07903 835898

Advertising doesn't work

Here are the best ways for a massage therapist to get visible.
15 Sep 2022

Ads don’t work…here’s what to do instead


Advertising doesn’t work.

OK…I’ll rephrase that – the way that most therapists use ads, doesn’t work.

Advertising CAN work (and really well), but only under certain circumstances.

Most therapists put out a standard ad describing their treatments or a special offer and expect the person seeing the ad to be ready to book in then and there.

In reality this rarely happens. Most people need to get to know you first before they are ready to book a treatment.

If you want to advertise your business, you need to make sure your ad is super-specific, seen by the right people and designed to encourage the reader to want to get to know more about you and what you do.

It’s not always easy to get right, and if you’re paying for that ad and you get it wrong, it can cost you a lot of money.

So instead of standard “advertising” I’d recommend VISIBILITY.

Visibility means people see you and can get to know you and grow to trust you. And THEN can come back to book with you when they’re ready.

Here’s 11 of the best ways for a massage therapist to get visible

 1.  Google Searches – Have a Google Business page. Google My business is the top free listing site for your business. It gives you both business and map visibility and you can add treatments and promotions. Plus, your clients can post their reviews which really helps your business.

2. Website with good SEO. This is an obvious one, but there’s still many therapists who are relying on social media instead of creating a website. You need to be visible in a Google search for those times when a potential client is ACTIVELY looking for a treatment. A website and good SEO are vital for this.

3. Referrals and Reviews – have incentives and strategies for current clients to encourage them to do both.

4. Collaborations – network with professionals who work with similar clients to you (but not the same services.) Offer them something special for their audience.

5. Social Media – be regularly visible on at least one platform.

6. Email—allows you to stay in touch with your list and keep your treatments top of mind with clients and prospects. By regularly sending emails, you’re much more likely be their first port of call when they’re ready to book a treatment.

7. Industry-specific websites—Directory listings enable you to be as visible as larger companies and reach potential clients when they’re actively searching for therapists.

8. Media relations –  It’s great PR to write articles or provide expert opinions on newsworthy topics in local magazines. You can also send press releases to get your business mentioned and visible.

9. Get involved in the community – Become an active presence in your local area. Attending local meetings, sponsor events or donate vouchers to charity to create visibility in your community.

10. Write blog posts – By creating blog posts that are keyword optimized, you will be visible when potential clients are using a search engine to find answers to their problems.  Use your blog to discussing issues your ideal clients are facing. You can even expand this to be a guest expert on other blogs that your potential client reads and then link this back to your website.

11. Participate in relevant local Facebook groups –  Choose a few good groups where you can actively engage and develop relationships. Remember to follow the 80/20 content rule – share advice and resources 80% and only talk about your treatments 20% of the time

Visibility is all about offering potential clients a constant reminder that you exist.

There is an old marketing concept known as the ‘rule of seven’ which says that a potential client needs to hear your message at least seven times before they remember it. So, you need to get your message out as often as possible, in as many places as possible.

If you show up consistently and regularly, they’re more likely to consider you whenever they next need a massage.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Want more tips and advice like this? Come and join the community of fellow massage therapists!

Massage & Holistic Therapists-Build Your Dream Business  is a free Facebook group where I regularly share tips, strategies and give free training. I created it to be a useful and nurturing space for you to take your therapy business to the next level. I’d love to see you in there! 🙂

Leave a Reply