Are you writing blog posts, either for your own website or for the MassageSchool.org Blog Post Contest? Are you confident in your writing ability, but not sure how to spread the word to get your post all the social love it deserves? There are two factors in helping your post shine in the world: the first is creating a blog post that is begging to be shared. The second is sharing it effectively. Put both together, and you’ll see your blog post take on a life of its own as it’s passed from person to person, spreading your words across the world.

Crafting a shareable post

Make it important. Has our knowledge changed? Can your topic be related to current events? Is it vital information for people at a particular stage of their lives or careers? Well-written isn’t enough for people to want to share it. The content itself has to really matter to someone. The Massage Therapy Foundation blog is a great example. Is it full of hilarious stories by celebrities? Nope. But people know that the information is going to be helpful, accurate, and as recent as it gets. So their posts get shared.

Generate discussion. Is there a bit of a controversy about your topic? An ongoing debate? Are you posing important questions? Responding to something written by another blogger? People love to feel that they’re a part of a larger discussion, but not everyone’s a writer. So many people will participate primarily by sharing links and commenting on them. One could be yours! Laura Allen does a great job of this on her blog. She’s always taking the discussions of the big massage organizations and bringing them to the level of individual therapists, and she’s not shy about sharing her own opinion along the way. The result? Her posts generate a ton of conversation, and that in turn generates a lot of sharing.

Present information in a new way. Some information is always important to review, but it’s important to find a way to make it fresh. Can you share information as part of a story? Can you take a story and make it a list? Take a list and make it an infographic? Adding your personal spin on a familiar theme can be enough to make it shareworthy. Don’t believe me? Remember Andy Warhol’s soup cans. There’s no more compelling argument than that.

Make your post visually interesting. Some of this is about writing style. Lists, bullet points, and short paragraphs all help break up large blocks of text on the page. Some of it is about using images in your posts. Photopin is a great source of Creative Commons licensed images. While it’s not a blog, the Anatomy in Motion Facebook page does an amazing job of presenting facts about the body in a visually stunning way. The social love they get attests to it!

Sharing your post

Post regularly, but don’t be a spammyface. It’s okay to post your link on Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, Twitter, Pinterest, and Tumblr, if you happen to use all of those. It’s okay to post your link multiple times in the same place (especially on Twitter, where things are reposted all the time. But it’s NOT okay to send private messages to everyone you know begging them to “like” and share your post just because they care about you. Follow the Golden Rule on this one: if you wouldn’t want it done to you, don’t do it to somebody else.

Include a comment or quote. When you’re sharing, don’t just plaster a link. People want to know what they’re clicking on! Make sure there’s a title and not just a URL. Make a comment on what the post is about, or quote a short sentence from the post that will capture people’s attention. People only take a moment to decide whether to follow your link. Don’t waste your first impression!

Make sure your posts are public. It’s a good idea to keep some of your online life under wraps. But if you want your Facebook updates that are promoting your blog post to be seen by anyone beyond your immediate friends, don’t forget to adjust your settings so that everyone can see them.

Start a conversation. “What do you think?” isn’t just for your blog post, it’s also meant for your social media sharing. The more conversation you can drum up, the more often people will return to your post, and the more likely they’ll decide to pass it on to their own friends.

Ask for the share. You wouldn’t let your client walk out of their appointment without asking them if they’d like to rebook. Why would you feel nervous about asking them to share your writing with others if they found it helpful? People like to be able to do nice things for each other, so give your audience what they want and let them know that you’d love for them to click that share button

Ready to write?

You’ve got everything you need to write an amazing blog post, so get to it! Give the world a sneak peek inside your brain, and boost your business at the same time. Good luck!

Image courtesy of xedos4 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Kat and I do some writing over at massageschool.org, and they’re having a blog contest. You can get the details over here, but in a nutshell: you submit a blog post (directed at massage therapists, students, or massage consumers.) Once it's published, share the heck out of it in all your social media platforms. If your post gets the most social love, you win $500. You can submit more than one post, each is a separate entry that stands on its own (ie, social love can’t be combined among posts).

No excuses here.

I know you can do it. I know exactly who bought my Blogging workbook, I know who participated in Kelli Wise’s blog challenges. I know who you are, people, and I’m coming for you. Jump in before I call you out. (Do I sound all badass? I just spent 20 minutes on ThugKitchen.com and I can’t control myself.)

Why the hell should I spend time blogging?

Seriously. Do you think I would throw you a challenge for no good reason? Whatever. Here’s why you should blog:

• Blogging is a way to educate your audience. It's a tool to teach people why and how massage is great.
• Blogging allows you to become a trusted resource. You have taken the TIME to educate your clients about a particular issue.
• Blogging allows you to make yourself, the massage therapist, look smart and trustworthy. (Because you are!)
• Your blog will weed out the suckers. There will be people who don't like your style. They will not call you to book a massage. Believe it or not, this is a good thing. These are the clients who will drive you crazy and waste your time. You’re so much better off when they self-select by avoiding you after they read your blog.
• Blogging will make you smarter. Really. Even Seth Godin says so (this is a short video, just 1 minute & 37 seconds. It’s well worth the time, please watch it). When you actually read and write about topics, you become better able to discuss them live with your clients and potential clients. If you just wrote a post about pectoral stretches, the words and ideas will zip right to the front of your brain the next time you bump into an old friend in the grocery store who immediately begins whining about a sore left upper quadrant.
• Blogging is personal. If your website is greeting your guests at the formal front door, blogging is gabbing with Wilson over the back fence.

I said no excuses. So let’s nip some Blogging Myths right in the bud, okay?

Blogging for your massage business isn't about creating long soliloquies to tell the story of your four hour walk in the woods, complete with a description of every dandelion and butterfly. Blog posts can be short and sweet. They can be text, images, video, or even audio.

You don't have to post to a blog every damn day. Weekly is awesome. Twice a month is fine. Monthly is okay. As long as you're getting content on your site regularly and creating a foundation of information, you’re doing it right.

 You do not have to be a highly skilled writer. Spellcheck and grammar check are great tools. That friend of yours who’s always complaining about people’s spelling and grammar mistakes on Facebook? Bake them cookies and ask them to proofread for you. (People like that secretly LOVE to be asked to proofread. It’s like catnip for Type A grammar freaks.)

