Marketing to college students

[Agent: Yip]

Does anyone who lives in a college town market to students? How did that work for you? I can see how it may bring in some money but I keep imagining no-shows and the like.

I live in a large metropolitan area with nearly a dozen colleges and Universities nearby.

 

[Eat Beef!]

I'm curious about the same thing... I'm close to two large campuses. Ever since I started learning massage, I've wanted to be able to market to students and offer a student discount at some point, especially around midterms and finals, or maybe coordinate with the universities' health centers to set up chair massage.

 

[rockerchick82]

The university of WI is in our town, so we have about 10,000 students here. I have not done much with the students, other than chair massage in a sorrority house for one of their special events. It can be done......but remember, they aren't called starving college students for no reason!

My target market is the elderly, so that is a big chunk of why I don't bother advertising specifically to students.

I've had several faculty and staff members as great clients.

 

[Pompal 09.]

From my experience, college students dont come in unless mom or dad has paid for the session. Mind you, my college students get massage when they are visiting home, so I couldnt tell you about students who live on campus. I have never seen one of those!

College students always seem to be broke.

 

[Miss Blue & Riley too.]

While I was living in Alabama I was contracted by a student union at a local university to come and provide chair massage to students for two days during a weekend. This was during the end of finals week.

The massage was free to the students (10-15min incriments) but the student union paid me what was fair for the time. So, instead of just setting up the chair and charging students--what about contacting one of the students union groups (or group) and seeing if they want to host something similar?

 

[intrigued]

Opinions from Both Sides of the Tracks

As a returning traditional college student who's an MT (took time off to pick up the trade!) I can honestly admit that it's an interestingly difficult market. Yes, Rose of Sharon is TOTALLY right: we aren't called starving college students for nothing. Money is absolutely beyond tight...BUT what seems to work well is $1/min. massage.

If you have a chair, it's even easier; for those of us, however, who still have (just) a table, strike offers with organizations looking for a creative incentive for meetings/events as well as the student center with "programs" that can be pre-purchased and/or paid for by the minute.

Best of luck to all of us!

~ACharlton

 

[st.]

I live and work in a medium size college town and we actively market to college students. Yes, we do occassionally have problems with an irresponsible student not showing or being very late. BUT, overall, I feel the student market is lucrative. We have several students that we see 2-3 times a semester. Usually before the semester start, mid terms, and then finals. A lot of times, these students are paying for their own massages - not mommy and daddy. We have found that it is best to target nursing and kinesiology majors as they seem to be more body conscious. However, we do keep an ad in the student newspaper that runs once a week and is distributed to students, professors, and faculty.