Massage Therapy Marketing: Where to Start When You Don’t Know What to Do

By Kelly Cabrera, RMT, clinic owner and founder of Breakthrough Massage Academy

Tell me if this sounds familiar: you sit down to work on marketing, you’re suddenly trying to decide whether you should post a reel, introduce yourself to another practitioner, update your website, or spend money on an ad. So rather than making an uncertain decision - you freeze and don't move forward at all. 

When you build a practice, you don't just want appointments to be booked. You want more people to know about your practice, great word of mouth referrals, and a marketing process that works when you go home for the day.  

The next day a wave of inspiration finally hits you (likely while you're treating a client and can't just leave to write this idea down!) and by the time can get this idea down on paper, it's gone from your mind. Or possibly, you finally set aside 30 minutes in your schedule and something else comes up and the time you set aside is gone.

I know these situations well because, I too, have been here many times (especially in those early years where it seems like you're pulled in every direction). 

Massage therapy marketing can feel difficult before you’ve even started and there are plenty of suggestions about what to do! Choosing what makes sense for your practice is where people get stuck.

That’s the starting point for Massage Marketing 101: understanding your options so you can decide where to put your time, money, and effort.

Why “just post more” isn’t enough

“Be consistent” is common marketing advice. But consistent with what? Talking to whom? Inviting them to do what?

If you’re a massage therapist trying to build your client list, being told to post more leaves a lot of decisions unanswered.

You still need to work out what you want people to know about your practice, how you want to reach them, and what you can realistically keep doing alongside appointments and the rest of your work.

I’ve been an RMT for more than 15 years, and my clinic grew from a single treatment room into a multidisciplinary practice. I can say that only 3 times in my practice did I ever run a paid ad. Was my clientele slow to find me? Yes. And that's not the way I tell people to go if you feel confident in spending money on ads or getting public on camera. I just want you to know that there are MULTIPLE different methods for "getting booked and busy", the trick is finding the few you can really lean into that work cohesively so that each part of marketing your massage therapy practice feels simple.

My experience has made me interested in the work behind the appointment: the decisions, conversations, and systems that help a practice function. Marketing belongs in that work and it deserves more thought than squeezing in a social post whenever the calendar looks quiet.

Start with what you want your marketing to help you do

“Get more clients” is a reasonable goal, but it helps to make it more specific.

Are you introducing a new practice to your community? Trying to fill a particular day? Helping people understand a service you offer? Building relationships with practitioners who could refer suitable clients?

Those situations can call for different messages and different ways of reaching people.

For example, a post introducing you and explaining what to expect at a first appointment serves a different purpose from an announcement about an opening tomorrow afternoon.

Before choosing a marketing activity, finish this sentence:

“I want more people to know that…”

Then consider who needs that information and what you would like them to do next. That gives you a starting point for deciding what to say.

Understand direct and indirect marketing

In Massage Marketing 101, we explore direct and indirect marketing so you can consider more than one way of reaching potential clients. A useful way to think about the difference is the purpose of the message.

A direct invitation gives someone a next step: view your appointment availability, ask about a service, or book an appointment.

Other marketing activities help people become familiar with you over time. Explaining how you approach appointments, answering common questions, and building professional relationships can help people understand your practice before they’re ready to book.

The same channel can support both. You could use Instagram to explain what a first appointment involves, then use another post to invite people to book.

It helps to ask: “Am I helping someone get to know my practice, or am I giving them a clear opportunity to take the next step?”

You can make room for both in your plan.

Choose marketing methods you can actually use

Some therapists enjoy talking on camera. Others find it easier to write, teach a small group, or have a conversation with another professional.

Those differences matter when you’re choosing your approach. You may need stronger marketing activities if you're the owner of a business, but massage staff or employees can ALSO market inside these practices/clinics in the form of relationship marketing. This point has been overlooked for many years and it's a crucial part of where Massage Marketing 101 started, we ALL have the capability to market and a LARGE part of what we do to retain clients is relationship marketing. 

If every marketing task requires you to do something you strongly resist, it can become difficult to follow through. At the same time, something being unfamiliar doesn’t automatically mean it’s a poor choice. You may just need preparation, more practice, or a smaller first step.

In Massage Marketing 101, I introduce four marketing personality types to help you think about how you naturally communicate and which approaches may suit you.

The goal is to make a deliberate choice and help practitioners consider their own strengths, the types of people/clients they want to reach, and the time and budget they have available. 

You don’t have to try every option at once and you don't have to market the same as someone else. 

Give yourself one specific next step

A list of marketing ideas can be useful but if we're trying to slim down overwhelm, sometimes long lists can enhance this rather than improve it. A list becomes more useful when you choose something to act on that stands out easily to you or rather, feels "right". Just as your hands guide your treatment intuition, so too can our minds guide our marketing intuition. 

“Work on marketing” is easy to postpone because it doesn’t tell you what to do when you sit down.

A more specific step might be:

• Write a short explanation of what a new client can expect at their first appointment.
• Prepare an introduction before contacting a local practitioner.
• Review your service descriptions and make the booking step easier to find.

These are examples to consider, rather than a checklist every therapist needs to complete.

Choose one action that supports your goal. Decide what you need to prepare and when you’ll do it. You can build from there.

Build your plan with Massage Marketing 101

I created Massage Marketing 101 for massage therapists who feel unsure where to put their marketing time, money, or effort.

The self-study class explores direct and indirect marketing, why common marketing advice can be difficult to apply to a massage practice, and four marketing personality types. You’ll consider approaches that fit your personality and business style, then use the Marketing Pathway Worksheet to work through your own next steps.

Watch the recorded class at your own pace, pause to complete your worksheet, and return to the explanations as you need them.

If you’ve been collecting marketing ideas but still feel unsure what to do first, this class will help you work through that decision.

Purchase Massage Marketing 101 and start your marketing plan