Finding topics

The biggest challenge in starting a blog is the “What will I write about” questions. Once you get on a regular schedule it gets easier, I promise. You’ll start to see blog ideas in every interaction and event, really.

Until then, here are a handful of ideas for you. Need more? You can sign up for my emails at the top of this page (or here, if you’re reading this in an email), and get all 101 Blog prompts in one easy download.

• Give tips to a massage student who is just starting school.
• Give tips to a massage student who is just finishing school.
• Talk about one of the common sources of pain in your clients.
• Write a trivia post, with little known facts about the body or massage.
• Talk about the most recent class you took and how you plan to integrate it into your practice.
• Talk about what’s on your medical history form, and why.
• Why did you decide to become a massage therapist?
• What’s the best or worst massage you ever received? Describe what made it great or awful.
• List community resources for general wellness, or people with specific issues.
• Write about wellness for a population related to a holiday (mothers, workers, veterans, etc.)
• Make a Top 10 (or 5, or 3) list related to wellness.
• Tell a story of an ethical dilemma you’ve experienced and talk about how you handled it.
• Write about the best Continuing Education class you’ve ever taken, and what made you feel that way about it.

Have I convinced you to write a few posts and submit them? Good. Get on that. FYI-Don't be copy and pasting stuff you've already published on your site (or anywhere else) and submitting that. Come up with something new, or take a topic you've covered and make it fresh with a new angle. Be cool.

Next week we’ll teach you how to promote the living tar out of ‘em.

PS- Kat and I will be contributing posts to the contest, but neither one of us is eligible to win, so you won't get ousted by our major social love-ability.

Image courtesy of Surachai/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Today started with such excitement for the Boston Marathon and the Massage Therapy Foundation Running for Research team. I got the text updates on our runners and posted all over, and it was crazy fun.

Until it wasn't, when explosions occurred at the finish line. And I realized we had people there. Our People. I feel fortunate that I was able to quickly reach Ryan and Mary, and a few other friends. Within an hour we knew that all our runners and their families were okay, too. (I'm pretty sure I stopped breathing for the full 30 seconds between remembering that Greg was onsite and getting his reply to my text.) The love and concern for Our People throughout all our networks online was huge and heartwarming.

And in the texts and emails and posts that followed the explosion, we confirmed the safety of Our People. The ones running to fund our research, community service projects and education. The ones volunteering to work on thousands of runners. The leaders, like my friend Mary, who make wonderful things happen for massage therapists everywhere. Our People, saving the world, saving ourselves one little massage at a time.

One massage at a time we give people relief. From pain. Grief. Trauma. Insomnia. Anxiety. Noise. Or from the deafening and scary quiet in one's psyche. We give touch and time, and our communities need us in increasing amounts. After tragedies like this one where nothing makes any sense. During times of bad (and even good) stress. We keep people, both bodies and minds, maintained and running smooth, or at the very least, give a brief period of peace.

I can't pinpoint the moment I started to understand the power of our work. I don't know exactly when I realized that our community was extraordinary and somehow different from many other vocations. I don't know when I fell in love with you, but I did.

Go save the world, my friends. They need us. That probably means you just keep doing what you always do, giving touch and time. You're all amazing to me, just for doing that. Thanks for being incredible role models to me, and letting me be one of Our People.

Special thanks to Melissa Finley of Anatomy in Motion for making this graphic and sharing it so generously.

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“Home is not where you live, but where they understand you”
-Christian Morganstern

It's been a weird year so far, as evidenced by the lack of blog posts here. I've been writing plenty, but none of it has been strictly for me (or, more accurately, for you). I've popped out some work over at The Young Thumbs, and I'm kinda proud of this piece about Massage Marketing for Students. But every time I sat down to write for you, I've been a little….blocked? Lazy? Lost? My three week working vacation in Tucson helped to relax, recharge, and catch up. And play. I played, and it was good. I so desperately needed that. But I didn't get the lightening bolts of inspiration I had been expecting.

Duh, Allissa. The inspiration comes from community 'round here.

I taught last weekend at the AMTA New England Regional Conference. This was a big deal to me, to teach at the event I once helped to organize. It's a truly beautiful gathering of massage therapists from the six New England states. I got to stand in front of three different classes of colleagues, and we understood each other. We got it. We laughed at each other's jokes and nodded at each others stories and when I couldn't answer a question, someone else present could. Really, any person there could have taken my place in the front of the room, shared their experiences and we all would have learned just as much. The weekend filled me with love and excitement and hope.

Then, after a long week, I arrived at my office yesterday prepared for a full Saturday of clients. (I even packed my lunch!) I looked at the clients on my calendar and changed the playlist on the iPod to my non-massage massage music, something I haven't done in a while. Damned if I didn't pump out some of my best massage to date. I flowed. Meditated. Sang along in my head. Let go. And so did my clients. It was a fine day at work. You've had them, I know you understand me.

I've been a little lost for a few months, knowing that I'm moving forward and taking the right path, but not sure exactly where the path leads. But I came home to it last weekend and again yesterday. I came home to my safe place of massage. Where I sit among colleagues and mentors and dearest friends. Where I cradle a head and breathe, for what seems like the first time in years. I found my way home.

Thanks for leaving the light on. 

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The call was a normal one.  We discussed the problem and found an open appointment time.  All in all, it was the typical new client conversation. Until the dreaded question – “Um, do you have any females who could do the appointment?”

I don’t.  I’m a solo practice.  I can arrange for somebody else to do it and even let them use my office.  I get nothing out of it except frustration.  I pass the name of a female therapist to the clients who ask, because I want them taken care of. I can try to explain that they will be safe.  I have a professional office, I’m licensed with the state, and on and on, but I’ve already lost since I’m a guy.

“I’ll have to call you back” they say.  They mean “you will never hear from me again”.  I won’t get any income from that appointment and I won’t have a new client.

I did my research before going to massage school and knew I would be facing situations like this.  I understand it’s not personal since it happens between two people who have never met.  I also know that some people have their own reasons for who they would like to work with. It’s wearisome because although I love massage and would do it for free if I could, I haven’t gathered enough acorns for that yet.  Also, because I’m good at it.  I don’t say this egotistically but because that’s what my clients tell me, and they refer their friends and family.  I have worked very hard to develop my skills.  I’ve lost without even had a change to demonstrate my ability.

