Press Release Power Guide – Only $7 Bucks!

Posted on September 29, 2011 by Eric

How do you establish your expertise, increase your credibility and get people talking about you?

Get press coverage!

I’m a big fan of leveraging the press and have done it very successfully, getting coverage for my massage practice in major daily and national newspapers, radio and television.

I’ve produced a comprehensive course about it called “Press Release Profits” that’s available at BodyworkBiz. It takes you step by step through the process of getting media coverage. That course is well worth the investment, but it might seem a little expensive for you right now.

So when I came across a manual called “Press Release Power” by Paul Clifford a press release specialist with Rave Press, I contacted him and made arrangements to get it to you at a very special price.

It’s a solid little guidebook that covers all the basics around press releases and is written by someone that actually knows what they are talking about.

In this 59 page e-book, you’ll learn how to:

Write a Press Release that works for you and not against you
Have you website rank higher as a result of press release backlinks
Get your release gets syndicated across the web
Get maximum SEO juice from Google by avoiding one very common mistake
Save time thinking up topics (you will get a list from the guide)
Select the keywords that actually matter
Write Headlines that make your press release spread virally
and much more!

Paul sells the book on Amazon for $18.99 and you can go to Amazon to check it out…

However, I’ve purchased the rights to distribute it and you can get right now for just $7. That’s probably less than the cost of lunch at McDonalds (although I never eat there, so I wouldn’t really know.)

I still like my press coverage course better and it’s much more comprehensive, but if you are just exploring the idea and want to know what the benefits are and the basics of getting a press release written and published, this is a fantastic primer at a price that won’t eat through your wallet.

Click here to purchase “Press Release Power” for only $7

This is an ebook and you will have instant access. Like almost everything at BodyworkBiz, it’s covered by my 100% no questions asked money back guarantee. So you have nothing to risk by taking action now.

A massage logo: Is it really necessary?

Posted on August 22, 2011 by Eric

Most newly graduated massage therapists can’t wait to print up their brand new massage business cards. As they start to put the design together one of the first things they come up against creating a massage logo for their card.

What’s the purpose of a massage logo and is it really necessary?

There are iconic logos all around us. They serve as a visual representation of a brand. For example, do you know what companies or brands these logos represent?

Logos are used in brand advertising to create and reinforce a certain level of familiarity with a product. They are also used to anchor and reproduce a certain feeling or emotion that the logo is associated with. For this reason logos (and branding in general) are much more important for commodity products, that is products where there is very little perceived difference in the customer’s mind.

Faced with a rack of chocolate bars at a supermarket checkout for example, an advertiser wants a consumer to feel an instant sense of familiarity and comfort with picking their brand. They do this primarily through logo design (there’s not room to put anything more than a logo on a chocolate bar wrapper) which has been associated with a certain message or certain feeling through extensive brand advertising on TV and in print media. If that chocolate bar doesn’t get picked instantly from the sea of similar sweets, then that manufacturer is out of luck.

Most small businesses, massage businesses included, don’t have the same need to brand as the chocolate bar manufacturer. Massage is not a “commodity” item. It’s what marketers would call a “high involvement” product. The typical consumer doesn’t see ten clinics lined up down the street and on a whim choose one. They research, get advice about, seek referrals to, talk about, and take time deciding before they pick up the phone to book a massage. The need for instant visual recognition is really not that strong.

So for therapists, massage logos tend to serve more as decorative elements in the design of stationery than any kind of sales or branding tool.

Rules and principles of massage logo design

Here are some basic rules and principles for creating your own massage logo.

1. Keep it simple

Avoid a lot of detail. Clients are only going to look at it momentarily and step away with an impression. Keeping the design simple makes your logo easier to remember and easy to reproduce.

2. Don’t get too literal

Your logo doesn’t have to convey what you do. Think of some of the greatest logos: Golden arches (nothing to do with burgers), a swoosh (nothing to do with running shoes) or an apple (nothing to do with computers). So you can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that you really don’t have to have hands in your logo… seriously, you don’t.

3. Make it memorable

To be memorable your logo should be bold, graphic and unique. Avoid clichés. There are so many logos that contain images of hands and the low back curves that they are now indistinguishable from one another.

4. It should work without colour

You never know how your logo will be reproduced, so it should look good in black and white or greyscale.

5. Be scalable

Your massage logo must look good whether big or small. You should be able to shrink your logo down to an inch and have it still be recognizable or readable. It should look good blown up on a storefront sign as well.

