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Toolkit # 8 Marketing and Promotion Part 2: Getting the Word Out

Creating Customized Marketing Tools(Originally appeared in the ABMP Successful Business Handbook, page 100.)

Spreading the Word About Your Business (Originally appeared in the ABMP Successful Business Handbook, page 92.)

Developing an Advertising Strategy(Originally appeared in the ABMP Successful Business Handbook, page 94.)

EveryBody Deserves a Massage WeekUse this annual event to spread the word about your practice and promote the benefits of massage and bodywork in your community. ABMP supplies PDFs of posters, coupons, and postcards you can personalize and print, as well as the opportunity to borrow a 3’ x 6’ color vinyl banner. To learn more, visit the Marketing Center inside the Members section of ABMP.com.

Customized Client Loyalty PosterLet your clients know you appreciate their continued support with this 8.5” x 14” poster. In the area provided, insert your name and/or business name, a brief description of your client loyalty program, and your contact information, or whatever information you prefer. To learn more, visit the Marketing Center inside the Members section of ABMP.com.

MenuClick on the red text or icons and you will

be redirected to the article or website

Article icon

Website icon

100 S u c c e s s f u l B u s i n e s s H a n d b o o k • ABMP

Marketing is the cornerstone of a successful business. Consequently, ABMP has developed several market-

ing programs specifically designed to provide individual communication with your clientele and new custom-ers. You can create your own customized four-page newsletters, tri-fold brochures, and website—free of charge. These ABMP.com features walk you through the process, step by step, to build these customized market-ing tools. To learn more, view the ABMP BizFit webinar Marketing Massage 101, archived at ABMP.com.

Create Your Own Client Newsletter

After you log in to the ABMP Members section on www.abmp.com, select Client Newsletter from the Marketing Center menu. Once you enter the program, type in your name, newslet-ter name, and business infor-mation into the specified fields, which will flow auto-matically into the newsletter template. (When you create more newsletters down the road, this information will be saved in your account, mak-ing for easy updates.)

Then, you’ll be directed to select a feature article and two supporting articles from a list, to create the bulk of the newsletter, pages 1 to 3. (You’ll be able to view these articles prior to choosing which ones you want.) Your chosen articles, including photos, will automatically flow into the appropriate columns. The top half of page 4 is yours to complete—add news or a coupon. Again, you simply type this information into the designated field. And the bottom half is designed as a self-mailer, so you can fold and staple the newslet-ter and send it off to your clients. It’s that simple. And because the Online Client Newsletter generator is avail-able through the ABMP Members section on ABMP.com, you can create it at your convenience.

Once you’re satisfied with your Client Newsletter, click a button to create a PDF file, which saves all the

pages and information as a single picture-like document. You then have the option to print it at home and make copies; e-mail or take the file on disk to a copy shop or local office supply store and have it professionally print-ed, folded, and tabbed; or post it to your website and e-mail a link to it. (You can also e-mail it as an attach-ment, but it will be a very large file, and in the age of computer viruses, many people are rightfully suspicious of attachments.) You now have a cost-effective means to reach out to your clients in a meaningful way, remind-

ing them it may be time to book their next massage.

Build Your Customized Brochures

You can also create custom-ized brochures by accessing the Client Brochures from the Marketing Center menu.Brochure titles include: “What to Expect During a Massage or Bodywork Session,” “Why Should I Get a Massage?,” “About Reflexology,” “Maternity Massage,” “Geriatric Massage,” and more. Make them your own by adding your business information and logo. As tri-fold pamphlets, you can down-load and print the PDF files, make as many copies as you’d like (remember: use quality paper!), and fold to create pro-fessional education materials.

Make sure these are available in your office and, like the Online Client Newsletter, don’t be shy about pass-ing them around the community. For example, drop off several “Geriatric Massage” brochures at various nursing homes and senior centers.

Establish A Professional WebsiteAnother great marketing tool is your own website

(see “Creating Your Own Website, page 103, for more information). Being able to provide clients with online access to your business information—location, hours, fees, services—as well as education about massage and bodywork is invaluable. You can also include links

By L a r a E v an s B r a c c i a n t e

By using both the Online Client Newsletter and Body Sense, you can communicate directly with your clients at least once every quarter,

providing them with perti-nent education and a remind-

er that a massage is just a phone call away.

Creating Customized Marketing Tools

ABMP • S u c c e s s f u l B u s i n e s s H a n d b o o k 101

to articles on ABMP’s consumer education website, www.massagetherapy.com, such as “Introduction to Massage,” “The Benefits of Massage,” “What to Expect,” or other more specific articles in the data-base, such as “Fibromyalgia: Getting Past the Pain.”