However, I didn’t write this to complain or ask for your sympathy.  I’m not trying to blame anybody for anything. My business problems are primarily due to me being a dolt.

I’ve become increasingly aware of the issues that you female therapists face that I had been oblivious to. I’ve never been worried about my safety alone with a client.  Even at night, or times when we may be alone in the building.  In fact, I’ll keep an eye on them as they return to their vehicle to make sure they get going safely. I rarely get calls asking for extra services.  I’ve never decided not to make an appointment because somebody sounded creepy.  I let new clients book online without any concerns.

Clients who come in don’t ask for or assume they will get anything other than a professional massage.  I don’t worry about people making flirty comments or asking me out.  I think it helps that when clients come in they see my license and a picture of my family on the wall.  I hope that it says I can be trusted.

I don’t worry about clients having my phone number or figuring out what car is mine.  I don’t worry when leaving alone in the dark even - and I’m not exactly the most intimidating guy you’ll meet by a long shot.  You wouldn’t break a sweat if you were alone with me in a dark alley.  Well, you might if it was really hot, humid, and your coat pockets were full of molten lava. I don’t feel the need to be always looking for signs of potential problems.  Maybe I’m too dense to pick up on them, but I go about my work feeling safe and sound.

So in the future I’ll try not to grumble or be grumpy for long.  I regret that you have to face the issues that you do.  Maybe we can both understand each other’s situations a little better.

I believe it’s a good reminder about our clients.  Everybody comes in with their own history.  They may be dealing with issues from a point of view that we haven’t considered.  It’s likely that we don’t know or may ever know what those issues even are.  They will benefit from the acceptance, care, and consideration we give.

Barry Hatfield is a licensed massage therapist with a solo practice in Hudson, Ohio.  He writes a blog for his clients here. (And he's fantastic on twitter as @barryhatfieldmt)

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The Bad Day is a first cousin to Unprepared Days.

photo credit: Kerry Callen

That is, days when I run out of paper towels, a client has a new pathology and I can't find my A Massage Therapist's Guide to Pathology (affiliate link), and I can't find my credit card swipe-y thing. It's not that bad things happen, it's that I'm completely unprepared for inevitable things that DO happen.

On a small scale, lack of preparation is no big deal. I can run out for paper towels between clients, use the interwebs to look up narcolepsy, and manually type in a credit card transaction. But I always end up kicking myself. For procrastinating errands, never putting books back where they belong, and storing 47 receipts, 2 cookies and a emergency fork in my desk drawer along with my credit card square. Sigh.

On a big scale, lack of preparation can demolish your business. If your office gets burgled tonight, do you have property insurance, and enough of it, to replace what is taken? Natural disasters pose the same threat to our livelihood, as do health issues and injuries that prevent you from working.

And this extends well past tangible matters. Sometimes I'm emotionally unprepared. 

For a client who demands so. much. attention. Sure, I can get warmer pillow, we can take a break and I'll get you some water, I'll smile and murmur 'mmhmm' while you talk about your mom's bunion surgery for 60 minutes.  

For a slow week (or month) that damages my confidence. Oh, dear god, are all my clients leaving me? Is everyone out of town at the same time?

For a chair massage job in a public setting that requires me to be in full Happy Professional Allissa mode. Yes, massage can be really helpful in dealing with that carpal tunnel, let me get you some research on how. I'm located right up the street… Check out my online scheduling…. You won a gift certificate in a raffle? Wonderful! Let's get you scheduled…And on and on.

This job can be draining on a good day. It's downright disheartening (or worse) when unprepared and difficult collide.

The good news is, we can get prepared.

You already know how to handle the practical aspects. Schedule your errands and office upkeep and stick to it. Have good liability and property insurance. And take care of yourself. Do you hear me? Take care of yourself. We say this to our clients. We say this to each other. Then we promptly ignore each other 92.4% of the time.

Lifeguards are taught to put the rescue-e between them and any obstacle they may crash into.

Flight attendants instruct you to put your own oxygen mask on first. (FYI-There's a fantastic support network for parents of children with special needs that embraces this idea. I love it.)

I'm not going to nag you about the importance of self care.

You know that already. But I'll tell you a little bit of my story. I'm almost at the end of a four week working vacation. I desperately needed time away from my massage practice so I could concentrate on the marketing agency for a bit. I needed to get ahead on my writing for you and for others. Here's what happened:

Week 1- I slept. Harder and longer than I ever have. Didn't write a word. Couldn't write a word. Barely kept up with the daily marketing agency tasks.

Week 2- I played. I walked. I learned 5 chords and countless songs on my ukulele. Caught up on marketing agency tasks.

Week 3- I'm hustling. I'm borderline productive, even! There's a chance I'll even get ahead. Nah, probably not. But that's cool.

Turns out I needed this trip. I needed it so hard, and I had no idea until I got here. I needed to get out of dodge, sleep too much and be taken care of by my friends here. It took me a week just to unclench and breathe.

I am so grateful I was (mostly) prepared to take a month away from my massage practice. I hustled and got all my bills paid a few months in advance. I started prepping my clients for this months ago, so they were prepared.

And now, I'm prepared to go home.

I'm thrilled to get my hands on some clients late next week. Excited to commit to one post a week here, filling up the Freebie Marketing Calendar, and rocking Kelli's February Blog Challenge, with posts specifically for my massage practice.

Oh, and guess what: I'm going to give you those posts. I'm going to give you permission to copy, paste, cut, hack and mad-libs the crap out of them, and use them for yourself. (Remember, we've got a Fight the Man mission over here. I'm still pissy about companies that want to sell you craptastic canned posts.) And what's more, Kat's going to help, so it'll be extra awesome.

Looking forward to kicking ass with you, and for you. 

PS- Here's my new unofficial tagline/daily inspiration. But it's got foul language, so I'm not posting the photo here.

photo credit- Kerry Callen Thanks to @jasonperinger for sending it my way 

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2012 knocked the wind out of me.

I've been in a constant state of learning and keeping up. I walked away from unhealthy friendships. I moved. Restructuring my massage practice hours was hard, and I still struggle to say 'no' to just one more client, (and their $80). I got my heart broken. Twice. I got really crappy reviews from a class. I felt overwhelmed, disorganized and in-over-my-head far too often. We lost a friend.

