Having a credible social media presence is vital for every business looking to stand out in their field, and this absolutely stands true for massage therapists. Social media advertising is a proven and inexpensive way to increase business traffic. This article includes 13 ways for established and growing massage therapists to improve their online presence for more bookings.

Don’t Just Open a Bunch of Social Media Profiles

Maybe you do not have a social media presence or maybe it is small; however, don’t open an account on every media outlet. This will waste your time and money, unless you have the extra time to spend on these social networks. Start with a couple of sites and spend time to develop your standing on each site.

Figure out Which Networks Will Work Best For You

One of the best networks for a small business like yours is to have a Facebook page. Facebook is one of the largest and well known social media sites on the internet. Your future clients are already on Facebook!

Create a profile on LinkedIn—great place to reach professionals. After all, professionals need massages too!

Other big social media sites include Twitter, Pinterest, Youtube, Yelp, and Quora.

Find Out Where Your Clients Hang Out on the Internet

You already have a pool of clients and of course you want to make sure they are following you. Ask them what their favorite social media sites are. Perhaps they are more interested in Pinterest, Youtube and Facebook than Twitter or Yelp. Focus on to the social media sites your clients are on as well as your target market.

Build a Virtual Community

As the name implies, social media is a virtual community. When you start to build your business on such platforms, make the effort to start a community. Some ways to do this are:

If on Facebook, “Like” pages similar to yours and “Like” pages of people you know.

If on Pinterest, “pin” things you like and be active in the community.

If on Twitter, “retweet” messages that align with your business.

These activities show you don’t just want people to come to your page and follow, it shows that you are an active member of the internet community.

Gather Contacts and Emails

Offer a small promotion or a newsletter and ask people to sign up with their names and email addresses. People love free stuff and they enjoy entering contests. You can grow your email marketing list when you make a big announcement or talk about a promotion.

Don’t Post on Social Media When Everyone’s Off

Just because you might be awake at midnight, doesn’t mean your clients and potential clients are. Make a quick posting in between clients during the day or make time for posting right before you open the store. If you’re pressed for time, take an hour and schedule out a week’s worth of social posts. Tools like Hootsuite make this easy. The goal of using these communication channels is to make people see your messages.

Content is King

Ever heard the phrase content is king? It is so true, but as a massage practice owner you can’t just post your hours and other postings related directly to you and your business and expect to get the attention of clients. You want to make sure you post almost every day. The kind of content people like:

Share massage benefits on your Facebook business page.

Post interesting quotes, facts, and articles on massage and massage therapy.

Post stories and other status updates from other local businesses.

Be Social

When someone asks a question or makes direct contact with you, respond back, even if it’s a simple “thank you.”

Host Online Only Events

Make your followers feel special by hosting events available only to the people who follow you. This could be a contest for a massage gift certificate or maybe some beauty care products.

Talk to Others

Social networking is all about socializing. If you like a supplier, make it known on their page. If you enjoy the restaurant next to your shop, highlight that through your social media business profiles.

Start a Conversation

Is the local sports team driving you nuts? Hop on to your Facebook page and ask your followers for their opinions. Engage with them in meaningful conversation. It breaks the ice—a conversation does not always have to be about massage.

People love Pictures

Everyone loves images. Share lots of real-time photos of your staff, yourself, your facility and post them for the world to see. If you’ve recently done a little redecorating, take some pictures and post them online.

Keep Track of Your Results

One way to do this is to see how many new followers you have and how many new bookings you received. If your business seems to be coming more from one media channel, focus a little more on that one and little less on the others.

As a massage therapist, the main goal is to expand your business. Yes, it takes a lot of work but a well maintained, highly visible online presence will put you and your services in the forefront of your follower’s mind which is exactly where you want to be.

---

---