Gift certificate season is in full swing!

As the clock counts down toward the end of the holidays, massage gift certificates make the perfect choice for those last-minute shoppers.

However, their impact goes way beyond those still scrambling to check off their shopping lists. Gift certificates are a great way to bring in new clients and income all year round too.

Here are 4 efficient, cost-effective ideas to help market your gift certificates through the end of December and well into the new year:

1. Make Them Eye-Catching

This one probably seems the most obvious, but advertise gift certificates with eye-catching displays around your office. Most people immediately think at the checkout register, but you can also position them next to products on the shelf or perhaps in a relaxation room. Imagine being at the height of post-massage bliss and then seeing a sign with “Gift This Feeling.” You’d immediately think of the person in your life who could use some R&R.

2. Partner Up

Gift certificates are great for brand awareness. If there are local businesses or even radio stations who are hosting giveaways, throw a gift certificate for your massage business into the ring. You know that you’re likely to get the business of the winner, of course, but you could also garner the attention of others simply by being related to the giveaway.

Psst… if you can’t find any partnerships, host your own giveaway! A simple “business card in the fishbowl to win a gift certificate” works in-person, or you can host a social media giveaway.

3. Offer Gift Certificates as Sweet Incentives

Referral business is a wonderful way to grow your clientele, so why not offer a gift certificate to people who refer clients your way?

The key is to tie it to revenue whenever possible.

For example, you can offer a $10-20 gift certificate for any client whose name is written down on a new patient’s intake form as a referral.

In addition, you can offer gift certificates as an incentive to review or recommend you on MassageBook, Google, Facebook and Yelp. When someone submits their review, enter their name into a giveaway and draw a winner at a regular interval.

Another option is to match someone’s gift certificate purchase during a limited time promotion. For example, for every gift certificate they purchase for someone else between now and Christmas, you’ll throw in a gift certificate for them too. This incentivizes them not only to come back soon but to buy more gift certificates for friends and family.

4. Get Creative

Consider current trends and insert your gift certificate promotion into that conversation.

For example, self-care, sleep deprivation, overworking, screen time and unplugging are all hot button topics right now.

How can you create a gift certificate promotion that discusses one or all of these? Simply create your messaging, tweak it for different platforms (like social, email and in-store) and execute.

Perhaps it’s about tiredness and the need to take some time for yourself. Maybe it’s about getting away from work during the holidays, taking a staycation and using this valuable time to unplug and recharge. Whatever you come up with, make it relevant and creative!

Need some help building your own custom Gift Certificate Promotions in MassageBook?

Watch how easy it is here!