At the same time, 2012 was a big 'ole rebirth.

I'm working with more small companies and massage educators. I finally love where I live. My massage business is practically running itself. I'm cooking again, it's been years since I wanted to cook and took pleasure in it. I've got three dear friends working with me at the marketing gig, and I'm delegating more tasks, with great results. I plowed through the overwhelming stuff and came out just fine.

What do I want for 2013? I expect many of the same things you want.

to be more productive during my work time and have a ridiculous amount of fun in my playtime.
to practice shiva, play the ukulele, and eat well. Every. Damn. Day. I want to forgive myself easily when I don't.
to love harder, without fear.
to give more stuff away, so you don't get screwed buying crappy pre-written content.
to sleep more.

It's not an extensive list, but I think it's a good starting point. And that's what it's all about, right? Starting something, trying it. Re-working and re-configuring. Sometimes trashing it and starting again, and finding pleasure in the process.

Welcome, 2013. I'm so ready for you.

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I had sushi for lunch, in case you were wondering.

Yesterday I had lunch with five women. The lunch idea started as an office holiday party. Last year Christina and I had a picnic in the office wearing silly holiday sweaters. This year we decided to go out and invite a few of our local massage therapist friends. We didn't actually expect that everyone would be able to come, we figured it would just end up the two of us. Turned out there was six of us, and it hit me this morning that these five women all play an integral role in the work I do and really, who I am.

I met Angela nearly eight years ago while doing chair massage on Friday nights for women who gather to make scrapbooks together. (Note: Angie has give me permission to share her story.) She became a regular client, as did her two children. One of those kids has Asperger's, you've heard about him before. Angela also had a third child (now a hilarious 6 year old, also with an ASD) on my watch, and was one of my first regular prenatal clients. Angela and her family launched my interest and work with autism. Angela is the most vocal advocate for massage that I know. She is kind, patient, and incredibly funny. As sometimes happens, she became my friend (also my office assistant) and I feel like a part of her family. As an adoptive and biological mother, she talked me through some of my hardest step-parenting moments in a way no one else could.  You've heard plenty about my work with kids on the spectrum (limited in comparison to many MT's). It is because of Angela that this evolved. I am so very grateful, it overwhelms me a bit.

You know how I've mentioned my local friends who ask me lots of questions and got me started on this blogging thing? That's Karleen, Christina and Andria. I've always felt they were a bit misguided, thinking I actually had any answers. I'm pretty sure I fooled them by giving my opinions in a fairly confident tone of voice that conveyed I had a clue. Whatever, I'll take it. Most of the time they already knew the answers to the questions they asked and just needed some reassurance. But don't tell them that, please. I have some street cred to maintain in my 'hood.

Karleen graduated from massage school about a year ahead of me. She lives in my town, I saw her here and there and we would say a polite hello, make small talk, and that was it. Then I saw her doing chair massage at a local event on the same day I realized I needed help with the scrapbooker job. I asked her about it, she was interested and now she's my first call whenever I need help. She is the only colleague with whom I regularly trade. I would be a mess without her.

Christina graduated about a year after me, and our paths crossed a few times as happens in the small-town massage/spa world. When she was nervous about starting her own business, we talked a bit and I gave her some ideas about how to start looking for space. I am eternally grateful that her search led her right back to my office. I never thought I could handle sharing a space with someone. I don't really like people. I'm an awful roommate. I get annoyed (and annoying) quickly. Christina is a perfect match for me. I get excited when I know she'll be in the office that day. I don't even roll my eyes when I hear her talking about reiki or energy-ish stuff anymore. Okay, I do, but she loves me anyways.

Andria used to work around the corner, but just moved to her own big shiny place a whole four miles away. She's a remarkable therapist, excited about the work and intuitive in a way that moves me every time she puts her hands on me. It's insanely fun to watch her build an empire. It's fun to know that she's going to become a local legend. But it's not surprising, she hails from greatness. Andria brought her mom, Theresa, to lunch.

Theresa was the very first massage therapist I ever went to, seventeen-ish years ago. There are many, many people around here who can make that claim. One of the first therapists in this area, Theresa worked out of a room in a local gym for years. She would greet you in the lobby-ish area, loud with the sounds of an active gym. She wore flow-y skirts, smelled of incense, and rang chimes to let you know when the massage was over. I've never, ever heard anyone say they didn't love a massage with Theresa. She was in an accident that took her out of commission for several years, but has practicing a little bit here and there since, and is now settling into Andria's new place. I cannot wait to schedule my appointment with her there.

I've heard you are the average of the five people you hang around with most. I'll settle for even being in the same league as the five women I had lunch with yesterday. Hell, I'll settle for just being allowed to eat lunch with them. I forgot to take a picture yesterday. But I don't need one. Their influence is apparent, at least to me, in every part of my life.

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You all have accomplished piles of goals, too! Check out all the comments along the way and you'll see that Michelle from RI sent out her very first open appointments email, Cynthia in IL is rocking online bookings, Tracy in AR sold mucho gift certificates pre-holiday. And that's not all; Dena in MA shared her super-organized book-keeping system, I got to talk to Sara in IL about her teaching and businesses (I'm totally getting a treatment when I visit!) and we reminded Lucinda in the UK to follow up with some new clients. And more, there were more great comments and updates from you all, and I love every one.

We did good, people. You inspire me.

I'm shifting my focus and gearing up for  25 days away from my massage practice in January. My schedule is mostly full at the office, since I've booked all of my regular clients 2 to 3 visits out to plan around my travel, and my holiday promotions are complete, except for this week's email reminding clients about online gift certificates. It just makes sense to put Marketing Mondays on hold as we move through the holidays and I plan for my time away. I expect it'll be back in February-ish.

What's this vacation all about?

I'm going to Tucson for 3 weeks,  then I'll be stopping in Vegas to visit Andrea on the way home. But it's not really a vacation. I'm taking the time away from my massage practice so I can work on this here Blue Streak stuff and get ahead on projects for my marketing clients. I'm planning to work a 40ish hour work week while I'm there. I plan to play a lot, go for walks and take naps. I'm hoping Ben will take me dancing.

I'm nervous

I've never taken this much time away from my massage practice. I'm worried I'll lose some clients. This is entirely unfounded because my clients have been nothing but supportive (and happy I'm not moving away for good). But I'm still scared.

