Tips and Tricks for Marketing

The Ariana Institute www.arianainstitute.com offers an online continuing education course, Practice Building and Marketing for massage therapists, that provides many helpful tips and tricks for getting clients, retaining clients, and growing your business. Here is an excerpt from the course manual regarding Multiple Lead Generations Strategies...

MULTIPLE LEAD GENERATION STRATEGIES

In order to create a thriving business, you need to use a multitude of lead generation strategies. Successful marketing involves presenting who you are in such a manner that people can make an informed choice about utilizing your services. One of the keys to success lies in developing and utilizing a multitude of client generating strategies. The more lead generation tools you use, the more income you'll generate.

If you want a successful business you need to utilize as many methods of lead generation as you can. You need to monitor the success of these lead generation methods, measure their results and tweak your strategies until you find a mix of a minimum of seven methods that work. Once you have this mix you need to keep on shaking it up and trying other methods as well.

Here is a list to get you started. Of course not all of these suggestions will work for you or be practicable in your business or industry because every situation is different. What they will do is set you on the right track, get you thinking creatively about lead generation and, perhaps most importantly, they will remove the biggest block to your success, "But I don’t know what to do!"

LEAD GENERATION STRATEGIES TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS

• Sales letters to decision makers
• Classified advertisements
• Catalogues in venues
• Flyers
• Leaflet dispensers at targeted locations
• Special reports
• Telemarketing
• E-Newsletters
• Traditional newsletters
• Viral marketing
• EBooks
• Magazine and paper inserts
• Associates and affiliates
• Introducers
• Family and friends
• Joint ventures
• Radio ads
• Position yourself / your company as an expert
• Internet advertisements
• Press releases
• Yellow pages
• Toastmasters
• Sponsor an award
• Fax marketing
• Business cards
• Chamber of Commerce
• Public relations
• Attend massage therapy seminars
• Gather and use testimonials on LinkedIn
• Offer a free consultation
• Offer a free mini-session
• Organize an open house
• Write articles online
• Form alliances with your peer group
• Create a give away e.g. calendars, mugs, posters…
• Write for the local newspaper
• Syndicate a column
• Write letters to industry magazines
• Conduct industry research
• Send articles to clients
• Speak at the local college
• Panel at professional seminars
• Write a how-to pamphlet on self-care or self-massage
• Do pro bono work for charity with industry links
• Sign your car
• Make up t-shirts
• Cross-promote with other businesses
• Enter a contest
• Create a contest
• Direct mail new clients
• Post card promotions
• Business cards
• Networking offline
• Networking online
• Trade shows
• Referrals
• Speeches
• Cold calling
• Trade shows
• Franchise shows
• Blogging
• Social networking sites
• Christmas cards
• Birthday cards
• Thank you cards
• Promotions
• Article writing
• Online forums
• Billboards
• Freebie pens / t-shirts / mugs
• Teach a class
• Send letters to papers as expert
• Local radio interviews
• Loss leaders
• Free teleclasses
• Podcasting
• YouTube
• Mini-courses

To register for the Ariana institute's Practice Building and Marketing Course, go to www.arianainstitute.com.