreens during the hot months of the year, for example.
Write an e-book
While writing a book may seem like a lot of work, consider how much knowledge you have about your profession. It’s easy to produce your own e-book these days. Your e-book can provide advice or teach readers how to do something for their own health and wellness. Once the book is written, promote it through online channels and notify clients and prospects about it through email marketing. Make the book available for download on your website.
Create a YouTube channel
It’s not difficult to create short videos about your treatments and post them on a YouTube channel. Once your channel is set up, promote the videos on social channels and your website for even greater visibility (See BIOTONE YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/BIOTONEprofessional.)
Be interviewed on Internet radio shows
Find out if there are any radio shows on the Internet relevant to your expertise and that take speaker. Send an email offering to be a guest and describe what you’d like to talk about. Let your followers on social channels and your clients know via email that you will be on a particular show, providing the date and time. Many shows are available via podcasts once they air so clients can listen at their convenience.
Host webinars
Host webinars where you talk about a topic or invite guests to give a speech or be interviewed. Offer events for free and invite clients and followers to participate.
There are several ways you can establish your industry expertise and gain recognition in your community. Try one or a few of these recommended ways to see which one best suits your needs, preferences, and also your time.