A Crash Course in Branding Your Massage Practice

In this three-part blog series on branding, Attiya Abdulghany, a digital marketing consultant and CMO of Artichoke, shares advice on branding your massage practice.

Most solo entrepreneurs and small business owners decide to go out on their own for two reasons: they have a passion for what they do and want more control over the customer’s overall experience. Sound familiar? While amazing motivators for getting us off the couch and into action, the road to converting these intentions into reality is often much more complex.  

You know that you have an amazing product and an amazing experience to offer your potential customers, but you don’t know how to really stand out in the market. The answer lies in rock-solid branding.

No matter if you’re a business-of-one or if you’re all-in managing a massage practice, branding can (and will) make or break your business. In an industry so centralized around face-to-face communication and personal interaction, the brand that you create should be equally as personal, purposeful, and positive to keep customers coming through the door.

To help you along the path for branding your massage practice or small business, we break down the basics of what a brand is and how to craft the perfect one for your business.

Branding: a brief definition

Branding is a discipline of marketing that encapsulates the qualitative, unmeasurable, subjective, and somewhat intangible aspects of your business. In its simplest form, a brand is an image. In more distinctive terms, a brand is:

“A name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller’s good or service as distinct from those of other sellers. The legal term for brand is trademark. A brand may identify one item, a family of items, or all items of that seller.”—American Marketing Association

In this day and age, just about everything you come across has some sort of a brand influence. Take, for instance, the toothbrush you use in the morning, your favorite massage products, or your favorite brand of water; branding is one of the largest, often subconscious, influences in these everyday purchases.

Why you should care about branding

In layman’s terms, branding is the main reason why consumers choose one product or service over the other—Coca-Cola vs. Pepsi, Ford vs. Toyota, Apple vs. Android. A good brand strategy is designed to help your potential customers quickly identify your business and give them a reason to choose your services over someone else’s.

The end objective? Attract and retain loyal customers by creating an attractive brand, and then deliver on that brand promise with your products and services. You can also consider taking the ABMP course for website creation, which is important to marketing your brand online.

What’s in a brand

Brands are comprised of dozens of elements, with the world’s most recognized brands encapsulating hundreds of elements. But you don’t need to be the next Massage Envy to get a jump on your competition and develop an unforgettable brand.

As it relates to any massage business, here are just a few factors for you to consider.

Visual Elements

  • Logo
  • Imagery and artwork associated with your businesses
  • Color scheme
  • Fonts

Physical Elements

  • Curb appeal of your practice
  • Location of your practice
  • Uniforms

Customer Experience

  • Pricing structures
  • Quality and variety in services offered
  • Quality of add-on services, product recommendations, etc.
  • Ease-of-use in booking an appointment

Content Elements

  • Tagline
  • Tone and polish associated with all written documents, including receipts, website copy, emails and more

Stay tuned for part 2: "Creating the Perfect Brand for Your Massage Practice."

Category: 

News

Arizona Repeals Communication Proficiency Tests

The Arizona legislature adopted House Bill 2012, which eliminates the requirement for the State Board of Massage Therapy to establish communication proficiency requirements for applicants applying for a massage therapy license.

Texas Proposes New Massage Therapy, Barber, Cosmetology Rules

The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation proposed rules that affect massage therapy. The rules are necessary to align the dishonored payment processing fee with statutory requirements, add additional rules regarding complaints, and revise the processes and procedures for contested cases. Submit comments in support, or opposition to, the proposed rules before April 3, 2023.

Blog

Join ABMP at the Premiere Orlando Show

ABMP at Premiere Orlando

ABMP is thrilled to partner with Ann and Lynn Teachworth of Trunamics to offer two CE courses in the massage therapy track at Premiere Orlando, June 3–5, 2023.

Veterans Report CST Can Help with PTSD Symptoms

CranioSacral Therapy and PTSD

CranioSacral Therapy (CST) is a gentle, hands-on treatment modality that releases tensions deep in the body to relieve pain and dysfunction and improve whole-body health and performance.

Benefits

Podcast: All Islands Meet Underwater

On this episode of The ABMP Podcast, Doug Nelson and Jennifer Crozier discuss why opening a massage therapy clinic is a viable career path and how community relations are the best marketing strategy.

Podcast: Knowing Expectations in the Work Environment

In this episode of The ABMP Podcast, Nate Nordstrom and Carrie Wiedemann from Hand and Stone Massage and Facial Spa join Kristin and Darren to discuss knowing your expectations in the work environment and how open communication during an interview can help set the tone during your tenure.

Please note: We have recently updated our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Learn more...