1. Tell people about them
Short Answer: Word of mouth is probably the best advertising a Massage Therapist can have. With something as personal as massage, sharing a real-life experience is the best way a therapist can reach new clients and spread information about what they can do.
More details: Reading reviews online are helpful, but nothing beats talking to someone who has actually used or experienced a service. If you see someone rubbing their neck or complaining that something hurts, share the love - grab a few business cards to pass out to friends, share what you know about the therapist, recommend them when someone asks. Some therapists even have incentives like discounts for referrals for new clients.
2. Buy their gift certificates for local donations
Short answer: Community groups, booster clubs, and more are always having raffles, auctions, and various fundraisers where they want stuff from local businesses. Consider purchasing a gift certificate from your favorite Massage Therapist to donate to the cause. You’ll be doing good for the organization and supporting the therapist simultaneously!
More details: Many communities do better when local groups support one another. Just about every community has some sort of fundraiser at some point during the year that relies on donations from members or soliciting goods or services from local businesses. Sometimes businesses don't donate because they can't afford to give things away, but if someone purchases something like a gift certificate and donates that to the fundraiser, it checks a lot of boxes to help everyone.
3. Be respectful of their protocols
Short answer: Cancellation policies, set hours, paperwork and arrival time requests - Your therapist sets some protocols and boundaries so they can run their businesses professionally, not to inconvenience you. Don’t fight them when they need to enforce a rule, they hate doing it as much as you hate the rule. Professional respect goes both ways.
More details: One of the biggest things Massage Therapists hate is having to be the "bad guy". Cancellation policies are often in place to protect employees that still need to get paid, policies and protocols are in place to make sure that laws and licensure requirements are met, clients stay safe, and the business can be run without the therapist driving themselves to destruction. If clients fight with them on policies, gives them a hard time on appointment times and availabilities, or more, it makes it that much more difficult for the therapist to run a business safely. A huge thing you can do to support your therapist is to treat them and their business with the same respect that you would want them to show to you.
4. Support them online
Short answer: A 5-star Google Review, a like, comment, or share on their social media post, a vote in a local magazine “best business” poll - with today’s digital reach, a small online interaction can help your therapist tremendously.
More details: As much as we don't want to admit it, we spend a lot of time online. Social media, shopping, and generally filling our time is all spent scrolling and clicking. Since the internet is such as big thing in our lives, it is often a big way that therapists can get the word out about their services, educating their clients, and building their clientele, and supporting them online isn't hard or difficult. Liking, commenting, and sharing on social media helps the ever-changing algorithyms so the therapists can reach new audiences and clients. Your good reviews online helps how they show up in searches and also helps validate that they are a good, hardworking, and professional therapist. Most onlne support that you can provide your favorite therapist costs nothing, takes practically no time, and - admit it - you are already online and looking at stuff - so take a second to help out your favorite Massage Therapist!