Don’t have a website? ABMP.com makes it very sim-ple for you to create one. And it’s a member benefit, so it’s free. Simply visit www.abmp.com and log in to the ABMP Members section. There you will find specific instructions for setting up both a website and e-mail account. The publishing tool for the website is easy to use and walks you through the process step by step.

Constructing A Marketing PlanUsing these tools together can help you establish a

sophisticated marketing plan throughout the year. The Online Client Newsletter content will be updated in July and January, at which time you can create your next edition. These publication dates strategically off-set the distribution of Body Sense magazine, another excellent client-outreach tool, published twice a year (spring/summer and autumn/winter). By using both the Online Client Newsletter and Body Sense, you can communicate directly with your clients at least once every quarter, providing them with pertinent

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education and a reminder that a massage is just a phone call away. Remember to use your e-mail as an easy way to touch base with clients, too.

Marketing pays off. It’s just a matter of making the time and getting the word out. To access these custom-ized marketing tools, simply go to www.abmp.com and login to the ABMP Members section. SBH

Lara Evans Bracciante is the director of infomation services

for ABMP.

Getting The Most From Your Marketing MaterialsA professional impression goes a long way.

Here are some tips to help you get the most mileage out of your Online Client Newsletter:

• Print your newsletter on quality paper. Regular copy paper, designated as twenty-pound paper, is adequate but doesn’t provide a professional punch. Consider a glossy fifty-pound paper to give your newsletter a little more substance. (Glossy papers come in recycled stock, as well.) Also, avoid brightly colored paper. White or off-white is best, providing a readable medium for both text and photos.

• Compile a database of client names, addresses, and e-mail addresses. Most word processing programs provide a label-maker application, so that you can create your database here and print the names onto labels. If you choose to e-mail, rather than mail the newsletter, your database will be ready whenever you are.

• Mail copies to your existing clientele, even if you haven’t seen them in several months or years. This may be just the prompt they need to book an appointment.

• Distribute copies to local businesses throughout your community, such as natural products stores, offices of chi-ropractors, doctors, acupuncturists and other alternative practitioners, and hotels—travelers are likely stressed out.

• Keep copies in your office. If clients didn’t already receive one, it’s nice for them to walk away with something after their session.

• Distribute it at health fairs and other community events. Getting the word out is the bottom line.

• Use the back page to include a coupon or special offer. Many times, people just need a little incentive to call you.

• Create a link on your website to a PDF of your Online Client Newsletter, so clients and potential clients can view it online. If you don’t already have a web-site, visit the ABMP Members section on www.abmp.com and create your own professional site in a matter of minutes.

• Make sure your website address is included in your Online Client Newsletter, along with your phone number and other contact information.

Creating Customized Marketing Tools

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Intimidated by the thought of introducing your prac-tice and its offerings to the community? Don’t be.

The prerequisite for success in this area is something you’re already good at: making one-on-one connections with people.

Practitioners often expect themselves to be super-human when it comes to public relations, but media types are simply looking for good stories. And the popularity of complementary and alternative therapies is familiar to even the most skeptical reporter.

WhoWhether you’re in a small town or big city, there are

a limited number of people who decide what stories make headlines. So start a list, by media outlet, and get to know who’s covering health-related beats. Oftentimes, for instance in a newspaper, there is more than one reporter assigned to health: perhaps one in features, one on the city desk, and one in the business department.

Don’t be shy. Network with the receptionist or do some research on media websites to learn who it is that’s looking for your message, then give them a call, or send them an e-mail. Tell them you’re a healthcare practitioner with possible story ideas and ask them whether they prefer to receive information via e-mail, fax, or snail mail. You may find your best resource is a savvy clerk or reception-ist. Get to know their names, special-ties, and deadlines. Send them copies of your client newsletter to keep your name and expertise on their minds.

WhatNow that you’ve established who

your contacts are, make sure you have something worthwhile to tell them. The worst thing you can do is waste their time with a pithy release or an overexaggerated story pitch.

The range of potential options is wide. Opening a new wellness center? That’s a small business story. Hosting complimentary chair massages for your area firefighters? That’s a local human interest story. Going to Thailand to

study massage? That’s a feature story.The Public Relations Society of America estimates that

55–75 percent of all releases hit the trash, so try some-thing different. People want compelling stories. Write them a letter that describes the nimble footwork of an Ashiatsu practitioner in your wellness center or introduc-es an achy firefighter who’ll take advantage of your free chair massages. Grab their attention and make them care in the same way you do—and be brief.

Place a call or send an e-mail to your contacts and ask them if they’re interested in a specific topic. And, very important etiquette: make sure you only query the story to one media outlet of its kind at a time. If you can make a connection with one television reporter, great. Avoid simultaneously pitching the story to some-one at another station. If you must, pitch the story to a newspaper and a television station. Oftentimes, they’re watching each other so closely that if one picks up the story, the sister outlet will follow.

