Recently I’ve been reading quite a lot about some highly regarded websites being penalised by Google. I can see why they want to keep the spammy sites out of their search results, but in many cases it seems like innocent businesses are being hit by this as well as the unscrupulous operators.

In fact my husband noticed a couple of weeks ago that one of his websites had been penalised and his visitor numbers from Google had dropped right off as a consequence. When we checked his site, we found that some of the sites he’d been linking to for years were now horrid spammy sites (rather than the reputable sites they were when he’d first linked to them). He’s now removed these and asked Google to reconsider, but you can see why you’d want to avoid getting on Google’s bad side in the first place!

If you’re doing any promotion of your web site yourself, it’s well worth reading and complying wit h Google’s quality guidelines on linking to other websites. If you’re linking to other sites, make sure the other sites are:

• relevant - e.g. they are on a similar subject
• provide quality content that you’re happy to recommend

A good rule of thumb is to link to a site only if you feel it’s genuinely useful to your visitors. Don’t be persuaded to exchange links just for the sake of a link back, and don’t buy links to enhance your rankings. Lastly, check your links occasionally - good sites can go bad, so make sure the sites that you’re linking to are still relevant and high quality sites.

Happy Marketing,
Catherine
………………………………………………………………………………….
Founder, Soothed - web design & online marketing for natural therapists
Editor, natural bloom - sharing the inside story on holistic health

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“There’s no easy way to bring it up.
It’s easy to bring up, “hey, where’d you get that ring tone?” because the ring tone just interrupted everyone. It’s a lot harder to bring up the fact that you just got a massage.”

That quote comes from Seth Godin’s Blog. It is one of the reasons he sees why word of mouth does not happen.

Does it mean, massage cannot generate word of mouth? No way, on the contrary, there are so many ways it can. What is one of the most talked about topics among friends? Health (or actually the lack of it).

People talk about how tired they are, how stressed they are, how their backs hurt. These things come up a lot more than cool ring tones. So, all you need to do to be talked about is change your identity from “I am a massage practitioner.” to “I give backs their strength back.” or “eliminating stress in 30 minutes”.

Hold that last statement in your head for a minute, I’ll come back to it.

The important thing is that people have you as someone in mind who does a really specific thing, a specialist. The specialist who can help beyond anything that others might hope for. And the better that specialty relates to what people are talking about, the more you will get word of mouth.

The Irresistible Offer

There are very few books, I read more than once. But if I do, I usually read them 5 or 10 times. One of my re-reads is called “The Irresistible Offer” by Mark Joyner. It teaches “how to sell your service in 3 seconds or less”.

How? By developing a “touchstone” that answers the four biggest questions people have when they evaluate a service (or product). After reading it, you will know why “I just got a massage” can never lead to successful word of mouth referrals and - more importantly - how you can develop an identity that will lead to lots of successful word of mouth.

Just imagine what “Eliminating stress in 30 minutes or less or it’s free” would do for you.

If you want to understand this example, you need to read the book.

You can get it at Amazon or you can download it here: The Irresistible Offer for free.

I got a great question recently: Do you recommend Google AdWords as part of the marketing campaign for complementary therapists?

Note: (if you do not know) Google AdWords are the ads you see on the right hand side of any Google searches. Advertisers bid how much they are willing to pay per click (so they do not pay when the ad is shown, just when someone clicks on it). Google then ranks the ads by how much the advertiser bids and the quality of the page the ad points to.

So here are my thoughts:

AdWords are a science in itself. the advantage: you can target the people who will see your ads very specifically (through the keywords you bid for, and you can specify a geographic area). The disadvantage: competition is quite high for keywords and the prices you need to pay per click are rising every month.

So, unless you are certain that your website converts visitors to paying clients, it is a dangerous game to use Google AdWords.

If you want to do it, I would establish a conversion rate for your site first (i.e. how many people visit your site before someone books a session, if 200 people visit the site, before someone books, your conversion rate is 0.5%). You can use Google Analytics to work that out (if they can book online).

