Advertising my reflexology business

[MycTylaeue]

I am just starting my own mobile reflexology business and have a few ideas of how to advertise myself, but I wondered what other people have found is the most common way for clients to find out about a reflexologist.

I've put posters up in my local shops and I am also going to give free taster sessions at a few local businesses and groups, just to get people aware that I am here. I will also be making my own website. But all of these methods cost money and time, so I wondered which one (or if any other) other reflexologists have found to bring in the most business.

Thanks for your help.

 

[Steve John]

HI There, I know just how you feel, I simply did not have the money to advertise so looked for alternative options, and in time have found some of the best advertising methods for a small cost & for free, OK first think you need is business cards, now I reccomend 2 places the first is: www.vistaprint.co.uk and the second is: DCP Print
http://www.dcp-print.co.uk/ both offer free business cards to begin with, Ive found DCP to be the most cost effective of the 2, but it depends on offers, wait for offers, you will get 500-1000 business cards for about £10 if you wait for there email offers to come into your inbox.

now youve got the business cards, create some posters on your own computer and print them out, this is the most cost effective way but time consuming, alternatively ebay is a great place to shop for printing you can get 1000-5000 leaflets done for around £16-£20 some 2 colours and some full colours take a look simply type in flyers or leaflet printing into ebays search engine. (Once you have the leaflets done distribute these in local shops & retailers, DONT be fooled into paying retailers to have your posters in the window or on notice board 80% will let you place your leaflets for free, just be nice & polite, offer them a free session, also another good way is to pop to your local newsagent and tell them you want 1000 leaflets putting into free papers, they will do this for about £3. Also go around posting leaflets if you have the time.

and finally and very important internet, internet is a great way to advertise but again many new age\spiritual sites have jumped on the band wagon and are simply in it for the cash, this is a good site, yes you have to pay, but the number of visitors is high, but there are many more cost effective new age\spiritual websites you can visit to advertise your services, which I could reccomend.

Also build your own website, i was amazed that a recent therapist I got to know paid £400 for a website designing, its basic, with few pictures and gets few visitors, DONT be fooled into new age\spiritual designing sites saying they will get your 1000s of clients if you pay £100s etc, its an illusion and far from true, it touches me how many people take advantage of people like me & you, lightworkers and therapists, big corparations and companies are well aware of the struggle we face and many will take advantage, so be wise.

I despise retailers and big corparations milking therapists\lightworkers and people who dont have much idea about the internet or computers etc, same with high street stores & agents another way of milking mopney out of people pockets when they can get the same product 50+% cheaper online, but anyway thats just my opinion, they all have a place.

I truly wish you all the best, and if you would like to have a chat more PM me.

until Then good luck, visit the few sites I reccomended, and purest love & light and of course prosperous blessings be with you.

From Jeremy (shininglight)

 

[rqeuvustivdinaebv]

Nowadays the internet does seem to be the most effective place to advertise as long as you optimise your site in some way. I use Google Adwords and find it very effective. Gotosee.co.uk I have also found to be effective. Most other online directories (yell.com in particular), I've found to be little more than useless.

With regard to building a site, there are plenty of reasonably priced hosting companies and several low cost software packages available. I built both of my sites myself using Serif WebPlus, both on the free version and the bought version which was only £30.00. If you look through the forum, there are several threads on this with people recommending the software packages and hosting companies they use.

Be careful with cheap printing, it's your business image that you are often cheapening. I've not heard of DCP but Vistaprint I've found to be low quality on most of their products, especially business cards and brochures. I won't harp on about it, I've done that on several threads already! Also be careful printing large quantities of leaflets or posters on your own computer. In the long run, this often works out a lot more expensive than paying a printer for a bulk run! In fact, many printers will do short run digital prints to a very high quality at a very reasonable cost.

In the early days of any therapy, it's a mixture of PR and Marketing that you should be doing. Getting your name around in the local area by perhaps giving talks or demonstrations at events is more effective than giving free taster sessions as the latter predominantly attracts the kind of people that will have anything for free! Remember, any advertising medium that just breaks even is worth doing to get your name out there!

 

[Lyna]

If you have a website get it listed on as many directories as you can.

 

[Jeff will come back!]

Hi there

I know that it's tough when you're starting out because you're so time rich and cash poor but be wary of doing too much for free. I have found that the people who take up freebies aren't generally the people who end up being customers and you don't want to devalue yourself and the work you do.

I find that the best business comes from referrals - how about using some of the time you have to offer a full course of treatment to friends or family who you feel might be good champions for you? Even one person whose had a full course of treatment and felt wonderful, maybe seen tangible improvements in sleep, wellbeing etc may just be of more value than 8 who've had a half hour treat.

Good luck!