Have you been curious about implementing a massage membership program for your clients but not sure if it’s worth the work to start and promote? Then this article is for you!

How the Massage Industry is Growing

Employment of massage therapists is estimated to grow 21% from 2019 to 2029, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s the addition of over 30,000 jobs in 10 years! The same study found that the demand for massage will grow as more healthcare providers understand the benefits of massage. All of this spells a hopeful future for massage therapists as we enter a post-pandemic world.

But wait! With all of these new massage therapists comes a crowded marketplace. Even with a steady increase in demand, it might be difficult to stand out or to cut through the noise. How can an independent massage therapist efficiently promote their business without sacrificing too much time?

The key is to work more efficiently by taking serious steps to power your business growth, including using digital SOAP notes to keep track of your client records online, offering massage memberships to keep clients coming back each month, allowing new clients to book and prepay for appointments all on Google, and auto-sending appointment reminders to reduce no-shows.

Why Memberships?

According to the American Massage Therapy Association, approximately 47.5 million Americans had a total of 214 million massages in 2018, compared to 47.1 million having a total of 179 million massages in 2017. During that time, the average number of massages per person increased to over one massage per quarter.

This tells us that more frequency is key, especially as clients start to feel the benefits of regular massage. Encouraging them to come more often might be as simple as implementing a program that keeps them on a schedule. In return for the guaranteed repeat business, massage memberships can offer discounts on services or exclusive benefits (like complimentary add-ons). For some, simply feeling like a VIP client can be enough.

3 Major Reasons Membership Programs Work

1. In today’s market, a person’s attention is splintered every few seconds.
   
   The average adult sees 6,000-10,000 advertisements every day — from billboards, signs, TV, email, social media, you name it! Even if well-meaning clients start to book an appointment or reorder a product, it’s highly possible that they’ll get interrupted and not complete the task. Before they know it, it’s been three weeks since they ran out of product or booked a new appointment.

2. In addition to the attention problem, today’s consumer is constantly filling up their schedule.
   
   Especially as we exit the pandemic lockdowns and quarantines, people will be returning to their normal levels of activity. Fighting to get their attention and a spot on their calendar is a lot easier if they don’t have to think about it.

3. Lastly, efficiency is essential to modern-day living.
   
   People don’t want to waste time searching and sifting for information when it could be automated.
   
   You want your groceries delivered? Great. How about your grocery store’s app that saves what you usually purchase so that you can quickly add those items to your cart? Even better! Purchasing from your phone has never been easier with autofill options that save your personal information. A click of a button and it’s on its way!
   
   When you have a new toothbrush head sent to your mailbox every six weeks, you no longer have to worry if you’re changing your heads with the appropriate regularity for optimal brushing or try to remember the last time you changed it. These low-effort experiences lead to lasting client loyalty.
   
   Similarly, massage memberships allow your clients to “set it and forget it.” They know that every third Thursday of the month or every Monday evening is massage time! It allows them to plan their schedules accordingly and not have to make time and brain space for booking appointments.

Memberships Can Be Your Competitive Advantage

There is also an antiquated (but prevalent) belief that subscriptions and memberships are perceived by clients as “scammy.” This is simply not the case now that most clients pay for memberships from what they stream on their home TVs to their dog’s food or the soap they use on their bodies. As the exposure to memberships and subscriptions becomes more ubiquitous across all industries, clients become more comfortable with it. Therefore, memberships that make booking more convenient and automated could be the perfect way for you to differentiate yourself from the competition in your area.

It also bears to mention that big-box massage chains like Massage Envy already offer memberships, so those who are looking to use that service will be able to find it elsewhere.

Memberships Are Easy to Implement

The massage industry has a reputation for being slow to change. At MassageBook, many of our new users are still using pen, paper, and filing cabinets to keep up with their clients’ paperwork, so we know it might be scary to hear that memberships are the new must-have to grow your business. This doesn’t have to be a tremendous headache! With MassageBook’s memberships management software, creating a program is easy and your clients can sign up and book through your website in no time.

A recent study shows that 80% of consumers would be “more likely to use an organization if they offer personalized experiences” (source: Qualtrics). There’s no simpler way to achieve this than implementing customized membership plans that feel tailored to their needs.

Membership Offers That Convert Once-in-a-While Clients Into Monthly Regulars

1. If you want to offer an exclusive discount without sacrificing your bottom line, raise the standard prices of your services then offer members a discount on those same services.

2. Offer free or premium add-on services each month.

3. Offer “jump the line” or special privileges for scheduling.

4. Offer a free 30-minute massage when someone increases the frequency of their membership.

5. Offer a more luxurious product line to members only.

6. Offer special hours for members only.

Have you successfully implemented a massage membership program? We’d love to hear about your experiences and how it’s increasing your predictable monthly income. Share them with us on Facebook!