Have you noticed a cool down in bookings as the temperature heats up? Unfortunately, summer is notoriously slow for massage therapists. Of course, it’s not that clients need less time on your massage table. People are just typically out of their everyday routines:

  • Kids are out of school
  • Family vacations are on the calendar
  • Grandparents are in town visiting

The list goes on and on and on…

With so many factors out of your control, your massage business should focus on simple yet effective marketing ideas to combat the summer lulls and keep your clients coming back. Here are three summer marketing ideas to keep your massage business thriving:

Use Email Marketing to Let Clients Know You Have Open Availability

If your clients don’t hear from you often, there’s a good chance many will forget to book new appointments, especially when they’re enjoying lazy afternoons by the pool. Fortunately, email marketing is a potent tool massage therapists can use to regularly keep in touch with clients.

Plus, it’s incredibly convenient for letting them know about available timeslots on your schedule and any last-minute openings that pop up.

You don’t even have to spend much time trying to figure out what to write:

  1. Use the subject line to tell clients you have openings on a specific date or week
  2. Use the body of the email to quickly let them know they better book now before someone else takes the spot
  3. Include a call-to-action button that links to your online booking website where they can quickly book a new appointment

Now’s a perfect time to try this since you have downtime to spare. You’re bound to see an uptick in booking activity if you get in the habit of doing it frequently.

Run Limited-Time Deals to Give Once-in-a-While Clients Incentive to Book

Here’s the truth: Some clients you haven’t seen in a while probably need a little extra nudge to schedule their next appointment. Good news, though. Limited-time deals on your services can do the trick! Christmas in July, anyone?

A 48-hour flash sale is an effective marketing idea because it creates urgency in the buyer. As a result, clients who receive the offer are more likely to make a quick decision and book the deal before it’s too late.

Flash sales generate the best results when you target a specific group of clients with emails that count down to the deadline:

  1. Narrow down your list to clients you haven’t seen in a few months
  2. Send them all an announcement email at the start of the sale
  3. Follow-up with a reminder halfway through
  4. Get the word out one more time at the last minute

Harnessing FOMO is a powerful way to influence someone’s decision-making. So tap into it now and go after clients daydreaming of a relaxing summer getaway.

Make It Simple for Your Regulars to Keep Coming Back Even When They Get Busy

The time on your table might very well be the highlight of a regular client’s month, but even the busyness of the summer makes it easy to forget to stop in for a visit. Lucky them (and you)! A monthly membership program can solve this dilemma.

Selling membership plans is a smart way for your massage business to grow the number of regulars you see. Why? Because clients who pay in advance for monthly service credits always have a reason to book. And if you allow unused credits to roll over to the next month, they’ll love the chance to catch up on any massage time that got pushed aside during the summer.

If you’re fed up with your up-and-down summer schedule, launching and marketing a monthly membership program can help you keep it filled with plenty of familiar smiling faces.

Put These Summer Marketing Ideas Into Action to Keep Your Massage Business Thriving

Want to put these summer marketing ideas into action? There’s no better way than with the help of MassageBook.

MassageBook is an all-in-one business management software with a full suite of easy-to-use marketing tools you can start using today:

Try all the above, plus more, free for 30 days. Then, pick the best plan for you—including the free-for-a-year Transition Plan.

Get Started Now to Keep Thriving This Summer