
[Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.]
Here’s how the survey results ranked the 12 marketing strategies that I suggested:
- Choosing specific target market(s)
- Having a website
- Creating marketing materials (business cards, brochures, etc.)
- Being active on social media
- Delivering effective introductions
- Building professional alliances
- Networking
- Participating in public events
- Attracting publicity
- Blogging
- Public speaking
- Purchasing advertising
I also had a school owner send me her suggested ranking directly, which differed a bit from the survey results:
- Website
- Social media
- Choosing a specific target market
- Building a marketing schedule and brand messaging (she added this one)
- Purchasing advertising – but specifically to the right market with the right message
- Marketing materials
- Building professional alliances
- Blogging (and she would add understanding e-mail list building and sending e-mails)
- Participating in public events
- Networking
- Public speaking
- Delivering effective introductions
- Publicity
Your Thoughts…
How do you think these results match your real world experience?
Is there anything missing that you have used successfully?
Would you rank these activities differently? If so, why? (Keep in mind, these would be the suggested activities for new practitioners just starting to build their businesses.)
How did you learn your marketing strategies:
- In your training program when you were a student?
- From self-study?
- The Business Mastery book, perhaps?
- Through trial and error?
Sign up for our SMA Community Newsletter, where there will be an official survey for practitioners this month on this very topic. (When you take the survey, you get entered into a drawing to win one of our presentation planning kits—a $25.00 value!)
Or simply share your thoughts, and especially your marketing recommendations for new practitioners who are just starting out, in the comments below.
I think an endorsement is an EXTREMELY powerful method of marketing. I’m not talking about a paid one. I am talking about a testimonial that is taken to the next level. Here’s an example:
Years ago, a client of mine was interviewed for our local paper. The interviewer asked him about his favourite hobbies. He mentioned getting massages. That sky rocketed my practice because the readers thought something like “This guy must be good if he’s being mentioned in the local paper.”
If we as Massage Therapists can create opportunities like that, we can build tremendously successful practices.
Yes, absolutely! Endorsements, testimonials, client review of products, things like that are really terrific ways of promotion. And they are genuine and free!