Let's Get Digital

May 1, 2009 By: American Spa Staff American Spa

Spas are all about touch and its power to heal, nurture, and relax. But in the last few years, the word "touch" has taken on a new meaning, as in "stay in touch." Today, one of the most current ways to stay in touch is still through the fingertips, but using a keyboard. Yes, the internet has infiltrated the spa world, too, and we now have more ways to stay in touch with our clients than ever before. Here's an update on some of the latest trends in social networking and how to leverage the power of the internet to market your spa.

PHOTOGRAPHY: SHUTTERSTOCK (WOMAN AT COMPUTER)

Wow Them With Your Website

It's a given that your spa has a website, but just having a website does not make for a robust marketing plan. How are you using that website to drive business to your spa? It needs to do more than just provide your spa's address, phone number, and hours of operation. If you have been collecting email addresses from all of your clients, entering them into your database, and sending them regular communication via email marketing tools, you're on the right track. According to a recent International Spa Association (ISPA) survey, 86 percent of surveyed spas were using email marketing to communicate with clients. But email blasts are a one-way conversation—they don't provide a platform for dialogue.

Discover the Benefits of Blogs

A great website and email marketing program are just the beginning. Once you've got your site up and running, consider adding a blog. Blog is shorthand for weblog, and it's basically like a diary or journal in that the content is typically posted chronologically and written in the first person. There are several popular blog creation sites that make blogging easy; once your spa's blog is set up, you write your content and click on the "publish" button. Since blogs are easier to publish and update than regular websites, you'll probably update it more often. This helps your spa get picked up by search engines like Google, and blogging about spa topics that are of interest to clients will help your site move higher in search rankings. A blog can also be a way to communicate what's new to clients in a more informal manner. Clients can subscribe to your blog so that they stay current.

PHOTOGRAPHY: SHUTTERSTOCK (HAND WITH PHONE)

Glen Ivy, a chain of spas in Southern California, recently introduced a blog. Communications director Jennifer Steinhart and a co-worker both post regularly, which gives the blog new ideas in differing voices. "The blog extends the Glen Ivy spa experience to our readers in between their visits to the spa," says Steinhart. "It's a new way for us to connect to guests and for them to share their memories with others." She typically posts to the blog at least once a week, and sometimes more, as it's important to keep content fresh and keeps people coming back to visit. Glen Ivy's blog has had almost 800 hits in its first two months. As Steinhart says, "Having a blog is a benefit to Glen Ivy, because it allows us to quickly share new content with the public and gives a personal voice to the company."