Top 3 tips to get more massage clients in 2020!

Is 2020 the year you want to grow the client list for your massage therapy business? This is the most common desire for massage therapists but often we can get wrapped up in activities that drain our time, energy and resources and reward us with zero in terms of more massage clients.

But don't fear! Here are our 3 top tips you can start easily implementing today to get more clients and grow your massage therapy business in 2020. 

1. Get offline and get networking IRL! 

Whilst it is important to have an online presence many massage therapists spread themselves too thin, dedicating hours each week to social media marketing for their massage therapy business. After an initial effort to get yourself set up you should be able to do all you need online in less than 10 minutes a day - here's how.  

Massage therapist online check list: 

• A professional website - once this is up and running you will need to update it every now and then to keep up on the SEO rankings. This really doesn't need to take much time - adding a new testimonial or offer every few months as well as syncing up your social media accounts means your site will keep fresh for the google bots! 
• 2 professional social media channels at the most! - we find Facebook and Instagram get the most interaction within the massage therapy industry. 

Look how short that list is! Don't overstretch yourself trying to have a presence on every social media channel out there. Your online presence just needs to serve to  outline your services clearly to potential clients and prove you are a professional business! Limit yourself to one or two social media channels and aim for a few posts a week then get outside and get networking with your local community! 

One of the quickest ways to grow your massage therapy business is slightly counter intuitive. By choosing a specific niche and focusing on promoting your services to select groups you can actually present yourself as a specialist and stand out from the crowd allowing you to fill up your diary with treatments you can charge more for.  

For example if you focus on pregnancy massage, use one of your 10 minute online marketing sessions to interact with local expectant mum groups on Facebook. Pair up with a beautician and offer to host a pampering night where mums to be can try mini treatments at a discounted rate whilst networking with others. Reach out to local antenatal classes and offer to give a short talk and speak to local GP's offering any clients they refer a discount on a series of massage treatments. Networking with local medical professionals is really crucial to developing your massage therapy business so don't hide behind a screen! 

At the end of the day clients choose their massage therapists because they have been referred by friends, family or a trusted medical professional and because they feel safe and respected when they meet with you not because your Instagram profile is a crafted work of art. So don't get caught up in the online world and get out there! 

2. Focus on tailor made massage treatments  

It can be really tempting when meeting potential massage clients or promoting your services as a therapist to focus on your qualifications, reeling off the years of experience and presenting a list of services you can offer. However it is likely that clients have come to you through referral, they know you are a professional with experience and education and even if you meet a potential client randomly, more than anything they will want to know how you can help them specifically! 

When interacting with potential massage clients focus solely on them. What issues are they having? Where is their pain and what type of issues are they experiencing? Setting out directly, using your knowledge of anatomy and physiology, how you would address their pain during a series of massage treatments will establish you within a medical framework and will make them feel heard and cared for! This approach takes massage out of the beauty industry and sparks awareness amongst the public that massage is a suitable treatment for a variety of ailments. 

First and foremost clients are looking for a solution to their problems and by providing a tailor made massage rather than a generic treatment you will secure their business and their loyalty. It seems obvious but it is surprising how easily massage therapists get stuck in a rut, stressed out from trying to fill their schedule, and end up performing treatments that are a set routine. Signing up for free resources like Susan Findlay's Massage Mondays is a great way to keep your skills refreshed. Each Monday Susan shares techniques for specific muscles or to aid particular conditions, perfect for tailoring your treatments! 

3. Brush up on your business skills 

Very few massage therapists adore sitting down to the paperwork and business side of the job. But brushing up your business skills is a vital part of your business practice and many would argue that you need to be an entrepreneur first and massage therapist second.

Meghan Mari and Rachael Fairweather from JING Advanced Massage Training think business skills are a crucial trait for all massage therapists looking to build a successful practice. 

Fundamentally a massage therapy business can’t last the test of time if you aren’t keeping on top of your finances, marketing and other basic operational needs. Learning some basic business skills can help you become an even better massage therapist and there are some free online resources that can help you get started.

Another great way to develop your knowledge is through a mentor. Whilst our time working in the massage industry is notoriously usually spent in isolation it is important to network with other local therapists. However it can be easier said than done to find a local mentor. Perhaps the massage therapists in your area are at a similar stage of their career or maybe you live very remotely. However, with the internet it is possible to link up with the wider massage community online. 

Signing up for online groups on Facebook is a great way to connect to other therapists around the world. In these groups therapists post questions and get feedback on all sorts of issues they face when running their massage therapy businesses. 

You can also look to industry leaders who post lots of great content on social media such as Susan Findlay with her Massage Monday series or Brittany Spence or sign up for our weekly newsletter The Muscle Whisperer where we share our thoughtful tips for therapists and our monthly Q&A series Ask the Muscle Whisperer where we put your questions to some of the top massage therapists in the UK. 

Which of these tips will you be using today to start growing your massage therapy business in 2020? Let us know in our Facebook thread!