Marketing Your Massage Business In a Non-Pushy Way
NOTE: This article was originally written in August 2020 right in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though those crazy times have come and gone, I still stand by the value behind this post and I think GRATITUDE is a lovely way to connect with your clients and I’ve seen positive results from actions like this time and time again.
Much love, Melissa
I don’t know about you, but I’ve been struggling to know how to market my massage business during these hard times. I kind of feel like this …
I need to stay busy but I want my advertising to be sensitive.
For example, I had a client ask me if I do any discounts for seniors so I had this great idea to do a “Seniors’ Week” and do an ad blitz offering a nice discount. However, I quickly rethought this strategy because I was worried it would come across as distasteful, considering the elderly are at a higher risk of developing complications from Covid-19. It just seemed like bad timing.
So I thought about what I could do. I really don’t want to pressure people into booking a massage if they’re not ready. Yes, my protocols are very strict and I do feel safe. However, it IS very close contact and there IS still a risk.
The conclusion I came to was GRATITUDE. I need to thank my clients for choosing me as their RMT. I need to show my appreciation for their support.
My father always taught me to send thank you cards. Nothing beats a card in the mail! I was also inspired by my friend Taryn at Palms of Paradise who sends out cute Christmas cards with acupuncture/TCM goodies. (Ear seeds, herbal patches, etc.)
So I ordered little thank you cards and some David’s Tea and mailed them to all my existing clients. I’m also celebrating one year since opening my mobile business, so I highlighted that.
I’ve received tons of thank you messages and re-bookings!
Visit my website at https://lakeviewmassage.ca/
Another fun idea is cool stamps. Did you know that you can buy vintage discounted stamps from eBay? It’s a great way to save on postage. The catch is that they’re low value stamps (usually 5-8¢ each) so you have to apply a bunch of them to each envelope. It’s a bit time consuming, but the reaction from people is great! The envelope is plastered with stamps!
Search “Canada Discount Postage”. Usually it’s about 30% off. But I once found a lot for 50% off and it had lots of cool stamps from the 80s! Make sure you buy new unused stamps.
One tip about choosing a time to send cards, is pick a time when you’re slow. Last year I sent cards out at the beginning of December and it was kind of dumb because we all know that’s already our busy season. It might be more worth your time to send out these cards—which double as a reminder to book another appointment—at a time when your schedule needs to be filled.
Now let’s chat about gifts. I like to send a small gift with the card. It’s just fun! The key is to keep it flat. There’s standard and non-standard lettermail. The max thickness for standard is 5mm … that’s just a few pieces of paper. So if you’re adding a little gift, it may be considered “Non-standard”, which would be between 5mm and 20mm thick. You cannot exceed those 20mm (2cm) or else it will be considered a parcel and may cost your first born child to send.
If you want to check to make sure your mail will fit through the “slot of doom”, these are handy!!
Here’s the current postage rates for STANDARD lettermail within Canada:
0-30g = $0.92
30-50g = $1.30
50-100g = $1.94
And here’s the current postage rates for NON-STANDARD lettermail within Canada:
0-100g = $1.94
100-200g = $3.19
When deciding on a gift to send, it’s important to remember your brand and your service. Yes, Kool-Aid packets would be the perfect size, but it may not “fit” with your high-end spa.
Here are some ideas for you, including a few great ideas for kids (links included).
Remember to not mail things like chocolate that can melt!
Is there a product you love? Maybe even one you use in your practice? See if you can purchase small samples of this product from the distributors … or if you’re lucky, they may even give you samples for free!
Good luck at this difficult time! Remember to show gratitude and those good vibes will come back your way!
