Massage Marketing Rebellion

A call for support: San Bruno Explosion and Fire

Just a request for thoughts and prayers for those affected by the PG&E explosion and fire in San Bruno, California. I witnessed the initial fire ball from three cities away and knew immediately every agency in the area would have their hands full for days to come. The size and ferocity of the initial explosion and ongoing inferno was unspeakable . . . just mind boggling.

The local mood is somber and bewildering. It's hard to take in the enormity of what will be necessary for recovery. The Red Cross is requesting financial donations and I am asking for thoughts and prayers.

This is emotionally difficult to contain, and brings up memories of the 1989 earthquake, the Oakland Fire Storm, and the devastation of the Twin Towers September 11th attack.

My heart goes out to the victims and families of, a community in a state of emergency, and all who will suffer from the deaths, injuries, loss of property, and psychological and emotional devastation.

For the rest of you, be well, be safe, and be grateful. Life is precious and fragile.

Best to you,

~ B ~

Massage Marketing: Educating the Educated?

College Trends

A Blog reader comments:

I've been a massage therapist for 20 years and am 52. Need a fresh name for my business and now would be a great time as the move is to another town and it is a college town. Would you be willing to give me some potential ideas of what is trendy with the younger generation in this area?

My response:

A business name is like a key to a door, but before we go there, which door do you want to open?

A trendy name is probably less important than a  name chosen to speak to your niche market.

Are college students your market? Or, is the college township your market?

Some things to consider . . .

At a glance there are several trends among college students that could create in-roads for massage practitioners.

From a health perspective, mental stress and exhaustion are two of the top four health complaints amongst college students nationwide. This certainly implies a need, the question is, is there a market for massage? We’ll discuss this more in a moment.

Another factor to consider is that college students today are more aware of health issues like obesity and transmittable disease so they tend to be more health conscious than previous generations.

When you consider technology, this age of student will have the highest level of tech savvy ever! Perhaps this reveals a clue to the most effective way to reach them as an audience, yet challenging one to connect in a way that translates to massage dollars.

Due to the accessibility of information through technology, these young adults are also more likely to make educated decisions through multiple resources at the speed of a text message or smart phone.  So you’ll have to appeal to them with concrete information and believability.

That said, there’s much to consider. Is there a market?

Do you come at them from a youthful attitude and sell “chill” session that end with a cold organic drink? Or do you catch them at sports events with your massage chair in tow?  Do you reach them with a brown bag lunch education, or work with the college entrance program to promote the health advantages of implementing a stress management plan?

The thing that is most likely to snag your efforts is that excess cash is not a common commodity with this age group so you may have to approach, educate and sell their parents emphasizing the health dangers of this age, and getting them on-board with strategies to bring their child through with well balanced life skills.

On the other hand, you may want to reach the service market around the college and simply offer a student discount to fill in your slow hours.

As far as business names go, it may be more effective to choose a name that ties into your web presence, domain name or search terms that trigger search engine spiders. It's actually less important what you call your business, than how you get your name in front of your market. On that note, know that getting customers to find you the first time is not as difficult as making it easy to find you the second, third and fourth times. (I have an upcoming article on domain names that might be worth reading so watch for it.)

This would have me researching what they read, where they hang out, where they shop, and even where they go online.

These are just a few ideas. I’d like to thank you for your comments and questions, and for the opportunity for a new look at the changing market of massage.

If you'd like to brainstorm further contact me at rebelmassage@yahoo.com

Massage Marketing: While Branding About

So what are the ingredients in a brand?

Let me count the ways . . . wait . . . I can't count that high.

The multitude and plethora of possibilities boggles, how 'bout we keep this simple and let your brand reveal itself. In fact, I'll bet if you asked your customers to, they could describe your brand. And, you doubting Thomas-es should ask, you might be surprised.

The truth is you've been branding about all along. The color of your sheets, the quality of supplies, the environment you create, the vehicle you drive, the media you advertise in, the clothes you wear, the niche market you chose and even the market that chose you.

Modality and style are a brand, and so is your locale or the fact that you have multiple locations. You may not have branded consciously, but you have a brand.

Big corporations with buckets of R&D funds are able to drive their brand down our throat, but massage therapists generally don't have that kind of money.  And, even though corporate branding can be obnoxious, they do the research necessary and ask the questions needed to identify what it is that their customer relates to.

A more potent question is not how to brand, but how to brand consciously, with strategy, clarity and consistency?

The trick is to flush out the pieces of your creation that are working, creating interest, and minimize the pieces that are not, then highlight and sell, (read that: point out with confidence and pride, and share your story), your brand.

That last part is where you communicate what's working by saying out loud, in print, by behavior . . . this is what I do, and this is what you can expect.

Basically your brand is a combination of things you do or the way you present your massage business and values.

Want a simple start to branding? Give your massage business a consistent professional look.

• A Logo
• A web location
• A look
• A color scheme
• A uniform
• A story
• Values
• A mission
• Community Interest
• A project
• A friendly 2-way method of communications
• An assessment process
• A feedback process
• Personal Interest or challenge to share
• An expected sequence of events
• Repetitive Advertising
• Cross Marketing with related/representative themed businesses

It actually boils right down to what you wear, how you speak, where you do your business, and what interests you hold as a person. Truth is the best brand is an honest brand. That means you consistently present your values in a way that makes people like you, your work, and what you represent.

It's one of the reasons that it's so important to be natural and to continue to develop both personally and professionally.

If you don't know what your brand is, you may give confusing messages to the public and your potential customers. This is by no means a judgment of character . . . yet it is an opportunity to get conscious of what message you deliver while branding about.

If you have questions that I can help you with, respond in the comments so we can all learn together!

Best of success to you,

~ B ~

rebelmassage@yahoo.com
http://www.massagemsoi.com
http://massagetrend.blogspot.com

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