4 Creative Marketing Tips to Increase Your Wellness Business Sales

According to International Spa Association President Lynne McNees, "Since the economic downturn, the consumer is more educated than ever before when it comes to value and investing in themselves. They expect a return on their investment, and they aren't falling for any tricks or gimmicks. They want tangible results and information that will improve their quality of life." So what can you do to market effectively to the educated consumer? How can you set yourself apart from a sea of competitors? Below are 4 cost-effective and time-tested holistic business marketing techniques to help you break through to the customers you want! Customer Service Clients are pinching every penny these days. When they pay for pampering, their expectations regarding the level of service they receive has increased exponentially! Holistic Practitioners can respond, retain, and increase their client base by customizing each guest's experience. For instance, 87% of polled spas are utilizing customer feedback mechanisms, but what else can you do? For one, start by creating a customer loyalty program. Get creative: incentivize regular customers by offering discounts on a sliding scale based on their number of visits. Referral programs are another great way to incentivize your current fans to increase your client base. Keep a log of customer birthdays and anniversaries, and offer a complimentary 30-minute session for them or their spouse. Moreover, providing gifts with purchase (GWP) is cheaper than you think. Enquire with your current product vendors—often if you display signage in-house or a logo on your website for a specific company's product (such as a massage oil or moisturizer for instance), the vendor will provide you with free samples in exchange that can be used as GWPs for clients. Save these product samples and use them just for those who purchase service packages in order to boost revenue! Don't forget to personalize! It's human nature to love to see our name on things—whether you send each client home with an individualized printout of future treatment recommendations, or invest $20 in a label maker or printer template to monogram their product order, or create a welcome card upon arrival, personalizing is a great way to make guests feel special and cared for. Giving Back Consider offering promotional pricing or complimentary mini-pampering services to community leaders such as teachers or military personnel. Plan a monthly event when business is typically slow to accomplish these sessions such as the "First Monday of the Month". Not only are you providing a great service to those deserving or possibly in need, but it's also a great opportunity to advertise yourself as a business that cares! Your regular customers will love that, and feel all the more validated that they made the right choice of practitioners! Giving back can also accomplish your holistic business marketing goals. Partner with a charity with a popular agenda. Give them your commitment to offer a complimentary mini session to individuals who can demonstrate a donation receipt of a certain denomination in exchange for your company information being represented on their website or direct mail campaigns. Even better, every complimentary session you perform, you convert into a potential customer by offering a future discount and securing an email for your list. Another option is giving on a larger scale by sponsoring local events and teaming up with hospitals, schools or other related established institutions to help educate consumers about the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle. You will be shocked at the free exposure you receive as well as the future referrals! Sampling Menu Restaurants that serve small tasting plates are hot right now, so why shouldn't the wellness industry take advantage of a sampling menu—especially for new customers in a tough economy who might be weary of a commitment. Offering mini services for busy professionals at lunchtime or a personalized grouping of sample services for the eclectic customer who wants to try everything is becoming a popular way to get a taste of treatments. With 86% of polled spas offering shorter treatments and 46% of owners experiencing an increase in 30 minute or less treatment bookings, a sampling menu seems to be the perfect small treat that will surely hook new customers for good! Beauty Rest If you polled all busy professionals about what they wished they could change about their busy lives, we bet you would find "getting more sleep" in the top 5 of responses! We live in a sleep-deprived society, and although pampering treatments like massages, facials, body wraps, and yoga instruction offer a respite from the craziness of modern life, it often ends so abruptly. What if you turned your slow days into profit by crafting treatments targeted at total relaxation, and then, after the 45-minute session, allowed your client to relish in the music and lie on the table for a blissful additional 45 minutes (for a total of 90), only to be softly awakened by a pre-set alarm? You not only get to book clients on previously difficult days, but it also forces you to take the extra 45 minutes to perform non-client related business tasks such as Facebook updates, email blasts, and blog entries.