I'm extremely nervous about money. Three weeks is a long time to go without income from my massage practice. I've had to get really organized about what bills are due when and how I'm going to make it all happen. I am not great with budgeting. This plan is forcing me to get really good at it. I'm on a tight budget lockdown for both business and personal expenses, and that's giving me some great ideas to share with you! (Soon, very soon. I gotta work on it a bit more.)

Getting Creative

I've also decided to take the pressure off for the next month, and not pre-plan any posts for this blog. I'm only going to write creatively, when I want to. I've got a stack of ideas, all great topics I want to meander through. I plan to visit that and see what comes of it. For funsies.

Meanwhile...

What are your favorite cost-cutting tips? For business and home, I'm curious! Oh, any travel budget tips?

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It's no secret that I've got a solid crush on the Massage Therapy Foundation. For a long time I was batting my eyelashes at the Community Service arm of the organization exclusively. Really, what's better than a group that funds a massage program for a seniors in rural Indiana and Ohio? I can't imagine a warmer fuzzier feeling than knowing my donations help provide massage for soldiers returning from deployment. Oh, wait, I can get an even fuzzier feeling when I watch Tina Allen's documentary chronicling her trip to Japan in which she, "along with a select group of Japanese Nationals who received specialized training in Pediatric Massage by the Liddle Kidz Foundation, volunteered as part of an outreach working with those affected by the most powerful known earthquake ever to have hit Japan." Yeah. That's pretty awesome.

Lately I've been smitten with the Education branch, too. I've started the Basics of Research Literacy online course and I'm using the Education Toolbar occasionally when I need to access info fast, like when a client is sitting across from me and says, "Hey, my sister was just diagnosed with MS, is massage safe? Can it help?"

But research proper, oh, he is the boy that unnerves me.  He is dreamy and nerdy all at once. He is the winner of the science fair and I'm the awkward, nervous girl in need of a chemistry tutor. I've avoided the Research portion of the MTF for as long as I could. But the International Massage Therapy Research Conference is coming to my town and it's time to slap on some cherry lip balm and pucker up.

Luckily, I got to have a leisurely Skype chat with Ruth Werner, President of the MTF, about all the things that happen at a research event like this. (You can subscribe to the MTF blog here at the top of the column on the right to be sure you catch the posts with those videos, they're coming out soon. Teaser: I learned a new word. Also, I learned that it's up to us, the massage therapists, to determine applications of research findings, the scientists don't really handle that part.)

So by now you're probably thinking, "This is great for you, Allissa, and your little love analogy is cute, but what does this have to do with marketing? It's Monday, woman. I want my marketing tip." Here it is: all of this interaction with the MTF is really, really good for my business.

• When I'm talking with a parent of a pediatric client (or the head OT at a school for kids with autism), and I tell them I learned from Tina Allen, and perhaps I give them a link to her articles and resources, I look like a rock star. Okay, next to Tina I look more like a decent groupie, but I'm telling you, it helps.
• When my clients see that I prefer donations to the MTF over holiday gifts, that means something. That speaks to my credibility as a provider and my dedication to this profession.
• When I spend a minute looking up some research and arming a client with resources, that speaks to my dedication to my clients and their wellness.

These are not small matters for a business that depends on great word of mouth and referrals from other health care professionals.

I think one of the better marketing tips I could give you is this: Be in love with massage. Be passionate about the tools and resources that can make you better at your job. Be head-over-heels with sweaty palms for more knowledge. It's great for your business and good for your soul, too.

Image courtesy of Ambro/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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The following is a guest post from my friend Melissa Finley. She's kinda brilliant.

Firstly, why do I even care about the ethics of online sharing vs. stealing? I run a business page on Facebook called Anatomy In Motion. We have found it to be an amazing way to build a community of anatomy nerds as well as manage interactive advertising for the myology app we created.  Since my husband and I are the only people responsible for marketing, we create many of our own infographics. We make them for both Anatomy In Motion and my private practice Mending Hands. These posts are our originals, which means we are even more protective of them as our rightful intellectual property. Yet, our sites do not just consist of original content. We average three posts a day and there is no way that we could both have full time jobs, very active lives and be able to post that many articles, artwork and information without sharing from other sources. So, we share. We don't steal.

You might think, who cares? It's Facebook! Is it really stealing?!?  The truth is, yes. If you post something that you didn't create with out giving credit to the party that did -  you are stealing someone else's hard work and creativity.

So many things get passed around the internet that one may not find the originators information immediately. That doesn't give you the right to just take it as your own. While using the internet to market for our small businesses, I have come across the 3 attitudes of stealing, specifically on Facebook:

Reposting As Your Own, Knowingly

If you see an article you like or a photo someone else has posted - Share it. Facebook has even made it easy for you by having a "share" button at the end of every single post. You might think it's easier to save the image, then post it on your page as if you were the first person to contribute it to Facebook. That's stealing. If you find an article on your favorite blog or an image from an artist throwing up their work on Etsy - give them credit. Add their name in the description. On Anatomy In Motion we are constantly sharing from health organizations and scientific journals - we make sure to put a link at the end of each article to let people know who really originated the piece. More often than not, the images we post with information on Anatomy In Motion were found two completely different places.  The other day I saw one of my massage therapist friends on Facebook re-post an article and image from Anatomy In Motion as their own. He did not share it. Or tag us. Or even copy the entire piece that linked back to the author. I sent him a message politely asking him to give the site and author credit. He never responded, he just unfriended me. You might think this is not a big deal, but to a small business owner who spends quite a bit of time finding great articles and awesome images as part of their job - it's disrespectful.

Not Even Trying To Find The Original

Things get shared so much on the internet that by the time you come across an article or artwork, the author or artist's name is no longer attached. A quick google search can keep you from just pinching these works from the true source. On Anatomy In Motion - we find loads of diagrams and art that do not have names attached. When this happens we us reverse image engines to try and track that information down. We use three different search engines to try and find the first source before we post in on our wall. My favorite is a site called Tin Eye. You can upload the image or copy the web link and it will match up the image to other places it is found online. Yes, this takes a little more time than just posting whatever you want, but again it's about respecting the people who created this work you find worth sharing!