Once you know that and you know how much profit you make from each person (e.g. they come 5 times on average and pay $50 each time, so the revenue is $250. Your costs, including your own time, rent, washing, etc. are $150, so you could theoretically spend up to $100 to get people to your site.)

Now you need to multiply your conversion rate with what you want to spend on Google AdWords (e.g. $100 x 0.5% gives you $0.50). So the maximum you want to spend is $0.50 per click.

Then, you need to test that for each keyword and each different ad. It might be that more people who use click on a Google Ad convert or less than the traffic you had before. My experience is that it is usually less than from the organic traffic.

In my opinion, you are much better off to optimize your site for organic search engine traffic. You can download an ebook that shows you how to build successful websites that draw organic traffic. It is a tiny part of the education you get when you purchase the SiteBuildIt package.

Money well spent if you enjoy working on the computer. Otherwise, find yourself a good webdesigner who understands about Search Engine Optimization. And by having read this document, you will be able to ask the right questions to find out whether someone is knowledgeable.

You can contact Julie for support in using the SiteBuildIt package or contact Catherine for web design services.

One of the things I am quite passionate about is sharing my knowledge and experience in using websites to start and build a massage practice. It is one of the most easy and direct ways to promote your business. When someone searches for the words ‘massage, your city’ the first thing that should come up is your website. Well or so we would all like. To create a website that achieves that status involves a little bit of learning about Search Engine Optimization. The first step is using the keywords in your title, heading and metatags. Your main keyword will most likely be just what I said before ‘massage, your city’. It also helps if your domain name uses those main keywords. You domain name does not necessarily need to be the same as your business name. There is a little bit more to creating pages that I have outlined on my site www.thebodyworker.com

If you don’t know what it all means just know that if you are hiring a webdesigner or purchasing a premade website find out if the pages will be optimized for search engines.

The next part of the website is the content. You can get your website to the top of the search results for your keywords with search engine optimization. You can get them to click on your listing and read your content when you create a site that is about them- not about you. A good website needs lots of content. A basic 8 page website is a good place to start but it is just more of an online business card. What we need to do is start really educating clients about massage, what it does, how it works, what to expect, why they should be getting an hour and a half massage 2x a week (yes that much! I have two clients who have been doing that for over 15 year each. With regular clients like that you won’t have to keep marketing.)

Back to content… The standard list of the benefits of massage needs to have one page for every benefit or even a few pages. If that amount of content intimidates you just stop to think - you are probably already telling people this all day long. The thing about writing content is to remember that you are just putting down what you would usually want to say to people. Having quality content allows the reader to start trusting you before then even call for the appointment. It allows you to share your values and purpose and helps you find clients that share those too making for a better match. Working with people who are not your ideal client can end up being draining resulting in burnout, stress and even resentment. A successful practice will be full of your ideal clients.

So just start writing about things that you learned in massage school. Most people have little understanding of what massage is or can do. When I started telling people more about it, I attracted regular weekly clients. One of the things I always ask too is would you like an appointment for next week to continue working on that so and so.

The way to create your pages is to also be sure that you are focusing on your readers needs - not yours. A site that is focused on your needs goes on and on about your credentials, I did this, I did that etc. Content that is focused on the reader should feature “you”… You will experience, You will receive… You don’t have to live in pain. What will your service do for me ( the reader)? How will it make my life better? How will it make me feel about myself? People want to know what is in it for them. Put yourself in their shoes. Actually do this for yourself- go online and look for a massage therapist in your area. Who would you go to? The person with a few pages of flashy graphics or someone who will tell you more about themselves?

Keeping it simple and just teaching readers and potential clients how massage can make a difference in their lives is what having a website that works is all about.

You can read more about websites www.thebodyworker.com in the Creating a Website that works section.

Julie Onofrio
Founder www.thebodyworker.com

You may not have given much thought to the colours you’re using in your logo and marketing materials, but did you realise that colour can subtly communicate what you stand for, and the wrong choice can put people off?

