Marketing

Hang sign on the door, 

show up at the correct time, 

The myth of easy.  

It is supposed to be easy. According to school, if marketing is covered at all, it should be easy. Once you get a client, they will talk about how great you are to all of their friends, and those friends will schedule appointments, and before the week is out, the calendar will be full of strangers seeking massage. Easy. 

Except it does not work that way. Or, rather, it is not wise to assume it will work that way. 

Word of mouth is important. There is no more powerful advertising, really. Unfortunately, it seems people do not actually talk about the great massage they just got. And those that do, may or may not be talking to someone who is in the market for a massage. One of the secrets to massage therapy is that it is very much a matter of individual taste. 

I am very very good at what I do. I have a wide variety of skills, I am well trained in techniques both subtle and deep, I am strong and attentive. None of which means that every single person I see will respond well to the massage I give. Finding the right massage therapist for every individual is a challenge that cannot be underestimated. And it is not something that is well discussed. But the reality is, massage therapy is very much about finding the right individual to address the specific needs and concerns of each person. I am very good at what I do, and I work hard to expand the breadth and depth of my skill set (that is, learn new techniques, and practice the techniques I already have; mastery means is a very long road indeed). I still recommend other therapists, who practice other techniques and styles of massage, to specific clients. One size does not fit all. 

In the modern age, we have review sites, such as Yelp! Which is, in some ways, taking  the word of mouth idea to a larger audience. I have a number of reviews, from people who are very happy with what I have done. And those reviews have, over time, brought more people to my studio. I think a large part of that is that I try to be very clear about what kind of massage I do. I am provide therapeutic massage. Whether I am using techniques subtle (such as Cranio Sacral) or deep (such as passive stretching), the goal of my massage is to address specific concerns. I want and work for my clients to feel better at the end of the massage, for the massage to feel good. But I believe and practice the idea that it is not enough to feel good in the moment. I work to repair and release long held tensions, so that the good feeling of the massage lasts for more than just a few hours or a day. 

Of course, Yelp only works for people who look at it. And their business model includes selling advertising space, for other massage clinics and practitioners on my business page. Which causes some amount of confusion, in my experience. So, I have a website, a blog, Facebook, Twitter, Google+. Daily posts and emails reminding people that I am here, waiting and eager and ready to lend my skills to solving your problems.
And, I have specials. Checkins via Yelp!, my weekly Tuesday "Wear a Kilt, Get a Discount" deal, and others in the works. Watch this space for more information, coming soon.
The work of Massage is not Massage.