By L e s l i e A . Y oun g

Spreading the Word About Your Business

ABMP • S u c c e s s f u l B u s i n e s s H a n d b o o k 93

If your contact really isn’t interested, go ahead and try someone else. If they’re borderline, give them more detail to get them excited about the story. Remember the basics, and furnish them with complete contact information and/or date, time, address, and directions.

WhenThe important thing is to have a peg and let the

media in before the action happens. Whether you’re trying to woo a television or newspaper reporter, you’re going to need something visual to add a dimen-sion to the story. So don’t waste time telling them after you’ve already had a groundbreaking, done those vol-unteer massages, or gone to Thailand.

And be realistic. Make sure you’re either tying your story to a particular date on the calendar, a story larger than yours (those chair massages would work well on September 11), or to a slow news time. A lecture on Thai massage at the grand opening of your sleek new office on election night will go virtually unnoticed. Most media outlets are looking for fresh subjects on the weekends, and Saturdays are typically slow days.

If a reporter said he was going to show up and had to cancel at the last minute, be gracious. Acknowledge the competition for space and time, and provide them a summary of the event. Suggest future story ideas with a little different twist.

WhereCultivating interesting local news is para-

mount to media outlets, and that works well for you because, as a holistic practitioner, your message is best spread at the communi-ty level. Turn to the committed staff of small, neighborhood weeklies. Post your polished, informative business cards and brochures on the bulletin boards at area health food and holistic grocery stores. Go ahead and utilize free circulation weeklies as well, but make sure your information isn’t published near the singles or “entertainment” ads.

Most print products have free event or topical calendars. Your job is to find out who’s in charge of those listings, when they publish, and what the deadlines are.

If you’re comfortable speaking, you may find yourself on a television or radio station program talking about complementary health

in the new millennium. You’ve acquired an area of exper-tise, even if it’s just about seeking an education in massage therapy. Be proud to share your insights and passion, and make sure you’re well versed with the subject matter.

HowOnce you’ve forwarded your message to your estab-

lished contact, feel free to place a follow-up phone call or e-mail to make sure it arrived safely and answer any related questions.

If you still feel compelled to send a traditional press release, make sure you use one side of a standard sheet of white paper. Again, be brief and make sure all the details are in place and they’re accurate. If a reporter makes a mistake because something was incorrect in your release, you’ve lost a contact.

Although elaborate press gifts do exist, most media outlets have rules against accepting such things (wink-wink). But reporters are human, and they have inter-ests. Chances are a health reporter would appreciate and use a water bottle with your logo or a workout towel with your insignia. Stay true to your mission: give them a handwritten note, nuts, or flowers as gestures of appreciation after a story, not chocolates or alcohol.

Exhibit the same integrity and passion for your message as you do for your work, and you can’t go wrong. SBH

Leslie A. Young is vice president of communication for ABMP.

She has more than twenty years experience in the media.

94 S u c c e s s f u l B u s i n e s s H a n d b o o k • ABMP

P revious articles have suggested a variety of gener-ally low-cost ways for marketing your services to

the public—working a prospect list, building a net-work, doing promotions, and generating public rela-tions. Advertising, another important way of getting information about your services to the public, tends to be more expensive.

For small and big businesses alike, the costs of advertising are substantial. Even so, the proliferation of media is evidence that most businesses find it cost effective to advertise their products and services in one or more medium, be it magazines, newspapers, televi-sion, radio, or, increasingly, on the Internet.

Yet, because of the costs involved, it pays to care-fully develop your advertising strategy and understand your options before making a media “buy.”

The first step in developing an advertising plan is to define potential customers in the geographic area served by your business. Find out what means of adver-tising will reach potential customers.

• What newspapers do they read?• What radio stations do they listen to?• Do they respond to direct mail?• Do they have access to the Internet?• What physicians or group practices do they visit?

Customize Your Plan And Budget To Your Market

Are you unique? Of course you are. And now is the time to sit down and list those personal qualities that define your practice. Once you have identified these qualities, describe how that uniqueness will benefit your

It pays to carefully

develop your advertising

strategy and understand

your options before

making a media “buy.”

Developing an Advertising Strategy

ABMP • S u c c e s s f u l B u s i n e s s H a n d b o o k 95

customer. The theme or image for your business should carry through in all of your advertising. It’s what sets you apart from competition and attracts customers.

Assess The CompetitionObviously you need to identify what other massage

therapists already serve your area. Learn how long they have been in practice, what specialties they offer, what they charge, and how they are perceived. Assess hon-estly how your services will compare.

When listing the benefits you offer, bear in mind your competition is not necessarily just other massage thera-pists. Your most serious competition is likely to be made up of pursuits that have nothing to do with your profes-sion. When you think about your advantages over the competition, be careful not to define “competition” too narrowly. Following are a few of the distractions you must compete against in order to win customers.