Deleting the Proof

I love making massage therapy related infographics. I think they are a great way to share support and research for massage. I have spent hours scouring massage studies to boil then down to offer clear and effective statements. I either create visual backgrounds from scratch or use royalty-free images to make them beautiful and informative. Yes, I am creating these images to be shared, but will also have my company name as part of the design. It's my brand and I am the one creating the infographic. This is how marketing works! I follow quite a few massage therapy companies and spas on Facebook as well. A few weeks ago, I saw a massage studio post one of our original infographics, but they had photoshoped "mending hands massage therapy" out of the image. Effectively, deleting the proof that this image was branded for my company. What makes me sad is that not only was this a fellow massage therapist stealing my property, but they had gone out of their way to delete the proof. Coincidentally, this studio was also located in my hometown and the town where my parents still live. I had sent my mother there for massages in the past, but will no longer give them my business. Your actions online, however quick and easy they may seem, really do show people what kind of business you are trying to run.

When I was first asked to contribute this post to Writing a Blue Streak (thank you, Allissa!) I was all kinds of fired up. After sorting out my thoughts on this topic and speaking to a few other self-employed massage therapists who also market their companies on Facebook, I got a little sad. Yes, we've all heard time and time again that massage therapists have a lot of caring, nurturing, supportive and generous ways about them. So why are we stealing from each other? One of my fellow LMT's brought up a great point by saying "Your client cares that you are out there connecting, learning, searching for more awesomeness and then bringing it back to them." I agree, so why steal content? If the point is to get your clients engaged through marketing on Facebook why not set a tone of sharing!

Melissa Finley is the co-creator of Anatomy In Motion and the owner of Mending Hands massage therapy. She is a graduate of the Swedish Institute - College of Health Sciences in New York City and has recently moved from Brooklyn, New York to Sarasota, Florida.  Melissa is a former ad sales marketing coordinator for Martha Stewart. She thinks napping is important and loves that her job is all about helping people feel better.

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Can I get an amen for serious productivity coupled with equal amounts of fun?!

Here's what I accomplished

I sent an email to clients on Wednesday reminding them about the gift certificate sale over the holiday weekend. I've sold just under $1,000 worth so far. I'll be putting that all right into savings and drawing from it as massages are redeemed. I haven't always been that diligent about the gift certificate funds, I'm committed to making that happen regularly now.

I sent out a "last minute appointment" email yesterday and filled both appointments right away. Sweet! It's a slow-ish week and I may send another out with appointments for Thursday and Friday. We'll see. I'll decide on Wednesday morning.

I added my own blogging aspirations (for my massage practice) into the Freebie Marketing Calendar. I'm shooting for two posts a month. I plan to use the "Blog idea! Client questions," for one post and I put another topic in for the second post as well. (You can see them highlighted in blue and pink.) I'm not starting until February with the Allissa posts, because I'll be away form my practice for three weeks in January, so it makes more sense to hold off. As I write posts, I'll put the links in the spreadsheet. You can feel free to take ideas and snippets from my blog and use in yours. In theory, you could use my stuff word for word, but then it would sound like me and not you, so I'll discourage that.

I took three days off from seeing clients and two days off from writing. I ran (sort of) in a very hilly Turkey Trot and made Thanksgiving arts and crafts with some fun little kids.  I went to the RISD art museum, ate delicious food at Kabob and Curry (and I got free lamb samosas for checking in on Facebook!) and wandered through the indie shops on Thayer Street. I watched most of The Big Lebowski.

What's next?

My big 'go underground' plan for writing the next ebook for you blew up. So I'm working on carving out some more time for that.

I don't have any new goals for my massage practice. At this point I'm coasting and just fitting clients in before I go away mid-January.  But, I need to prepare for the end of the year tax stuff, and review all my transactions to be sure I've got them categorized properly. So I'll hop on that.

What are you up to? Did you offer a sale over the weekend? How's it going?

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I did a good job a maintaining status quo the past few weeks. I didn't add anything new to my task list, but I didn't backslide, either. I'm calling that a win!

I also didn't send out a last minute appointment last week or this week. Why? Because I was super-booked already! It was so busy that I was relieved when I got a few cancellations that lightened up Friday and Saturday. Yay!

So here's what I did accomplish

I sent out an email telling clients about the 10% off sale over Thanksgiving weekend, and I've got a reminder set up to send Wednesday morning when the sale begins, too.

I knocked out this little gem for you about consistent branding. Booyah.

That's it. I'm cool with that. Sometimes less is more.

What's next

Short term: Blogging for my own massage practice. I'm going to create a schedule and embed it into the Freebie Marketing Calendar (so you can hold me accountable) and stick to it. I'm shooting for 2 posts a month.

Yes. This is a repeat. I didn't do it yet. But I will.

Big hugs and happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

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Inevitably, there is a conversation that goes like this

Me: The template you've chosen is really festive, but where's your logo?

Friend: That's so boring. I wanted this email to really stand out.

Me: You want your branding to be consistent across all your materials and venues so people will begin to recognize it and instantly know it's yours.

Friend: That's so boring. I want this email to be different.

Me: <<<sigh>>>

(The previous conversation was a silly dramatization. But not that much.)

Let's step back and look at some consistent branding

All of my emails have the same header.

My last minute appointment emails are pretty similar.

Both are stunningly similar to my business card.

And the header on my website.

And the sign outside my office.

The end result? No matter where a client finds me, no matter how long they go between appointments, or how much time passes from when they first stumble upon my existence to when they make their first appointment, they always see the logo and my name and know they've got the right girl.

When my email pops up to the top of their list in the morning "scroll & delete" session at the computer (or in bed on a smartphone), they see that image, recognize it, and make the decision to keep reading or delete.

You can still have fun

Having a consistent look doesn't mean you need to be stodgy and boring. Quite the contrary. You can change the background color or pattern You could include great photos of festive things. You can use a snappy seasonal headline.  But sending an email (or any communication, really) without your logo is absurd. You could write the best email/postcard/newspaper ad in the world that gets a huge response. Awesome. But you've missed a chance to created a visual association between your awesomeness and your logo/brand. Now the next time someone sees your logo, they won't be reminded of that awesomeness. It may as well have been the spa down the street.