A client of mine has made great consistent use of colour throughout her practice. Sonia wanted to use a lotus flower as the inspiration for her logo and web site. For the web site, I picked out a palette of purples and greens from photos, and her graphic designer used the same palette for brochures and business cards. Finally Sonia painted her new clinic in matching shades to create a wonderfully relaxing environment that you remember because it stands out from the crowd.

So, what are the best colours for a natural therapies business? If you’re working with a graphic designer they’ll be able to select a colour scheme to reflect your core philosophy. If you’re making the choice yourself, my recommendations would be to consider:

• Green. Green is a tranquil colour that is often used to represent healing, renewal and growth. According to Siba Graphics, green lowers blood pressure, relaxes the nervous system, and calms and soothes the mind.
• White. White is the colour I would recommend for web page backgrounds, and other text-heavy applications. It’s professional, and when used with black text makes the text easy to read. White symbolises purity, peace, and simplicity.
• Purple. Purple is a spiritual colour that is often associated with meditation and the higher self.
• Blue. Blue is often associated with medicine. Pale blue can be calming, whilst darker blue can suggest wisdom.

Generally speaking, muted tones create a welcoming, calming mood, whilst stronger tones are more playful and energetic.

Although using different shades of a single colour can produce a harmonious peaceful effect, you might want to spice things up with an accent colour. Go ahead and experiment, but don’t go crazy - choosing between 1 and 3 colours will ensure a more professional look.

As Sonia’s story illustrates beautifully, choosing the right colours and using them consistently allows you to create a lasting impression.

Happy Marketing,
Catherine
………………………………………………………………………………….
Founder, Soothed - web design & online marketing for natural therapists
Editor, natural bloom - sharing the inside story on holistic health

Some wonderful things are happening in my life.

As I am gaining more clarity and focus, I want to share what I have to give with even more people.

That is why you can start the Passionate Training today on a trust-based Pay-After-You-Are-Happy basis.

How it works?

With no deposit, no credit card details, no obligation, you can access the complete training and work through it.

If at the end you do not think it gave you any value, you owe me nothing.
If it worked, you decide what it is worth to you personally - and pay me that. It is totally up to you.

Check the details here.

I recently had the opportunity to review the work of Amy Roberts. She is a successful massage therapist and business coach to massage therapists around the world. I had known about her for a few years but only recently realised that we only live two hours apart.

We have not met yet, but are planning to do that soon.

Amy has generously agreed to let me review her entire suit of books and workbooks. The sheer volume felt a bit overwhelming in the beginning, but once I delved into them and worked my way through, I got really excited. Amy has put together a complete collection of everything you need to know to advertise your massage therapy business.

Marketing Preparation

Rather than just jumping into the advertising, Amy spends time discussing the foundation of a successful massage therapy business. Developing your vision and keeping a positive mindset are just a small part of what Amy offers. She also provides great insight into developing a clearly defined target market.

Advertising Samples

Amy’s ebooks give detailed examples of headlines, direct mail letters and whole ads. She explains why and how to use the different elements to attract clients. You are even free to copy the examples and use them in your own ads.

Do-It-Yourself Work Sheets

There is a multitude of questions and worksheets that help through the steps of developing your own advertising. One of the best is the “Business Checkup”. It helps to get a really clear picture of how you rank in your marketing approach and what to do to improve it.

The whole course is set out in such a way that you do not need any other professionals. I would still maintain the extra Dollars for a professional graphic designer are a worthwhile investment.

However, by working through Amy’s course, you have a precise proposal that cuts the necessity of professional input to a fraction.

To get more detailed information about what her course entails, see www.massagetherapymarketingsuccess.com 

Feedback

If you have worked with Amy’s ebooks (or any other massage marketing coach or books) leave a comment so we can all benefit from it.

We ran a competition at www.naturalbloom.com. It called for the best marketing and promotion techniques. Thanks to everyone who participated. The competition ended yesterday and I got to read the entries to judge what I thought was the best tip. Here is what I think:

Give your all to your clients: Quality, expertise and healing with love and presence. Word of mouth clients referred from clients who believe in you are the best.

