Many of us don't feel fully equipped to "market" our practice. We don't know how, we're not sure what will work, everyone has an opinion on what you must do but it all seems like so [bleeping] much work!
Yet, we have to do something. We're a business, we need clients, the answer is this beast called "marketing".
Stop! Picking your marketing methods is actually step #4. Have you done steps #1 - #3? If not, you aren't choosing as wisely as you could.
Step 1: Understand Yourself
It's so tempting to "hide" behind massage when putting your practice out there. What you're offering is massage, so you talk about massage -- techniques, modalities, education, etc. However, the odds are that your practice is not much different from another MTs practice. There are only so many techniques, modalities, education, etc.
What your (potential) client is buying is ... you. Your outlook, your perspective, your motivation, what inspires you, why you do what you do. Why would you be more attractive to a potential client than the massage therapist down the street (who probably has a similar education and list of modalities)? Take a moment (or week or month) to reflect on you. Think about how you communicate that.
Step 2: Understand Your (potential) Client
When I talk to MTs about their "target market" (a common business-y word), they often say "I'll massage anyone!" That's not a helpful answer. I don't want to know who you'd be willing to massage. I want to know what kind of person really wants to receive massage from you.
Who "fits" you best? What kind of person? Age? Where do they live? Have they had massage before? Why? How do they feel about their body, health, complementary therapies, and massage therapy? How did they find you? What made "massage" pop into their head? What is about them that would make your practice, in particular, attractive to them? Where do they get their information about health and body? Who do they respect? Who do they trust?
When you understand them better, you'll do a better job of reaching out to them (which is all that marketing really is).
Note: This step is a whole lot easier to do when you've been in practice for at least a year or two. You can look back at the clients you've had the best connection with. If you are just starting out, you'll be guessing to a much greater extent. That's OK, running a business always involves guess work.
Step 3: Understand What You're Selling
Well, this is easy, right? You're selling "massage therapy". Sorry, nope.
People don't buy services, they buy results. Whether it's the pleasure of a clean house, the usefulness of having a working washing machine, or the relief of a shoulder that rotates all the way around, they are more motivated by what they believe they will be/have after their massage.
Will they be better equipped to handle the stressors of the day? Will they experience a better night's sleep? Will they be able move without back pain? Will they be able to run faster? Will they have a few days without the symptoms of their chronic disease? Will they be taller and thinner?? Will they feel better about themselves?
We have to be careful about making promises we can't guarantee. But you are selling an experience and some kind of result is implied. What results are you, specifically, selling?
Step 4: Choose Your Marketing Tools
NOW you're ready to invite the world to your table.
Daunted? Feeling a little helpless? Do these 3 steps look like a giant stone wall between you and the clients you want to attract? I've got a recommendation: Marketing for Hippies.
Tad Hargrave has some very wise things to say about understanding your self, your product, and your clients. Best of all, he talks in a way we MTs can understand. He uses interesting analogies. He understands that the vast majority of us didn't enter this field for the Big Bucks, we are driven by a passion for the work.
In particular, I found the following articles very helpful in trying to answer these very same questions for myself:
The Results They Crave
Marketing Is Like Making Tea
We Might Be A Fit If...
Island A: The Painful Symptom (more about thinking about "results")
Three Foundations of a Thriving Business
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