I certainly don't think you have to do stuff exactly the same way I do stuff

I'm super minimalist. You may have garland and tinsel all over your office by now, and my decorations consist of a bow on the Vader cookie jar. That's cool. But keep this message in mind as you create new promotions. Make it easy for clients and potential clients to see and recognize you, it'll pay off in the long term more than an animated flashing christmas tree ever could.

If you need some inspiration, here are links to last year's holiday emails from my practice.

December 3 , 2011 & December 23, 2011. I only sent two last year. I don't remember why, but there it is.

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We all wear multiple hats, I bet your collection contains some of these: Business owner, parent, volunteer, employee, spouse, coach, employer and on and on. It can get tricky trying to play all of these roles, do a good job at them and still sleep.

Create a rhythm. Allow for improv.

There are tasks we have in our businesses that need to be done over and over. For example, when I started this Marketing Monday series it was because I needed to embrace some discipline about marketing my massage practice. While I'm not actively soliciting new clients, I need to keep in touch with current clients and continue to encourage bookings. I made a note in my schedule on every Monday reminding me to send a 'last minute appointment' email to clients, and I created a schedule of regular emails until mid-January. Know what? It's working great. I've sent four 'last minute appointment' emails and they've all had a great response. I send one newsletter-ish email that also result in a few bookings and a bunch of mentions from clients.  I'm in a rhythm now and this morning's open appointment email took me a whole 6 minutes to get ready and send out.

But last week was a little wacky. I'm in Massachusetts and we had that hurricane issue last week. I couldn't send the email Monday because we were mid-storm and I was uncertain if I would even have an office to see clients in all week. (After both of last year's storms, I lost power at the office for several days.) I didn't know until I got to the office Tuesday morning if all was well. (I am so very, very lucky to have had no damage and very little loss of business from that storm.)  Once I knew everything was good at the office and there was no major damage in the surrounding towns, I sent the emails and filled several appointments very quickly.

This was not a particularly valiant effort, I know. But typical my response would've been to just forget about it and not send an email at all. I knew I had to report back to you, so that lit a fire under me.

Make a list. Prioritize yourself.

Because we juggle so many tasks, it gets easy to blow off our own needs. I'm not (just) talking about having alone time or fun-with-friends time. I'm talking money. Income. Cash, baby. I do some volunteering and I love it. I love what I'm doing to help a non-profit organization and it's work that I'm really excited about. Unfortunately, sometimes my excitement leads to lousy priorities, and I spend more time working for free than working for me.

Every day, when I look at what I have to accomplish, I put one task at the top of the list that is just for me. One task that is likely to bring me more income, and fast. Sometimes it's an email to a client to ask how her physical therapy is going and let her know I have her favorite appointment time open next week. Or maybe a phone call to a client who is waiting for the Biofreeze that just came in. Yes, I encourage being generous with your time and money. It just feels good. But take care of your income first so it can take care of you.

What I've accomplished.

• Today I sent out my last minute appointment email. (It seems like a slow week, I've only gotten one response. Huh. We may need to rethink the timing. I get a better response when I send on Tuesday or Wednesday.)
• Last week I trade a client a massage for the file cabinet assembly project. I've installed the lock on the file cabinet.
• I gave the office assistant the file of receipts to organize.
• I got rid of a bunch of old, worn sheets.

What's next?

• Short term: Blogging for my own massage practice. I'm going to create a schedule and embed it into the Freebie Marketing Calendar (so you can hold me accountable) and stick to it. I'm shooting for 2 posts a month.
• Long term: I've been struggling to carve out time to write the next ebook for you. I decided that Thanksgiving week I'm going underground Wednesday afternoon through Sunday to write it, with a brief interruption just for dinner on Thanksgiving. I'm really, really excited about this next project, and I feel a palpable sense of relief now that I've carved out time for it!

How are you doing? Are you setting and meeting marketing goals?

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No doubt you've felt it, too. That moment, that day when you realize you're doing exactly what your supposed to be doing.  (It seems instantaneous, but really, it took hours and hours of hard work to get there. There's no such thing as an overnight success.)

Today I was up early writing and completing little tasks. Since I worked late last night, I took a break, turning off my phone and computer so I could decompress over coffee and a muffin and my new favorite tv show for 45 minutes. Then I had a choice. I could leisurely take a shower and head off to the office, running errands at a slow pace before my first client. Or I could go for a quick run (walk). Funny thing happened, I actually wanted to go outside and move. Usually I have to force myself. But today I wanted to. Not only that, but I made it to my landmark turn-around spot for a short run (walk) mostly running with less walking. I made it home with more running than walking. When I got home I pushed through some ab work. Then I busted out a little shiva nata.

It was all nearly effortless, like my actions were simply the natural order of things. I have no doubt there will be plenty of mornings in the future when I don't want to move. Time will tell how long this will continue. But I'll take it for today.

When was the last time you felt this way? What were you doing? How do you describe it?

Soundtrack for this morning: Florence and the Machine, Ceremonials (affiliate link).

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Last week I decided that I had client emails under control, so I moved on to conquering the pile of receipts begging to be organized. I scheduled time before my first client on Saturday and again on Monday. I think we all know where this is going. It didn't happen. I scheduled a client last minute for Saturday morning and again on Monday. (I took some extra time to polish the October email to my clients.) Upside: I've got more cash in my deposit. Downside: I've still got a pile of receipts to deal with.

I was getting a little stressed on Saturday,  thinking about how I was going to catch up. Then I remembered, my niece is looking for some odd jobs. I have an office assistant who can help with the overflow. The deadline for getting receipts organized is not that pressing, and it's not worth stressing about.

Then I went on a ghost tour (it was silly and fun). And a walk in the woods. And bought a pumpkin. And it was good.

I'm proud of myself. I adjusted my goals. I adapted my plan. And I gave myself time to have an adventure. This is an overall win in my world.

Things I did accomplish

• I got a 'last minute appointments' email out to clients Sunday  evening and filled up my week.
• I finished my October email to clients and sent it out this morning.
• I replaced the worn out cushion on my massage table with a memory foam topper.
• I placed my order for more sheets and Biofreeze from Massage Warehouse.
• I brought the box '0 file cabinet in from my car.
• Between clients, I cleaned out a few shelves in the messy closet.
• Did I mention the pumpkin?

So, not too shabby.

