There is a lot of competition in the massage marketplace these days. Home-based practices compete with therapy clinics, which compete with medical spas, which compete with MTs working in chiropractic offices.
When massage franchises started opening their doors 13-plus years ago, some therapists worried that the competition would become too fierce, there wouldn’t be enough clients to go around, and they would quickly be put out of business. Yet, today’s consumer tells us something different. Consider this: 64% of US adults have never had a massage.* Of this group, research shows that over half* (which equals approximately 81 million adult consumers) are “somewhat-to-very-open to getting a massage.”
That sounds like opportunity knocking!

1. Be creative with how you reach the public during your EveryBody Deserves a Massage Week (July 12–18) events.

2. Promote yourself on Facebook and use your social media presence to its best advantage.

3. Make sure your business website, and its content, are timely, fresh, and focused.

4. Donate massage gift certificates to nonprofit causes; it brings in new clients and promotes goodwill recognition for your business brand.

5. Ask your regular clients to be your cheerleaders and reward them for it; client referrals are the easiest way to bring new clients in the door.

6. Make sure your contact information is updated on ABMP’s Find a Therapist referral tool at www.massagetherapy.com.

7. Determine your niche—is it new mothers, long-distance athletes, weekend tourists? How can you target yourself to that group?

8. Take advantage of all the tools available to you in ABMP’s Marketing Center. Log in to www.abmp.com today.