• Other things people do to relieve stress (see a therapist, work out, drink or do drugs, eat).

• Other things people do to relieve pain (other forms of traditional or alternative treatment).

• Other things people do to treat themselves (traveling, dining, visit-ing a salon, etc.).

Understanding the total scope of your competition will help you broaden the list of ways your service pro-vides better alternatives. The Media

• Newspapers. Reaches a large audience, has a short life span, and is relatively inexpensive, especially with smaller community papers.

• Magazines. Ads have a longer life span, but are usu-ally more expensive. Some magazines reach a more targeted audience than newspapers.

• Radio. A local strategy to reach a preselected audi-ence, demanding frequency to be effective.

• Television. Reaches large marketing areas but is expensive to produce and buy and limits you to brief copy. Local cable and public service stations can offer some respite on pricing.

• Alternative methods. Displays or demonstra-tions can be set up at community functions. Get involved in local organizations and network. You can also promote what you do with flyers on local bulletin boards.

• Trade show and exhibit participation. Participation in trade organizations (chamber of commerce) or local health fairs can give you visibility in your busi-ness field.

• Direct mail. A cost-effective way to deliver specific information to targeted groups of people. The success of direct mail is in proportion to the quality of your mailing list (see “Using Direct Mail,” page 109).

• Telemarketing. The telephone can be used to contact new customers or maintain contact with current clients. One of the major sins committed in business is working and spending diligently on new custom-ers, but forgetting to keep making smaller but crucial investments in customer relations.

• Telephone business directory listings. This is the most widely used form of advertising. Almost every person with a phone has a copy of a telephone busi-ness directory—whether it’s called yellow pages or something else. The value of directory listings is controversial in the bodywork community, princi-pally because legitimate practitioners have historically

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shared space under the massage heading with businesses providing sexually-oriented servic-es. One way to circumvent this problem is to buy larger ad space emphasizing the profes-sional and therapeutic nature of your servic-es. In many directory listings today, there are headings for therapeutic massage, differentiat-ing itself from relaxation massage.

• Webpages on the Internet. Setting up a virtual storefront on the Internet can be an inexpensive way to reach new customers. Locally-based content is the fastest growing part of the Internet market, and establishing links with the websites of like-minded health practitioners (such as a local integrative health clinic) can tap you into exactly the audience of potential customers you would like to reach. When composing your webpages, use words or terms that potential customers might use when searching for your services.

Pay attention to advertising and promotions that attract your attention. Try to analyze why they are successful in getting and holding your attention. Whatever message or media choices you select, your advertising should be of the highest quality and as professional as possible. After all, it represents you and your business.

The Cost Of AdvertisingAll promotion costs something. Advertising is

a necessary expense for establishing, maintain-ing, and expanding your business. The size of your advertising budget should be determined by long-range and immediate sales objectives.

Although the proportion of income spent on advertising varies according to the type of busi-ness, a rule-of-thumb amount is usually 1–3 per-cent of gross revenues. Advertising is not cost effective if the cost of the ads is greater than the resulting profits.

You also need to view your advertising costs as an investment in your business. Always remem-ber to make your advertising as cost effective as possible. It isn’t easy to segregate the results of any one ad, but keep an advertising response record and a publicity tracking record for your-self to help in this assessment task. SBH

Advantages Of The Specialized Practice

• Pricing power. A specialized practice will be able to

charge significantly more than the average bodyworker

because it is solving a specific issue. If you are pregnant

and you see a list of practitioners where four have the

same price and the fifth costs 25 percent more but

specializes in pregnant women, who will you go to?

• Word of mouth. You want your practice to come

to mind whenever two or more people are gathered

together. By specializing, you can do that. Any time

“problems with anger” come up in a conversation, the

Healing Touch practitioner who specializes in “problems

with anger” will undoubtedly get a mention as well.

• The competition goes away. You are no longer

competing against similar services. If you’re a reiki

practitioner, you are not competing against others

who do reiki. Instead, you compete against the people

who serve your target audience. If you’ve specialized in

helping people going through chemotherapy, then your

competitors are actually other drugs and herbs used to

counteract the devastating symptoms from the treat-

ments. Other reiki practitioners will be less threatened

and more likely to refer people to you when the topic

of cancer and chemotherapy comes up.

• Marketing is so much easier. Now you know exact-

ly where to go to find your prospective clients. The

intuitive energy worker who specializes in male models

goes to their schools, their catwalks, and their hang-

outs. She speaks at their conferences about how energy

work can help them become better at their jobs. She

joins their associations. She sponsors some lunches of

smaller groups. She becomes part of the scene.

Developing an Advertising Strategy