Next week

Box 'o File Cabinet

I would like to keep up with the weekly 'open appointment' emails. I want to touch up my office a bit. We've got a curtain sagging funny and the storage under my massage table is messy. I also need to spend some time swearing at assembling the new file cabinet. (Although I'm looking for someone to do that for me in trade. We'll see.)

Also, I need to carve that pumpkin.

(This post written over a breakfast sandwich and coffee.)

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Last week I sorted out my marketing priorities. I've got to conquer my email marketing, and I set up a schedule to make it happen. I sent out a Last Minute Appointments email yesterday, (got one booking already) and I'm almost done my October email. I need to proofread it later today, I'll share it with you on Facebook after I send it to clients this week.

It appears I have email (mostly) under control, so what's next?

Paperwork. Specifically, receipts.

No, it's technically not marketing, it's business management. But I'm going to let this squeak by.

I'm on a mission to get all my tax stuff together before I go away for a few weeks in January. I want the meeting with my accountant to be smooth and settled by the end of February. My receipts have been piling up for months and I need to put them in order and verify that I've got everything categorized properly. How am I going to do it? Well, I'll schedule it, of course! I've blocked off 90 minutes to tackle it later this week, and another hour early next week.

I'm curious how you organize expenses

I used Quicken for a few years. Then I tried QuickBooks for a year (hated it, it's not for me). Now I'm in iBank but I'm anxiously awaiting the release of the Mint Home and Business that was in beta testing this summer. But I've never found a system that works really great for me.

What do you do?

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I have been blind since birth, but blindness did not stand in the way of achieving my dream of becoming a licensed massage therapist.

When I was 14 years old I was involved in an accident that left me with chronic pain and massage was the only relief. I knew from that time, I wanted to be a massage therapist so I can help others. Massage school was a 3-year journey with overwhelming obstacles to overcome; but against all odds, I followed my heart and with perseverance and dedication – today I am a licensed massage therapist and recently became part of an awesome non-profit organization which promotes the talents of massage therapists who are blind and visually impaired.

I-AM is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization. It is a dynamic partnership of educators and management professionals who have collaborated to improve occupational training and employment opportunities in the wellness field for blind and visually impaired individuals since 2009. Funding for I-AM from 2010- 2011, provided economic empowerment for 5 licensed blind massage therapists who have been unemployed for 2 years.

I-AM Possible Spa Night, 2011

During its “I-AM Possible” pilot, our team (five blind therapists and one deaf esthetician) provided free therapeutic services to more than 1,000 New Jersey residents. We received astoundingly positive responses by successfully demonstrating our abilities. This led to the launch of New Jersey’s first-ever sensory disabled mobile spa service. I-AM was recognized recently by WFME Radio for pushing beyond barriers and giving back to the community through the healing power of touch by therapists who just happen to be blind.

I-AM is dedicated to enhancing the health and well-being of our communities while supporting career advancement for blind and visually impaired individuals. Initially, I-AM is focusing on services to northern New Jersey with eventual expansion to the rest of the NJ-NY metro area and beyond.

This year we are raising funds to expand our mobile services through the launch of I-AM’s training/ apprenticeship wellness clinic, which will be an inviting sanctuary where community members can affordably relax and escape the stresses and pressures of their everyday life and rejuvenate their energies through therapeutic services.

I-AM works very hard to provide career advancement for New Jersey’s blind and visually impaired population and hope I can count on your support for a tax-deductible donation of $5.00 or more. However, please note that any donation amount is always welcomed. Your tax-deductible donation will do so much to help purchase assistive technologies and clinic equipment. Your donation will also be acknowledged on I-AM’s website and newsletter.

Blind and visually impaired individuals can do extraordinary things if given a chance with the appropriate conditions, attitudes and encouragement, and should be recognized as equals in the workplace. Every individual deserves the freedom to pursue employment on a level playing field, without discriminatory barriers.

For additional information, please visit our website at www.iammassageskinclinic.com or you may contact the founder, Nancy De Siervo, directly 201-493-0987. You can donate online or if you prefer, send your donation in the form of a check payable to I-AM and mail to I-AM P.O. Box 423, Waldwick, NJ 07463 Thank you we are so very grateful for your support!

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(Well, this week it's on a Tuesday because of Columbus Day + my desire to take a day off after Convention + my lack of interwebs ability from home yesterday).

Last week we talked about discipline, and my lack of it.  You chimed in with great comments (Sidebar- I love you all so much, thanks for sharing.) Together we'll be getting our acts together, getting organized and getting results.

I'm starting with emails

I've failed to be super-consistant in sending both monthly emails as well as 'open appointment emails' to my client list. I also know from conversations (online and offline) with you that many of you are struggling with this as well.

Many of you (like me) have systems in place, but are not using them enough. Some of you have been diligently collecting email addresses but don't know where to start. I'm going to lay out MY plan for MY massage business, and then I'll get you some resources to get you going, wherever you're at.

I've gone through my calendar, the same one that I schedule clients on, and created a recurring note on Monday mornings to send an Open Appointments email. I checked for this week already, and my schedule is mostly full, so I'm not sending one today. Just having that in my schedule is a good nudge, and dramatically increases the chances that I will actually do it.

Next, I decided how many marketing/ keep-in-touch emails I wanted to send between now and mid-January and set the dates for them. I decided to not just plan up to Christmas, because I know that I'll flake out post-holiday and then blow it all off if I don't have something planned. Also, I'm going away for  several weeks starting mid-January and will need to keep my clients alerted to that, so it's just a good cut-off for me. You should decide what works for you. This is what I've planned:

• October 18- general Hello! Here's what's been going on!
• November 15 - Once a year Gift Certificate sale, happening 11/20-24, extra discount on packages of 5
• November 20- reminder of sale
• December 13- Happy Holiday, heads up- I'll be away 1/14-2/8ish
• December 27 -Get scheduled before 1/13, great referrals for while I'm gone
• January 8-Buh-bye- here are some options for when I'm gone.

On the Monday prior to each email, I've scheduled an hour to actually write it and set it up to send. I wrote the topic of each right into the calendar item so I have no excuses to avoid it. Also, I'm checking out Kelli's recent post, What does your email newsletter look like? to be sure my templates look good.

So that's what I've done this week. I identified my priority and created a plan.

What's your priority? If it's not email, that's cool, I still want to hear about it so I can get you resources to help.

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