The educational sessions at ISPA were innovative, dynamic and inspirational. And as Tony Hsieh from Zappos explained, inspiration drives action.
Ready to leave Las Vegas, my bags were packed and I was looking forward to the last session “How to Rapidly Grow Your Business with New Social Media Marketing Strategies.” Speaker Michael Stelzer captivated the audience when he said, “Get ready because I am going to completely shift your perspective from what you’ve traditionally learned in marketing to the radical truths of marketing today.” What was the founder of Social Media Examiner , the world’s largest online magazine specializing in social media, about to say? Allow me to share.
The only constant is people.
Today, industries advance, ideas expand, products morph and customers change at an alarming rate. However, people don’t change at their core.
What do people want?
- Great insight
- Access to great people
- Recognition
Your customers want these things before your products and services. Therefore, in order to be successful, your spa business must stay focused on other people and their desires.
Remove the “give to get” mentality
In the social age, this old thought process simply doesn’t work. No one can predict when people are ready to buy. Marketing messages are coming from everywhere, all the time: television, billboards, email, the Internet and even in bathroom stalls. This marketing onslaught causes two problems. One, it’s overwhelming: people completely tune out and seek refuge from the marketing “rain.” Two, people by default don’t trust you or your business.
It sounds harsh, but it’s true. Do you trust every company selling to you? Traditional “in your face” marketing is friction for your spa’s growth. The more you sell, the more you repel. So, what’s your spa to do?
Focus on other people first
If people inherently want great insight, the solution is to provide quality, relevant content to your audience. Meet their core desires by helping them solve their problems at no cost. At first, this might sound crazy. But you must look deeper. If you help people with the smaller issues, inevitably they will look to you for answers to their bigger problems.
Survey your customers, answer questions they want to know, then provide engaging “how to” information and insight using your social media channels. Regularly post content in your blog then spread the word via your newsletter, Facebook page, Google Plus page and Twitter. Engage with your audience and keep the conversation going. Over time, your spa becomes a credible source of information and perceived as a thought leader in your niche. Content marketing keeps you moving, draws people to you and establishes trust. If you still doubt the evidence of opportunity for your spa in social media, read this.
The Elevation Principle
(Great content + other people) – marketing messages = Growth
The Elevation Principle requires that you do not focus on yourself and your business. Instead, shine the spotlight on others such as outside experts, successful peers and your client’s companies. Because when you lift people up, they lift you up and everyone can rise.
How does this apply to the spa industry?
Theoretically, this sounds great, but it made me think: how can this realistically be applied to the spa industry? Stay tuned for the next article in the series to find out practical ways you can apply this new marketing paradigm to your spa.