Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/72343
LOG IN TO THE MEMBERS SECTION AT ABMP.COM TO ACCESS THE MEMBER BENEFITS DESCRIBED IN THIS TEN FOR TODAY! contact information is automatically entered into a database that you can then access to send bulk emails. The software can be programmed to automatically send out reminders of upcoming appointments, thank-you notes the day after the appointment, and other messages you deem appropriate. "You can request that if they liked the service, would they write a review, which can be posted to your Yelp profi le," says Patrick Behrens, cofounder of Full Slate. "You can also set up messages to go out at certain intervals if a client has not already scheduled another appointment. So two months later, you can send out a reminder on how to book an appointment. These automatic follow- up emails are a great way to stay in touch." ABMP members receive up to a 40 percent discount when they sign up for this service. 4. OFFER CLIENTS SPECIAL DEALS Everybody loves Groupon and similar online coupon services, because the deals they offer are so fantastic. But you can put together your own fantastic deal created exclusively for your clients, without the expense and potential overload of going through a coupon service. TheGiftCardCafe.com, for example, allows you to create your own special deals and discount services for whatever you'd like, for as long as you'd like, and send it to just the contacts in your client database. You might create a coupon redeemable for 50 percent off a one- hour massage, and make it available to the fi rst 10 people who respond. "It's a great way to drive business, but you're marketing to just your database of consumers," says Gregg Gottschling, founder of the company. 5. CREATE YOUR OWN MOBILE APP With a mobile app for your business on their smartphone or tablet, your clients can, in essence, carry you around in their pocket all the time. A mobile app can include such things as one-touch calling, GPS directions to your studio, and a built-in reservation form. Clients might also elect to receive push notifi cations, similar to text messages, which you can send out regularly to alert them to specials or bodywork-related news items. Not so long ago, the cost to create a custom application like this could run $10,000–$20,000. But now, companies such as Bizness Apps (www.biznessapps. com) can do it for you for as little as $40 a month for a single platform, or up to $70 a month for an app that works on iPhone, iPad, and Android platforms. "This really is a new and powerful technology," says Andrew Gazdecki, CEO of Bizness Apps. "It's a way to be in your clients' hands at all times, and to differentiate yourself from your competition. The number of small businesses who have custom apps is small right now, but it is really growing. It's creating a buzz." 6. EMBRACE SOCIAL MEDIA There are dozens of social media platforms out there, and one of the newest—Google Plus—could defi nitely give Facebook a run for its money. For now, however, make sure you're on Facebook if nothing else. tune in to your practice at ABMPtv 83