Massage Therapy Career Niche
finding it, marketing, and bringing in big bucks!

If you are searching for a massage therapy career niche, or the type of massage you want to specialize in, here are the steps to finding the "niche" that's right for you, finding classes you need to take, how to advertise and market niche services, and how to find specialty massage therapy jobs in your niche.

Find a Massage Therapy Career Niche, market your niche, charging more for a niche....and making the most of your career!

Choosing A "Niche"

Out of all the different types of massage therapy you have learned, choose the one that is most interesting and you would enjoy practicing on a regular basis.

And take it a step beyond that. What type of massage do you see yourself growing your business with, marketing to potential clients, or maybe even learning advanced levels over a period of a few years?

Or, what type of massage can you learn and then add your own techniques to make it a specialized "niche" that only you practice?

Steps to finding your massage therapy career niche:

1. Create a Niche You Enjoy

If you don't like offering deep tissue massage, that should not be you niche specialty. But if you love helping folks who have been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, then that should be your niche.

Learn all you can about Fibromyalgia, take all the classes you can find on how to give Fibromyalgia massage, and learn where to connect with Fibromyalgia patients.

If you enjoy facial massage, market this as your "#1 Add-on Service", or if Baby Massage is what you love, market to pediatricians who see infant patients everyday, and who talk to mothers that are searching for answers on helping their baby sleep through the entire night.

2. Find Continuing Education Classes

Getting the training to work in your massage therapy career niche may sound easy, but finding the right classes, that will teach you skills, proper techniques, and how to market your training is another story.

Search for "well-known" CE providers in the niche you wish to study. Those who are known to provide good instruction in the classroom or online are usually the instructors who provide all skills needed to begin practicing the massage specialty immediately, as well as provide information on how to market your services.

Then go a step further.

Find another CE provider who teaches the same course, but on a slightly different angle, and take that course too. Then, incorporate the two to create your own technique for that niche.

3. Market your Niche

Now that you found your niche, how do you market it?

After you obtained the proper training and skills to work with your niche, you must get the word out.

9 Tips to Marketing a Massage Niche

• You can start by telling everyone you know what you are doing. A great way to do this is through social media.
• No matter which social media outlets you use (many people use Facebook for promoting their business), talk about the niche in detail, benefits of the service, what types of medical issues it might help, and what the session would involve.
• So many people ask us (even in the grocery store or at church) questions like ”What’s going on with you?” Tell them you are excited about this specialized type of massage you are working with now.
• In CranioSacral Massage for instance, you can tell them how excited you are to be helping those who suffer from chronic low back pain, chronic headaches, or neck pain. You can say how much better client's feel and how rewarding the work is because of the relief client's feel after the therapy.
• Give them some of your business cards and ask them to let their friends know that they can get relief from pain with your new skills.
• You could also go online and join a local forum or support group that deals with your new niche market. For instance, with fertility massage, join fertility support groups and contact fertility specialists, health food stores, and other massage therapists who do not have training in this niche.
• You should also create a website to promote your massage therapy career niche. Read more about how easy it can be to build your own website to market your services. This gives you the opportunity to really explain in detail the benefits of your services to potential clients.
• Show pictures of your office on the website. This makes people less apprehensive about using your practice.
• On your website, advertise your credentials, without the initials. Most people don't know what NCBTMB or AMTA mean, or even what a LMT is. They do understand however, what Nationally Certified, Registered Reflexology Practitioner, or Licensed Massage Therapist means.
• Search for physicians and other healthcare providers whose patients might benefit from your services. At some point, they may be prepared to offer you a job or office space in their practice.
• Look for "niche" support groups (like Fibromyalgia or fertility) that meet at churches or community centers. Offer to speak at their meeting and hand out brochures and business cards. They too can pass the word to their physicians who may want to hire a massage therapist with your experience in their office.
• Market your services in natural health food stores in your city. People who visit these stores are very likely to use massage therapy services also. At some point, the store owner may consider hiring a massage therapist.
• Be sure to look for local forums online and actively participate in discussions. Again, those who use your practice may pass information on to their doctor.
• Market your massage therapy career niche to other massage therapists who do not specialize in the "niche" that you provide.
• Market to popular hair dressers, nail techs, and licensed Estheticians in your community. They also see lots of people and can recommend your services. Provide business cards and brochures for them to distribute. Offer 30 minute free massages for every five people they send to you.

This book, Massage Therapy Career Guide for Hands-On Success by Steve Capellini is a great book for folks considering massage therapy as a career, choosing a massage therapy career niche, as well as those already in the massage profession. It gives guidance on how to become a massage therapist and what the profession is all about. It's full of great ideas and tips for creating a successful practice.

19 Niche Therapies that Bring in Big Bucks

Use all of these steps to start promoting your massage therapy career niche, and watch the increased business increase your bottom line in no time.