What is the difference?

The first most obvious difference is that a spa has more money to invest into marketing. The individual massage practitioner is on a tighter budget.

But the biggest and more important difference is the way, relationships are formed.

Spa Marketing

A spa needs to develop a strong brand.

The team changes, employees come and go. It is therefore important that a relationship is built between the client and the brand of the spa.

What is brand? On the surface it is the logo and name. It is the presentation of the spa in all advertising material.

However much more important and deeper than that, it is all that the spa stands for. For example one decision that is reflected in the brand is whether the spa wants to provide high quality or a quick service (with no waiting).

That needs to be reflected throughout the experience of clients. How are they welcomed? How are they treated (personal or as a number)? Do they have their personal massage practitioner or are a range of people providing different services?

Any brand attracts certain clients. So the better the brand of a spa reflects its clients, the better it will do. And the more consistent it is, the better will the right clients be attracted.

If you want to know more, try this blog on spa marketing.

Massage Marketing

An individual health practitioner needs to develop a strong network.

In a way, the brand is you. So the better you are able to reflect your true self, the more happy you will be with your work. And clients will notice and refer.

Because of that, networking is so essential. It is building strong relationships within your community. Not to get everyone as a client, but to have people who know and respect you for who you are. I have written on it in The Best Way to Promote Yourself.

So even though spas have a bigger marketing budget, individual massage practitioners have a much easier way to promote themselves, by just being yourself and connecting with people.

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Do you think it’s worth running a natural health ‘open evening’ to discuss health issues and as an aside promote my practice? I’m a massage therapist, reflexologist and Reiki practitioner.

Hannah, that is a great idea and it is very much worthwhile.

Here are some things to think of:

• Plan it on an ongoing and consistent basis
  Running evenings like that as a once-off might not bring the results you are looking for. Over time, people get to value them and tell their friends.
• Give your participants value
  They need to leave, blown away by what they have learned and how that has positively impacted on their lives. (Could just be emotional support to deal with a specific long-term problem, does not have to be a quick fix).
• Target your market well
  Choose topics that you can help with and let the people you want to treat know. As an example if you work with older people, hold the evenings in retirement villages.
• Invite your friends
  A bigger group is always more exciting for the participants. The networking they do can be a benefit as well. Also, having the support of people who love you helps.
• Invite other complementary health practitioners
  Guest speakers can deepen the conversation.
• Use it for PR
  Remember the post about creating newsworthy actions.

Something else to consider is whether to charge for these evenings or keep them free. Free might bring more people, but they might not value it as much.

I ran events like that for health practitioners, talking about different marketing topics. I charged $5. Looking back that was too little, because it did not translate into direct sales and gave a lot of what they wanted already.

With a harder sales approach (e.g. offering a discount if they purchase something that evening) it might work. I don’t use that because I do not think that it builds positive long-term relationships.

So if you do not expect quick sales, but want to build your network long-term, it is a great way of achieving it.