Marketing for prenatal massage ideas.... feedback desired

[Sweet P]

I've been thinking lately.... since I'm now ready to start building my own clientele (with my brand-spanking new room and all), I've been thinking on how to market my prenatal massage services. (Yes, this is the same person who originally said that she was *not* going to market her services upon getting back to work, but preferred to reply on word-of-mouth referrals. Things change. I'm still only going to work 2 days/week.)

One wonderful thing that has happened is I have connected with a photographer whose main clientele is pregnant women and their newborns (a little later on, of course). When she met me, she immediately asked if I did prenatal massage, so I do think of that "connection" as a WOM referral, LOL! Then *she* said "we need to see how we can help each other out".

I remembered my desire to make up my own brochures, and my frustration over being unable to find suitable (to me) images to include, so at our "one on one" meeting a few days later, I asked her if she'd be willing to barter a photo shoot for a massage. My reasoning was that if she was going to be promoting my services, she needs to know what I can do (she's not preggy so it'll just be a regular massage, but she'll get to know what my touch" is like), and I want good-quality photos of *me* massaging in *my room*, and this will also give me the ability to say "Look at these lovely photos she can do!" when I mention her services to others. So all we needed was a model at ~8-9 months; which I have FOUND, thanks to our local homeschooling group! Our photo shoot is scheduled for next Friday sometime. So then all I'll have to do is work on my brochure, which I'm hoping to have completed within the month. These images will also go on my web site ad blog.

Then on Wednesday, I went to a ribbon cutting for a local business and while they were unrolling the banner (I was at one end), all the way over at the other end there was this lady just *waving* at me. We connected after it was all over, and she turned out to be the lady who heads up this *huge* consignment sale twice a year. She'd gotten her hair cut since the last time I saw her. We talked about the sale that's coming up (she doesn't think that "me bringing my chair to do massages" would be worthwhile for me, and I concur), and I mentioned that I am, indeed, ready to start working again. She already knows I do prenatal massage, and she said that once I get my blog site up, to let her know and she'll put a link to it on her site and also see what else she can do to help me get going.

(*The blog: I don't recall whether I've mentioned this here before or not. I already have the domain name registered. I intend to have this blog separate from our business web site, but linked [of course]; this will be a place where I can share tidbits of [what I hope will be] interesting news, advice on pregnancy and birthing and parenting issues, healthy living, the benefits of prenatal massage, etc., simply drawing from my own experience with pregnancy, birthing, and child-rearing.) I plan also to have a similar blog site focused around the equine part of our business, and dh's and my past experience with horses.)

She also said that ~20 women in the MOPS group I went to a couple of times *last year* are currently pregnant; she wants to see if she can arrange for me to go and do a presentation to the group sometime. So that's another connection I have who is more than eager to help me build a clientele.

And then too, I've had another idea. We've all heard of "themed parties" of various sorts. What about a "massage -oriented baby shower"? I would create (with y'all's help to work out the details, please!) a package, or possibly a couple or three from which they could choose, that would include a gift certificate for the mom-to-be to come and get a full-body massage at her convenience, and I'd go to the shower and do short massages on the guests (and the guest of honor) during the event. (Not with the massage chair- I've given up on ever being proficient with that thing. I can do a great chair massage, I'm just no good at setting it up and adjusting it for different body sizes. But I'd prefer an idea I read about here: just having a chair where I can seat someone and then work on their hands/arms, or legs/feet, or head/neck/shoulders, etc..)

A step up from that idea might be a mini hand or foot scrub added to the package (Not sure how I'd do that in a public/many-peopled setting, but I'm sure you experienced spa folk could help me out there!).

And maybe another step up from there (what could that be?).

Perhaps the mom-to-be's gift certificate could be part of a "spa gift basket" where I could include other nice mommy-pampering stuff designed specifically for the pregnant woman (safe essential oils, perhaps one of my favorite and much-recommended books on a number of various possible topics, etc..)

 

[-X-Ellen-X-]

Marketing for prenatal massage ideas.... feedback desired

Bump? :grin:

 

[natalie.anastasakis]

Marketing for prenatal massage ideas.... feedback desired

Visit local OB/GYN offices (and any birthing centers, prenatal clinics etc) with your cards and brochures, so they can refer patients or at least let them know you are in the area. My own GYN sent me several prenatal patients after she found out I was doing massage.