Writing for massage therapists

AMTA NERC 2014

Writing for your Massage Business Allissa Haines

“Authentically connecting with the community you want to serve.”

Brooke Thomas

The things we write

✤ Service descriptions!

✤ Bios!

✤ Blogs (or articles for publication)

Why does this matter so much?

✤ First impression !

✤ Virtual handshake!

✤ Attract the RIGHT clients for you

Tone. Style. Branding. Personality.

✤ Be mindful of the words you use and keep them consistent with the tone of your business.

Answering the “What do you do?”

✤ The Elevator Pitch

A word about choosing a niche

✤ one clientele of 500!

✤ five clienteles of 100

Choose one Ideal Client

✤ For the purposes of today’s class, write down ONE Ideal Client!

✤ What is their problem?!

✤ What’s the result of your efforts?

Put it together

I’m a massage therapist. !

I work with ________ to treat _____________ !

so they can _________________ .

Features vs Benefits

✤ Active Isolated Stretching vs less pain, more motion

Be mindful of jargon

✤ Use words people understand!

✤ Educate in the right places, and as simply as possible

Jargon

✤ Swedish!

✤ Active Isolated Stretching!

✤ Zero-balancing

Not-quite jargon, but subjective

✤ Sports massage!

✤ Deep tissue

and potentially confusing

Service Descriptions

✤ Short - 2 to 3 sentences!

✤ Clear - no fancy jargon!

✤ Full sentences or partial, but be consistent

✤ Name of treatment!

✤ What it is!

✤ What it DOES (benefits)

Service Descriptions

Activity! Write a service description!

✤ Name of treatment!

✤ What it is!

✤ What it DOES (benefits)

Service Descriptions

Bios- long & short

The Mad-Lib Bio

(name) ________ is a (year)______ graduate of !

(school) ___________ .!

She helps people dealing with (issue) ___________ and!

____________ , helping them (result) __________________. !

You’ll find more information and online scheduling at www.website.com.

The Mad-Lib Bio

✤ Activity!

Long form Bio

✤ Tells your (brief) story!

✤ Interesting!

✤ Feature your passion for your work!

✤ Build credibility !

✤ Invites a potential client to connect

Long form Bio

Activity!

Alternative formats

✤ Lists. “What you should know about Allissa”

Blogging- why?

✤ Educate your audience!

✤ Become a trusted resource!

✤ Let clients get to know you!

✤ On-the-go marketing tool!

✤ S E O

Blogging- what do I write about?

101 Prompts for Massage

Therapists

Allissa Haineswith

Kat Mayerovitch

Types of blog posts

✤ Q & A/ FAQ!

✤ Storytelling!

✤ How-to’s and tutorials!

✤ Lazy Dude post

The 3 C’s for good content

✤ Client!

✤ Call to action!

✤ Connection

01

Q & A Post

✤ Choose a commonly asked question!

✤ make a list, or bullet points or record yourself talking it through!

✤ put it together

Resources

✤ http://www.heartofbusiness.com/2010/are-you-humble-enough/!

✤ http://www.heartofbusiness.com/2010/simple-reason/!

✤ http://www.heartofbusiness.com/training-programs/the-core/ (what do you do? workbook)!

✤ http://theundercoverrecruiter.com/8-steps-writing-bio-pro-chris-brogan-fact/!

✤ http://pintsizedsites.com/how-write-elevator-pitch/!

✤ http://wondergrow.com/2009/07/16-questions-to-help-you-write-a-douche-free-bio/!

✤ http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/ultimate-editing-checklist!

✤ http://www.hemingwayapp.com/!

✤ http://www.copyblogger.com/