Question

Topic: Advertising/PR

Marketing Via Email And Word Of Mouth

Posted by Anonymous on 8/2/2008 at 5:33 PM ET 250 Points
I am a new consultant with the spa industry. We help people from new concept all the way through turning their spa around. I assist the owner in gaining new clientele and marketing/pr work.

My question is: How does one FIND clientele through the internet (need clients in and outside the USA) without "spamming" people through email, or through forums? The sites I have found are classifieds, but they have spam rules of not contacting consumers with commercial interests, etcetc. I have few funds to play around with, so paying to do these services will not work until I get everything up and going. Does anyone have any advice here?

Also, next question, is word of mouth, and gaining exposure through inexpensive means? What are some creative methods used out there for consultants to market themselves and not "soliciting" businesses.

Appreciate any input, as I am struggling to put a plan together that will work. Thank you.

Dawn
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by Gail@PUBLISIDE on 8/2/2008 at 5:56 PM Accepted
    Contribute your help expertise on the spa industry to blogs and forums that discuss topics about which you are knowledgeable. This is not spamming, but simply a way to develop relationships with bloggers and readers. Assuming you are an expert in your industry, your comments will be taken into careful consideration as people get to know you through your contributions. It takes time, but so does developing buyers instead of lookers.

    Don't rule out traditional publicity, either. Inform editors and reporters in your targeted media about trends and changes in the spa industry. An example could be a story about a way that people are dealing with high fuel prices yet still enjoying the benefits of a spa. Maybe fewer people are traveling because of high fees this summer, yet they're enhancing their homes with spa-type products to pamper themselves. (I don't know this to be a fact, but it's an example of how you can piggyback off of a news element and create a different angle.)

    Hope these thoughts help!
    gail
  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 8/3/2008 at 9:32 AM Member
    (Aside: Why specifically the Internet/forums? One obvious answer is that it's basically free to send 1 or 1,000,000 emails. However, just because you can contact someone doesn't mean that they'll read what you send them.)

    You can purchase (or rent) email lists of your target market. List vendors can segment the list by a number of variables. You'll want to verify that the lists are indeed up-to-date, contain opted-in contacts, etc.

    You might also consider advertising in (or writing an article for, or using the mailing list of) Day Spa Magazine (https://www.dayspamagazine.com) or other industry-wide media.
  • Posted by CarolBlaha on 8/3/2008 at 10:12 AM Member
    Do you offer design build? This is a company I regularly work with with my rep agency. They https://spastrategy.net/index.htm align themselves with spas in hotels (I just worked with them on a local Ritz Carlton). If you don't have this service, fusion market with another firm that does. As in the example above, check out how they've leveraged their business with great strategic partners. If your firm only does marketing, fusion market with a firm like my example.

    Sell Well and Prosper tm
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