Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/72195
'ROUND THE TABLE Please e-mail your 'Round the Table submissions (200 words or less) to darren@abmp.com. Submission does not guarantee inclusion. Also, due to space constraints, your material may be edited. UPCOMING TOPICS Tell us about a specific person who has influenced your bodywork career and why. How do you bridge the gap between holistic therapist and entrepreneur? Why did you become a bodyworker? DEADLINE October 15 PUBLICATION DATE January/ February 2009 December 15 March/April 2009 February 15 May/June 2009 I have found that word of mouth is by far the most effective way of gaining new clients. I think this is true for most industries and think it is especially true for us as bodyworkers, since what we provide is such a personal service. Beyond growing my practice through referrals, my best marketing tool has been cross-marketing with other professionals. We give each other gift certificates to give to each other's clients. I offer my gift certificates in the form of complimentary 30-minute massages. Most people end up booking an hour and buy a massage package after the session is over. Then, they send me referrals. It's a win-win for everyone involved. KATIE PHILLIPS NOVATO, CALIFORNIA Our best marketing tool is video. Everywhere you turn there is video of something or someone. Massage therapists are kinesthetic by nature. Secondly, we are visual. It makes sense to combine these strengths and market ourselves with a video-based initiative. The first step to creating dynamic video is to determine your needs. What's your message? List everything you want someone to know about you and your practice/business. Most people think they can get in front of the camera and ad lib; it's a little more difficult than what you think. Play it safe and write it out. The next step is the videography. We recommend you hire a professional. We shot our first DVD four years ago and bartered with a videographer. On shoot day be ready to go; time is money. Prior to shoot day, choose your location; no busy backgrounds. Take a video camera, look through the view finder. This will give you a general idea of how your video is going to look. Then comes editing. This can get pricey. Investigate video schools in the area; many times local colleges offer video production classes. The finished product should be in a format that you or your webmaster can upload to your site. Video isn't just for websites. Create a DVD of services and looping video to be played in your waiting room. Short clips can be downloaded from your site to an iPod. JANE IRVING AND THERESE JENNINGS CASTINE, MAINE When analyzing and reviewing the marketing I have done for my business over the years, word of mouth continues to be the primary way people find me. I, therefore, spend very little money on outside marketing, but instead invest in each client. Whether I see a client just once or once a week, I strive for each person to leave his or her massage session feeling valued, heard, and hopefully, less stressed. MARYANNE GILBERT GOLDEN, COLORADO My best marketing tool has been working with the local chamber of commerce. It gives me an opportunity to meet the business people in my community. My website is connected with the chamber, so people in the community and people moving into the area can easily find information about me and my studio. LILLIAN QUANDT SUN PRAIRIE, WISCONSIN A good website that actually shows up in the search engines is an invaluable tool for any therapist. If you can use some simple techniques to rank number one for "massage therapist in your town," you're way ahead of the game. JON CAMPBELL SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA My best marketing tool to date has been word-of-mouth referrals from satisfied clients. I also create quarterly newsletters and have Body Sense magazines to hand out. My clients love getting something to take home with them. KIMBERLY ROGERS WAUPACA, WISCONSIN 32 massage & bodywork september/october 2008