This entry comes from Mitta from California. Thank you very much for this insight and congratulations. We’ll be doing a phone consultation in the next few days. Congratulations also to the other winners: John from the UK, Jean from the UK and Emma from Australia. All of you receive a free Passionate Training to help you move forward.

Why is it the Best?

You might wonder why I think this is the best tip. Very simply: it starts with the most important concept: the client. Giving the client everything puts total focus on creating value for whoever walks in the door. It steps away from the need to sell or the worry whether there will be enough clients.

That is the true meaning of marketing: providing that exceptional service. All other advertising and marketing tools are just supporting this one essential thing. And without the great service, nothing else will work.

So congratulations again and I look forward to our phone conversation.

I received an email last week from Angela one of my students. She has only been in business for 4 months, but is really taking a great professional approach. She allowed me to share what she does with you. Here is her email:

“I’ve purchased your training manual this week and am really looking forward to getting into it. As a massage therapist you’ve given me a more balanced outlook on my business so I’m ready to make some changes.

I send out an email and paper newsletter on a monthly basis to my clients and I was hoping that if you had some time you could have a look at it and possibly offer a few suggestions. If it’s not part of your service though then that’s OK.”

View the Smooth Massage massage newsletter sample.

It is fantastic how Angela uses informative and educational materials (that she does not all have to write herself). That gives the value to readers that should not be lost with any of these thoughts.

Focus on Results

My suggestions? That really depends on what you want your newsletter to do and what it is currently doing. Do you want to attract more clients? Do you want your existing clients to come back more often? Or is it more a thank-you for the clients that are coming to you anyway.

As with any marketing tool, you need to look at what you want from it and what it is delivering currently. Then it can be improved. What feedback are you getting from your clients? Are they commenting on it, on specific articles? Or don’t you ever hear anything about it?

Hooking the Readers’ Eyes

It is really well designed, stylish and simple. It might be worth adding a few more paragraph breaks and subheadings. Most people do not read from start to finish, but skip until something catches their interest. The more things you have in there to catch someone’s interest, the better.

Maybe you could subtly work in articles about the benefits of massage.

Build a Relationship

Or add something about you personally. People buy from people they like, trust and understand. You could build that relationship by sharing more about yourself. The things that are important to you, what is happening in your life, what is happening for clients (like testimonial stories).

Call to Action

Another possibility would be to add some special promotions. This does not have to be discounting. Instead you could package your massage with different things, possibly from other related businesses.

Or you could recommend other businesses and ask them to do the same for your, possibly pass on your newsletter.

It is absolutely fantastic that you are producing your newsletter and I am sure it will pay back for the time and money you put into it.

My main problem seems to be keeping the majority of clients coming for more than 2 or 3 visits.

Is there a certain phrase or seed that can be planted in their minds from the initial contact that will have them returning for week after week month after month?

Find out Why

As a first step, I would want to find out why they are not coming back.

• Have you healed them so well that they do not feel they need it?
• Are you doing something they don’t like (maybe become too familiar)?
• Do they feel it is getting too expensive?

How to find out? Call them and talk to them a certain time after they have been with you.

Take the Lead in Making Contact

Either they tell you something that you can change for the better. Or you might actually find that your calls result in many of your clients coming back.

Turn that into a system where you make contact in a variety of ways.

• send cards
• phone
• email
• send a text message

The Passionate Training has a section on how to set up that system.

Lock them in

Most humans are lazy. Taking action is an effort. So you need to take away the effort for your clients to come back.

Here are some possibilities:

1. Book them into the next appointment when they leave
2. Call them a certain time after their last visit, inquire how they are feeling, offer a new appointment
3. Book them into a recurring spot (e.g. Wednesday at 10am every fortnight)
4. Sell a pack of 10 appointments for a reduced price (payable upfront)

But the most important first step is to find out why they are not coming back. If there is anything you can learn from that to improve your service, you’ve gained a lot.