Being successful as a business owner in today’s market comes with a host of challenges. And making strides as a mobile massage therapy service provider has its own set of obstacles. Take a moment to learn how to overcome some of those hurdles to earn income like never before.
Raymorn “Ray” Edden is a mobile massage therapy service provider, who has been in the wellness industry for almost seven years. At this stage in his career, his business that’s named Relax Miami is overflowing with clientele. But none of that success happened by chance.
Ray applied tried and true methods to help him earn a host of different clients, who frequently visit the vacation spots in Miami, Florida. Some of his clients learn about his work through word of mouth. But most of them find out about his work via social media, which has gained this mobile service provider new followers much faster than any other marketing strategy.
Already, Ray works with five different wellness professionals, who are learning from his tutelage and benefiting from the clientele that he shares. Keep reading to apply some of the same techniques to your business, especially if you plan to take your services on the road.
As an effort to share his recipe for success, Ray talked about his journey and how he was able to make the kind of professional moves that are both motivating and therapeutic. Learn from his experience. And find out exactly how he uses social media to market his mobile massage therapy services, while still finding time to work with clients inside two different wellness centers.
Like many professionals who specialize in mobile massage therapy, Ray began his career inside a wellness center. More specifically, he started off working at a spa in Coral Springs, Florida. Ray took on his first industry job immediately after earning his massage therapy license.
His transition into providing mobile massage therapy services happened almost overnight. A client suggested the idea. But Ray remembers carefully thinking things over before bringing his services to that client. In the end, the incentives outweighed any trepedations that he felt.
That same client who first encouraged him to become a mobile massage therapy provider had access to a number of different spas in her area. But she told Ray that experiencing a wellness treatment inside her home was something she simply preferred. And after only a year, a number of other motivations encouraged Ray to expand his mobile massage therapy business.
“I just said, ‘you know what, I'm going to totally transition to being mobile.’ It has less overhead. I don't have to rent a spot. And I don't have to buy this or pay for that. But low overhead was the number one reason, because as a new therapist, I didn't have much money,” said Ray.
Fortunately for Ray, earning income wasn’t a problem for long. After stepping into the world of providing mobile massage therapy services, Ray was able to make price adjustments based on his level of experience. He also learned to adjust his rates to compensate for travelling fees.
Today, he is able to charge between 50% to 70% more than the average massage therapist working inside of a wellness center, he said. And his list of clientele steadily grows based on both referrals and his growing social media presence, a tool that he has learned to master.
According to Ray, being able to attract a steady list of clientele is paramount to the success of any mobile service provider who is starting out. But there are a number of ways a professional can help boost their number of clients requesting mobile massage therapy services.
First off, Ray has been able to brand his business in a unique way. Since Ray works in Miami, tourism is a major factor. He noticed early on in his career that getting the attention of tourists and locals who regularly visit tourist sites would help him succeed in a big way. So, he centered his brand around the idea of marketing to travelers visiting Miami to unwind.
“People come down to Miami and they want to relax—they want to have everything taken care of for them. They want to be catered to. And they want a concierge type of energy with everything. So, I created the name Relaxed Miami. And it was a niche because everybody wants to come here and just relax. They don't want to have to deal with anything,” he said.
To help promote the idea of relaxation while appealing to the tourist market, Ray made changes to his social media account to ensure that it would give off a vibe that travelers would appreciate. He posted images of VIP treatments, massages on sandy beaches, and luxurious bachelorette parties. And all of his efforts led to more business and social media followers.
“Social media marketing plays a big part in my business. Everybody gets to comment online and share their experiences. Almost immediately, I started getting great feedback and gushing reviews on social media, because I was traveling to clients. And that just made them want to stick with me even more,” he said.
Social media has been without a doubt one of the key factors that helped Ray succeed as a mobile massage therapy provider. Although he first and foremost recommends creating an esthetically pleasing Instagram profile that showcases a brand, it’s important to take things a step further.
Ray was able to network online with social media influencers. Specifically, he attracted the attention of Amara Lanegra and Ari The Don, who opened the door to a host of different high end clientele, since their Instagram accounts have a combined total of over 7.5 million followers.
“These two women are really huge on social media. And they both represent beauty, they both represent elegance. They both are powerful, strong women who dominate this new social media era of marketing. And they feature me over and over again, because of the brand I created and the services I provide,” Ray said.
Ray admits that it may be tricky to collaborate with a social media influencer, since those relationships have to be built organically. But one way to start meeting those types of powerful influencers is to network on social media with fellow industry professionals, who want to collaborate through cross-promotion.
Reaching out to mobile nail techs, on-site beauty professionals, and in-home chefs introduced Ray to a host of new people, who were ready for collaborations. And that helped Ray meet more customers who wanted his mobile services.
To collaborate with other mobile providers, he features them on his social media posts and Instagram reels. And they in turn feature him. This technique lets everyone he works with expand their reach. Remember that they’re not offering competing services. Instead, they share clients who are seeking a number of different mobile providers.
At this stage, Ray is comfortably working within a 30 mile radius of his home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. When clients book, they generally pay a travel fee. Then he gives them a window of about two hours when he can arrive. And that's because he gets a lot of his business on the spur of the moment. Ray works seven days a week, and he's available for bookings between 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
To encourage repeat business, Ray offers packages of 5 to 10 sessions. During those package sessions, he generally provides lymphatic massages. And that strategy of specializing in post-op services helps customers receive the maximum benefit from his wellness services. But it also helps Ray earn a steady flow of loyal clientele, who regularly post pictures of his services on Instagram and hashtag his treatments.
The final piece of advice that Ray offered to any on-site service provider is to avoid paying hefty fees to hire social media marketing professionals. And that’s especially true for mobile massage therapy providers who are just starting out. Instead of spending large sums on social media marketing, spend more time on Instagram. But make sure it’s authentic, he said.
“Above all else, you have to include yourself, your genuine self, on your social media pages in order for it to work. You have to include your genuine self, and not the image of what you think people want to see. So, one thing I never do is make up stuff. Everything that I post is where I am and who I am and it’s where I go. And that’s a very accessible strategy, because I'm just very candid about everything that I do,” said Ray.
