With the busy holiday season right around the corner, now is the perfect time to consider using seasonal marketing to boost your massage practice. Marketing based on seasonal trends or holidays is a creative and effective way to attract new clients and maintain relationships with your current clientele.
For example, during the fall season, you can market alongside the Thanksgiving holiday by showing appreciation to your clients with a 10-percent discount for each person they refer to you. Since we often spend holidays with our families, encourage clients to bond with a loved one and enjoy some pampering time together with a joint massage session. Take advantage of the spirit of giving that surrounds Christmas by offering gift certificates for sale, or announce that you are donating a portion of your massage proceeds booked in December to charity.
If you need some inspiration for creative seasonal marketing ideas, look no further than your nearest retail store. Retailers successfully use seasonal marketing throughout the year, hosting back-to-school promotions, summer sales and winter closeouts. In fact, if you offer retail products for sale to your massage clients, applying the seasonal concept to your marketing campaign is a must.
Here are six benefits of incorporating seasonal marketing campaigns in your practice:
1. Clients tend to spend more on services. The fall and winter seasons tend to be especially busy for massage therapists. People are more likely to spend more during seasonal celebrations, as well as purchase gift certificates or bring along a loved one for a massage.
2. Increased publicity. A seasonal promotion is an excellent opportunity to get press coverage for your practice. Send a press release to announce your promotion and include quotes from satisfied clients. Also, post the information on your website and social media outlets. You can make your event newsworthy by offering a contest for a free massage-to a hardworking dad for Father's Day, for example.
3. Consistency. When you commit to a seasonal marketing campaign, your clients know what to expect from you. They will look forward to taking advantage of your Mother's Day special each year, and they will become excited about the special bonuses and discounts you offer with each event.
4. A sense of urgency. By their very nature, seasons are temporary. Your clients know that the Valentine's Day couples massage special won't last until summer, and they will want to schedule their appointments right away to take advantage of the deal.
5. Predictability. Once you decide on your initial ideas, seasonal marketing doesn't require much inventiveness. You can reuse the basic themes for each promotion from year to year. This makes it easier to plan your marketing calendar in advance.
6. Increased referrals. A seasonal marketing strategy is a great way to attract new clients via referrals. Linking promotions and discounts to a special event or holiday is sure to generate some buzz about your practice. Satisfied clients will be happy to tell their friends and loved ones about a great massage experience with you.
If you've decided to start your own seasonal marketing campaign, here are some suggestions:
- Plan ahead. You need to create your marketing campaign well in advance of each event. Look at your calendar and note each major holiday. Brainstorm ways you can link your massage services to each event. Consider what discounts or specials you will run during that time, and think about the best ways to publicize your message. Aim to obtain some press coverage by injecting newsworthy ideas into your plan.
- Be creative. Don't just stop at the major, well-known holidays and seasons; of course, you will want to include Christmas discounts and New Year's resolution specials in your campaign. But also consider not-so-typical events like President's Day and Earth Day, as well as birthdays and anniversaries. Perhaps you can offer a massage featuring pumpkin-based products during Halloween, or a discount to military personnel and their families for Veteran's Day. Approaching seasonal marketing with ideas unique to your massage practice will help you stand out.
- Be prepared. Create a reverse timeline by working backward from the date of the holiday or season. Order business cards and postcards to give to customers, and print enough flyers to distribute. Give yourself some flexibility, so you will have enough time to gather the materials you need.
- Launch timely campaigns. Don't launch seasonal campaigns before the beginning of the season. Your clients may get turned off by seeing winter promotions in the heat of summer. You want to plan enough time to keep yourself in your clients' minds, but not so much time that they forget what you have to offer.
Creating a seasonal marketing strategy is a recommended step in building a successful massage practice. With a little creativity and careful planning, you can take advantage of natural life cycles to capture new clients and keep your current clients coming back.
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