Nobody can deny…

The economy is going BONKERS right now.

Between the ups and downs (or, more like ‘downs and downs’) of the stock market, the continuous news reports about the ‘credit crunch’ and ‘economic crisis’, and now, the world markets going haywire around us, it’s no wonder massage therapists are scared about the future of their massage practices.

But, how is the economy truly affecting massage therapists?

Is it hurting therapists?

I mean, that would seem logical on the surface, right?

“If people have less money to spend, than I’m sure the last thing on their mind is getting a massage”, is the typical thought process amongst therapists.

But, is that accurate thinking?

Really, again, the question at it’s essence, is: is the economy decreasing, increasing, or doing nothing to consumer’s interest and desire to get massage?

Well, according to Google, I think you’ll be pretty surprised by the answer.

Below you’ll see a an actual screenshot of the volume of searches online for the keyword “massage” – comparing 2008 to 2007.

2007 is in the red, and 2008 is in the blue.

You’ll notice two very telling points:

1. There really hasn’t been a significant decrease in the volume of people searching for information on massage in the last couple of months. Sure, maybe a little decrease. But, not much. In other words, changes in the economy have NOT really decreased people’s interest in massage.

2. Even with this crazy economy, there are MORE people searching for information on massage TODAY than in 2007. In other words, compared to last year, right now… there are MORE people searching for information on massage. NOT LESS. And, this is just showing searches in the United States. The worldwide graph showed even MORE people searching for massage this year compared to last. In other words, the difference was even greater.

So, what should this graph mean to you and other massage therapists?

Well, I think a couple of things:

First, that things may not be as bad as you think they are when it comes to sustaining, and even growing, your practice right now. The economy may be bad for some professions and small businesses. Absolutely. BUT, that doesn’t mean that it’s bad for you. Don’t just accept that as a reality if it’s not the case.

Be very careful with blanket assumptions.

For all you know, people could be super-stressed over the economy and, hence, are more interested in massage than ever. Maybe people realize they need to reduce some stress and what better way than with massage.

You see, again, you have to be very careful that you’re NOT just applying everything you’re hearing on the news about the economy to you and your massage practice. That would be a mistake.

Instead, what you should be doing right now in these wacky economic times is what the savviest massage therapists are doing right now.

What is that??

Marketing, marketing and more massage marketing (and I’ll prove to you why, in a second).

Aggressive massage marketing to be more specific.

You see, what the savviest, most successful massage therapists understand is that marketing is the lifeblood of your practice.

It’s the engine that sustains and drives your practice growth.

It’s THE thing that allows your practice to survive and thrive. Nothing else.

And, because of that, your massage marketing should be the very last thing to ever get cut out of your budget – even in this economy.

“Marketing is muscle, not fat. Be careful about cutting it”, one journalist wrote.

Unfortunately, that’s exactly what so many frightened massage therapists are doing- they’re cutting their marketing budget way back, if not eliminating it altogether.

What a MONSTROUS MISTAKE!

In fact, a recent article in Business Week, “Five Don’ts for Marketing in Tough Times”, said it best…

“Just as the savviest investors view down markets as a time to buy when everybody else is selling, the savviest marketers know recessions are a great time to pick up market share.

They understand that by maintaining their budgets (or even increasing them) they may not come out ahead during the down times, but they can pick up market share that will pay off in the long run.

Marketing dollars in a recession are like oxygen on Mt. Everest, the less there is in the surrounding environment, the more valuable the amount you possess becomes.

Cutting your marketing spending is a sure way to give ground to competitors who may be more aggressive during the downturn.”

And ,if that wasn’t enough, here’s what John A. Quelch said in a recent HBS Newsletter:

“It is well documented that brands that increase advertising during a recession, when competitors are cutting back, can improve market share and return on investment at lower cost than during good economic times.”

Lastly, here’s what Business Maven, Laurie J. Storey-Manseau, had to say in the New Hampshire Business Review:

“When times are tough and business is slow, marketing is the very last thing that ought to be cut. Now, more than ever, companies must make themselves and their products known.

But I recently came across a great quote from marketer Chris Lockhead of Mercury: “Go ahead. Cut your marketing budget when things get tough. I get it. That’s like saying ‘I’ll throw some logs on that fire when it warms up in here.’”

It is critical to keep stoking the fire of your marketing campaign. And face it, keeping the fire burning now means you won’t have to rub two sticks together — starting from scratch! — when the economy improves.”

You see, when it comes to sustaining, and even growing, your massage practice right now, the last thing you should be thinking about, is cutting back on your practice-growth and marketing efforts.

No.

Instead, what you should be thinking about when it comes to your practice marketing, is doing it more efficiently. effectively, and aggressively.

I believe massage marketing online is the best way to do that.

As I said, the key to surviving and even thriving in these unstable economic times is improving your massage marketing efficiency and effectiveness.

While it is not a black box you can throw money into and expect great results, the web is a proven massage marketing medium that can STILL generate phenomenal returns for you.

Successful online massage marketing campaigns can often take time, effort, and creativity; however, these efforts can certainly provide a substantial return on your investment when compared to pricey traditional marketing methods for massage therapists. (Check out the Massage Business Dashboard to see how it does your online marketing for you.)

The key, though, regardless of whether you do it online or offline, is that you continue marketing your massage practice.

# Continue to invest money in generating new client leads.
# Continue to invest money in marketing to inactive clients.
# Continue to invest money in your niche massage marketing and advertising.

Don’t stop. Don’t even slow down.

Let other competing massage therapists around you do that.

Let your competition make the potentially life-changing FATAL MISTAKE of thinking that in tough, trying-times the correct decision is to cut-off the ONE and ONLY activity that can fix a decline in income and new client flow.

And, while they do that, you continue doing your massage marketing… and when all is said and done with this crazy economy… you’ll be the #1 massage therapist in your geographic area making some serious bank!

It happens all the time.

This entry was posted on Saturday, October 11th, 2008 at 3:09 pm and is filed under Massage Advertising, Massage Business, Massage Business-Building. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.