Have you wondered about how to integrate video into your business’s marketing? It used to be that video was a luxury—one that was difficult to afford—and somewhat cumbersome to load/watch. That is no longer the case, and with the popularity of social video apps like TikTok, Snapchat, Marco Polo, and Instagram’s Reels, it’s bound to keep growing. But how can you be effective when marketing for your massage business?

Why video? Here are a few noteworthy stats:

  • 32% of businesses reported using videos for sales in 2020

  • 50% of marketers report that they have used video in their marketing for over a year

  • 61% of marketers see video as a “very important or extremely important” part of their marketing strategy

Isn’t video marketing expensive?

First of all, it’s important to keep in mind the platform you plan to use to promote your video. If you’re creating videos for social or email marketing, you do not have to spend hundreds or thousands on perfectly polished footage.

Start with a goal

Like every other marketing initiative, you should start with goals for your video. Is your goal to build brand awareness? Generate engagement? Increase massage bookings? These are important distinctions and will inform how you move forward with your planning.

Goal #1: Build brand awareness

The goal of brand awareness is simply to reach as many people as possible (in digital marketing, the metric is called “reach”). To that end, we recommend videos that are timely, touching upon a current event or pop culture moment.

Resist the urge to try and “go viral.” Instead, just create videos that are relevant to your massage business and authentic to your style. Authenticity always shines through in a crowded space.

Five massage video ideas for brand awareness:

  1. Promote your affiliation with a community event (virtual counts!)

  2. Cartoons or memes (be sure to follow licensing guidelines and tag any artists)

  3. Flow chart: “Should I Get a Massage?”

  4. Infographic about benefits of massage

  5. Participate in a “challenge” on Reels or TikTok

Goal #2: Generate engagement

If engagement is your goal (if you’re trying to expand your network and reach friends of your clients, for example), you’ll want to focus on the shareable aspect of your video. Think of subjects that are likely to resonate with your audience or share a universal message from a relatable point of view.

Pro tip: If you plan to share your video(s) to Instagram, you might want to consider also using “Polls” or “Questions” to generate more comments.

Five massage video ideas for engagement:

  1. Working from home stressors

  2. Self-massage tips for necks

  3. Poses to effectively stretch a tight back

  4. Easy stretches to do at a desk

  5. Meditating for beginners

Goal #3: Increase bookings

Unlike engagement, booking videos should be about services, your facility, and yourself (or your team). These can be a little more of a “hard sell” and should be followed with an easy call-to-action, like a link to your website or your phone number to schedule an appointment.

Especially during COVID-19, you should also focus on safety protocols. For example, be sure to wear your mask if you are near people in your office while you’re on video, and feel free to highlight cleaning and distancing protocols.

Five massage video ideas for bookings:

  1. Tour of your facilities

  2. Highlighting a new product or favorite products you use

  3. Video testimonials from current clients

  4. You discussing a promo you’re running

  5. Reviewing your cleanliness & safety protocols

Get to know moving graphics

Not keen on being in front of the camera (or operating one, for that matter)? That’s OK!

Moving graphics can be your best friend for creating videos. GIFs play automatically on a social feed in a loop but do not have sound. MP4 files usually require someone to click “play” and are perfect for any video that needs to have sound. Tools like Canva make animating a still image into GIF or MP4 easy. After you create the image you want, you can simply click “Animate” and it will give you options to have the elements fade, swipe, or fly in.

Pro tip: If you do record a video and use music, be aware that it can get flagged if it’s not appropriately licensed. The best way to get around this is to simply skip the music or purchase a license to use it.

You really don’t need equipment to capture great video, but the right lighting and sound make all the difference. If your workspace is a little dark, step outside to a quiet, well-lit place. If you’re seeing great exposure and response from your first series of videos and want to regularly shoot them, a tripod for your smartphone, a ring light, or even an external microphone could be good investments.

Happy filming, everyone!