Need a massage advertising idea that is free and easy to do?
Put a picture with a caption on your Google My Business (GMB) page using your cell.
When I was scraping along as a massage therapist, I used to think that if only I could get in front of potential clients I’d win a percentage over and have all the clients I could possibly want.
And you know what, I was right (yeah, I surprised myself, haha). By the way, operating now during Covid-19 doesn’t mean you can’t acquire clients. You just need to do the best job you can screening clients. (Here’s a Covid-19 screening questionnaire.)
Groupon seared this numbers game concept into my brain.
Before my Groupon experiment I had an okay practice. It was enough to pay the bills, but clients weren’t coming out my ears.
I ran the Groupon, testing the idea that more customers coming in would translate into more repeat clients because I would convert customers to clients at a specific rate.
And I did—about 15 percent.
I need to mention that until you see the conversion rate working, it can be discouraging.
Why?
Because your first conversion may be your 30th customer. Remember the conversion rate is an average.
But here’s the upside of relying on an expected conversion rate: It can also help you to keep putting one foot in front of the other.
How so?
When that 10th customer doesn’t come back because she can’t actually afford your massage, you know that the 11th or the 12th or the 13th customer could be your next repeat client because statistically you know that your conversion rate will be somewhere around mine with Groupon and much higher with referrals.
Which brings me back to putting pictures on your GMB page: It’s part of an advertising process that will bring in more customers for you to convert into clients.
The difference between Groupon and GMB customers is that GMB customers are not necessarily looking for a deal, which could make for a higher conversion rate. (I don’t have any stats on this yet.)
Adding a picture to your GMB page may seem like small potatoes in terms of bringing clients in, but it’s much more than that.
An Easy Massage Advertising Idea
1. If you add a picture to your GMB page weekly, you’re establishing a weekly marketing behavior.
Overtime that behavior will turn into a habit.
Not a bad thing, especially since we, massage therapists, are not marketers by nature.
2. Adding a GMB pic is an easy entry point for marketing.
What could be easier than putting a picture on your GMB page?
Nothing.
3. GMB pics are part of a bigger GMB marketing strategy.
The big GMB marketing strategy is this: Do everything Google tells you to do with your GMB page so that you check all their boxes and make Google happy since Google is responsible for GMB ranking in a local search.
What’s a local search?
This is a local search:
You want to be in the top three so that no scrolling is needed.
4. By deciding which picture to take and adding a caption to that picture you’re forcing yourself to exercise your marketing muscles.
Besides being an easy way to exercise your marketing muscles, it’s fun, too.
5. Adding pics will make your GMB page look better than your competitors.
Why a potential customer calls you after looking at your GMB page and not a competitor probably can’t be boiled down to one thing.
It’s the gestalt, the totality of experience.
Pictures on your GMB count towards that totality.
6. Putting a pic on your GMB page builds your marketing confidence.
Want an instant feeling of marketing competence and satisfaction?
Take a pic and put it on your GMB page.
7. Pics on a GMB page are free marketing.
Free is good, especially when you’re starting a business or trying to grow an existing business.
Free is not good when it’s complicated.
Adding a pic to your GMB page is not complicated, and I’m going to show you how to do that right now.
Put A Pic On Your GMB Page
First, if you haven’t claimed your business on GMB, go here.
Fill out your basic information.
Next, get the Google My Business App for your phone.
This is where the fun starts to happen at work.
Below is my step-by-step (there’s a video tutorial at the end of this article if you’re more of a video-kinda-person).
1. Take a picture.
Of what?
Look around the office and start to think about what might be important to show a client.
Here are some ideas: the massage room, an intake form, a client (if the client is willing to have her/his pic on your GMB page), things you are doing to ensure that your room is as Covid-19 safe as possible, front entrance of the building, your sign, or special oils you may use.
Got your pic?
Okay, next you are going to…
2. Open your GMB app on your phone.
3. Click + Post.
4. Click “Add photos/videos”.
5. Click in the box that says “Add photo or video”.
6. Click “Choose from gallery”.
7. Choose your pic.
8. Then click in the “Add a caption” box.
Why am I making you add a caption?
Because it will help you exercise your marketing muscles. Yes, you have marketing muscles. They just need to be pumped up.
A caption needs to be engaging. Being informative can be engaging. So, can being funny.
Funny? I’m not Chris Rock, Mark.
Not stand-up funny. Funny as in a chuckle or a smile.
Yeah, we can squeeze the stress out of this muscle.
This pic below is an informative pic and I’m targeting the people who accept a certain level of risk with getting a massage, but are hesitant to go to someone they haven’t worked with before. I want them to understand that we’re trying to mitigate all risks that we can affect on our end.
Couldn’t be easier, right?
Just add a pic to your GMB page after you’ve disinfected and are waiting for your room to air out.
Here’s the video tutorial:
Every week I’ve got more tell you about safety and making massage money during Covid-19. If you want to know when my next article is out, jump on my email list. It’s free:-)
Need Help?
If you want to work with me to get your business off the ground, the easiest and cheapest way is to sign up for the Accelerator Program.
It has the GMB plan that I used to build and grow my business. It also has my referral building (word of mouth) plan as well as all of my free (or very low cost) tactics for building a business using strategic effort rather than paid-for advertising.
Lastly it has me in it–3 months of email support. Email me with any questions have you and we’ll get it done together.
Accelerator
