If you’re feeling intimidated at the thought of social media marketing for your massage business, keep in mind that it’s probably easier than it looks. Start by assessing your target audience and choosing the best platforms for you, whether you’re looking to improve established social media channels or just starting out.
WHY USE SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING?
Having a website is a good start, but social media marketing takes your visibility and credibility to the next level, and it lets you interact in real time with followers. You can share content and get immediate feedback while building up a client base by encouraging shares and follows. Social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter provide tools for businesses that help you promote your business (through advertising) and measure engagement.
KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE
You can’t connect with your audience if you don’t know who you’re targeting. Define your target market(s) so you can be clear about what you’re trying to achieve with each piece of content you share.
For example, if you specialise in massages for sports injuries, share articles about recovering from sports injuries and managing sport injury pain. If you’re targeting different audiences on each platform, be clear about who these consumers are, so you can tailor the content to the platform.
DEFINE YOUR BRAND
Your brand guides the content and messaging you share on your social media channels. It can help consumers understand what you stand for at a glance. Think about what your massage business is about in the eyes of your target audience. Your brand is likely to revolve around the problem you’re solving for the consumer, so it might involve concepts such as wellbeing and natural healing.
Don’t be afraid to inject personality into your brand. Sharing behind-the-scenes events, highlighting achievements, and sharing a day-in-the-life-of story are ways to add nuance and personality to your brand.
UNDERSTAND THE TOP SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS
Not all social media platforms are the same, so take time to understand the most popular platforms, their unique features, and the tools they offer for businesses.
Facebook – As the most popular social media platform in the world, Facebook has 1.86 billion users. You can set up a dedicated business page, post articles and other content to your wall, and check analytics such as views and likes.
Twitter – This microblogging site lets you broadcast messages and content in short snippets. You can track mentions, use hashtags to promote events and campaigns, and access its analytics dashboard.
LinkedIn – LinkedIn is widely used for business-to-business purposes, but you can use it effectively to raise your personal profile and highlight your qualifications as a massage therapist. LinkedIn could also be useful if you’re targeting corporate customers.
Instagram – Instagram is a highly visual platform where you can share photos and videos, track likes, view comments, and advertise with video and photos.
Pinterest – Pinterest allows you to pin, sort, save, and share videos and photos.
PROMOTE YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS
Don’t forget to promote your social media channels through your offline marketing efforts and with your website. Link to your Facebook, Twitter, and other accounts on your website.
Add URLs to your business cards, and highlight your social media accounts on brochures and other promotional materials. You will want to drive as many visitors to these sites so you can develop ongoing relationships with them.
CONNECTING EFFECTIVELY WITH YOUR AUDIENCE
Stay engaged by replying to comments, inviting feedback and discussion, and asking your followers for their opinions. Social media marketing should be social: rather than sharing only sales messages, at least half of your posts should be information, invitations to comment, and other types of engagement. The more useful the information you share, the stronger your connection with your audience will be. No more than 20% of your posts should be directly about your business.
Ideas for content include curated content from other sites that are relevant to massage, wellbeing, and health. You should also include some original content. Original content can be announcements, news, and events relating to your business, or it can be guest articles, an article about goals you have for your business, or how-to articles about massage.
You can also do interviews, write list-based how-to articles, share photos and memes, and engage audiences with surveys. Book reviews, product reviews, motivational messaging, and client stories are also excellent ways to engage with your audience through original content. Remember, you can curate content but adding original content into the mix enables you to establish trust and build brand personality.
FOCUS ON CONTENT AND CONSISTENCY
If the idea of managing multiple social media accounts seems overwhelming, remind yourself that it’s not complicated; content and consistency will help you build a strong following. You don’t need to have different content for each channel because you can share the same content across your social media channels.
ENCOURAGE YOUR AUDIENCE TO CONVERT
While the goal with social media marketing is to focus on sharing content rather than sharing only sales messages, make it easy for your audience to convert. Offer exclusive deals, discounts, and other specials on your site.
You can use plug-ins that allow your followers to book appointments directly from your page, or you could end shared content with a call to action that reminds your audience to visit your website and make a booking with one click.
USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO BUILD YOUR BUSINESS
Social media can be an effective way to establish a strong online presence for your massage business. Understanding your brand, exploring the different platforms, and sharing useful content are the starting points. By building up a large following on social media, you will have a substantial base of leads to tap into with offers and promotions.
