a community of practitioners

Marketing Ideas for Student Clinic

I would welcome any ideas others might have on how they market for student clinics. Or the different ways that others handle the student clinic. Here are a couple that I've been doing... hanging flyers up at all the local coffee shops/bulletin boards, handing out coupons to the local businesses for a percentage off. Other ideas??

Thanks!
Tami

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Kristie Hogan on July 14, 2009 at 11:35am

We had one of our graduates create a computer program for us. I send out an email three weeks before clinicals start to everyone that has attended our clinicals before. Our clients know when they receive the email that they can at that time visit our website and log into the system and schedule as many clinical appts. as they'd like. It's like making a hotel reservation. A calendar will appear and show which appointments are available on which days and what times are available.

Check it out at www.NCmassageSchool.com. Just click on the HAND and Sign in.

I then send out a reminder email the day before their appt. (this helps with no-shows). They pay for the appt. when they get here. I haven't set up on-line payment yet, only because of the cc fees. So many people pay cash or check for their clinical massages.

Before this program was built, I would use our database and send out postcards. They would call me when they received their postcard to schedule their clinical appts.

Hope this helps!

Kristie Morgan
Edmund Morgan School of Neuromuscular and Massage Therapy

Permalink Reply by Tamra Nelson on July 14, 2009 at 11:49am

This is great information Kristie! I will have to check out your website. I like the idea of sending the emails out as it is more cost effective.

Tami

Permalink Reply by Jenny Ray on July 14, 2009 at 4:25pm

Hi Tami,
I have been doing this for over 30 years so I have tried it all!!...
The best is free publicity (yes cause it's free, but also because you can say more than in a paid add!) Nearly every community has a small paper or tabloid (weekly or monthly) that appeals to folks in the holistic arts, healers, energy workers, massage practitioners and the occasional Guru types!! YIKES!!....but these papers need articles so you can write about your modality and describe the course and location and ALWAYS put in your contact information. If you have a photo they like it even more...
Web sites don't generate clients, but they are perfect for disseminating tons of information to save you hours of one on one communication.....and once in a while a web surfer will find you!!...be sure your web address relates to your modality...
These 'social networks' are great for 'networking'!!...we are all generous with information...
Take your flyers to medical clinics, spas, massage schools and other places where professionals will be more likely to see them....coffee shops and such are ok if they are in a location where spa and health practitioners are likely to take a break....give out a few gift certificates to people who are employers of massage practitioners, such as chiropractors, spa owners, clinic owners, doctors etc...and show them what it is you do and suggest they have their staff attend...(only if they love it!!)
Many radio stations have morning talk shows...they love doing interviews over morning coffee and you catch the working folks commuting during rush hour...so when you talk about stress relief they listen!!...
Write articles for on line news-letters and on line magazine-articles sections and offer them to others who have web sites...always include your contact info on everything....and fee's if they are set in stone (sorry I am a Geothermal Therapists so it's all in stone with me!).
Give talks to local organizations..a few who are always looking for something new....Chamber of Commerce, Toast Masters, Hospital Auxiliaries and woman's clubs...ask the chamber folks for recommendations...if you are not good at public speaking... join Toast Masters, it's free and you should be able to talk any place, to any number of people, for any length of time on your topic...
Leave your business card (with that web site filled with info) every place you go...they are the cheapest and yet go the farthest!!...yellow page adds if you can afford it and co-op ads in trade magazines with other instructors, it helps to reduce costs if you share that half page add...and reaches thousands....
If you belong to an association that has an on line new letter send them an article..(every few months until it is published!)....here is one I just did for my insurance company...http://www.handsontrade.com/news/issue7/article1.html
so far 6 new students..if you are their client they have a vested interest in supporting you so don't hesitate to ask for support...
You can advertise for free on this site even if you are not a member...http://www.amtamassage.org/
If there are health fairs or Body, Mind, Spirit shows in your area...go visit and leave your cards every where....get an idea of who the vendors are and what client comes to see the show...if it looks good and you want to rent a space for the following year...ask for a pre-paid discount and set up at the show next year...
Talk to everyone you know about the work you want to teach...the grocer may have a wife who is a practitioner...ya never know...if you are passionate about what you do, you will make your own magic with this and the students will find you..
well hope this is enough to get you started...there is more of course...but heck we may need a 'chapter 2' to this book....
Good Luck is the Luck you Make,
Jenny Ray

Permalink Reply by massagenerd on July 14, 2009 at 6:11pm

I use facebook (I made a group page and people that are on there are the first to know when I put up the massages) and I use my website: http://www.massagenerd.com/msb

I also use http://www.web-appointments.com for people to book their appointments and you can decide when to have the website send them a reminder email. When a person registers, the website saves their email and I also email all of the members too.

Ryan Hoyme
http://www.MassageNerd.com

Permalink Reply by Massage Coupons on May 10, 2011 at 10:26am

Obviously we don't use CraigsList anymore in the Therapy section, but the Health & Beauty seems to work pretty good with the students massage. It is suggested to create a massage coupon or banner with your dialog. Make sure your dialog matches your image with your business address and ph#. FaceBook can work well if you consistently publish fresh content.

We also have just created a new massage coupon website that may work well too. Its like creating your own massage website that is Search Engine friendly with your Google mapping and you can post as many words as you like to describe your talents. We can create a coupon for you or you can use your own. Your coupon is printable/downloadable for your customers to use freely along with open comments for your personal touch. These coupon images can also be used on your FB, Ning or wherever you choose.

Thank you kindly for your responses. :)

Permalink Reply by Jacqueline L. Lander on August 26, 2011 at 5:36pm

Hello Tamra,

I realize that your post was from 2009, but I have to ask; how's it going for you now? Had I been a member here at that time, I would have told you to delegate that responsibility to your students. It's their clinic and they are the ones who need people on their tables. The first clinic booking is done by me. I invite all the licensed massage therapists I can accommodate for their valuable feedback to the student. In exchange for their time, they receive their first massage for free. But, what did you find is working for you? Just curious.