6. Aim for rectangular

Our eyes roll easily across images that are wider than they are tall. Go for a wide image rather than a tall one.

7. Use your company name

If it makes sense, use your name or your company name as your logo. This is called a logotype or wordmark. It does double duty making your name part of the design rather than an addendum. I’ve done this at BodyworkBiz…

In short, don’t sweat it. A logo is not going to make or break your massage business.

If you are just starting out, you can create appealing sales materials without a logo by using simple typefaces and good quality images.

If your logo is not up to snuff then consider tossing it. It’s better to have a clean layout in your website and collateral materials rather than stick with an ugly and impractical logo simply for the sake of having a logo.

I’ll post examples of good and bad massage logos to my blog over this next week so you can see how massage logos work or don’t work using these rules.

If you liked this post, please share on Facebook or your favorite sharing site by clicking the share button below.

A fantastic online service…

Posted on January 28, 2011 by Eric

Here’s a free online service called DropBox that I’ve been using for more than six months now. I love it.

If you work on files from multiple computers you definitely need to look at this. You won’t have to carry files around with you on a USB drive or email the files to yourself. I can’t tell you the frustration that has saved me.

Do you have your files backed up? You can use this service to back up all the important files on your hard drive. It saves the files off-site, so if something happens to your computer (it gets stolen or just crashes), you can easily retrieve all your files. As you make changes to any files, the changes are updated automatically off-site. You’ll never have to remember to backup again. It will just happen automatically for you.

Oh yes, one other thing. I use it to share files, like photos. Just upload the files you want to share and give the person permission to access. You can choose exactly what folders you want to share and who you share them with.

It’s a simple installation and you can be using it within minutes.

Did I mention it’s free?

You can get more info (watch the video) or subscribe to the service here: http://db.tt/Uuu58Vk

There are a number of online tools that I use regularly (most are free) and I’ll share more of them with you over the coming weeks.

Do you have a favorite online service or tool that you like to use? Post it below in the comments section.

The problem with workshops…

Posted on January 26, 2011 by Eric

The problem with most workshops is that you learn lots of great information, but none of it gets integrated into your practice. So for besides the entertainment value, it ends up being a waste of time and money.

Why doesn’t your newfound knowledge get used?

I see three primary problems:

There is just too much stuff. I call this a data dump. It’s too much at once and it’s hard to know where to start.
There are snags. You may have the best intentions, but there are always little (sometimes itsy bitsy) issues that come up and that bring your good intentions to a screeching halt.
There is no accountability. You’re on your own. Nobody but you really cares if you make changes or not.

At BodyworkBiz, I’ve taken a number of steps to ensure this never happens with a BodyworkBiz e-course.

You’ll never be overwhelmed with tons of useless information. The lessons are extremely focused on one idea or one task and you are pulled through the material at a comfortable pace through daily or weekly emails.
If you every find that you get stuck, help is just a keystroke away. Access the discussion group for the course you’re taking and either myself or the other participants will help you out and get you over the hump.
Lastly, I’ve found a solution to the accountability issue: A study buddy! I’m testing out this strategy for the 60 Clients and 60 Days course and if it is successful and I get positive feedback, I’ll roll it out to all courses.

The study buddy concept in 128 words…

When you register for the 60 Clients and 60 Days online e-course you’ll have the ability to sign up someone to take the course with you at NO COST.

This is not a two for one deal. The idea is that you find someone that will go through the process with you to encourage you and hold you accountable to taking action. Check in with each other on a weekly basis to make sure you are both keeping on track.

Your study buddy will get unrestricted access to all the course resources. And if you decide that your study buddy is not doing their job and not helping you in the process, you can give their spot to someone that can provide you with the support you need.

You can choose your study buddy any time you’re ready by using the controls in your Resource Center.

Watch this short video…

Get the 60 Clients in 60 Days e-course at half price…

For a limited time you can get the 60 Clients in 60 Days program at half price and register a study buddy for free. You’ll save $49.50.

It’s an e-course that will revolutionize your practice. You’ll have more new clients than you’ve ever had before. You’ll also find a renewed sense of self-confidence as you take control of your practice and your financial success and discover your ability to extend your reach and help more people in your community.

Go here to here about some of the results people have had:
http://bodyworkbiz.com/60days-results.php

Go here to get all the details:
http://bodyworkbiz.com/60days.php

Purchase the program at half price now:

http://bodyworkbiz.com/cgi-bin/store/quikstore.cgi?product_id=6

This is a time limited offer, so take action today.

All the best,

Eric Brown, Grand Massage Poobah
www.bodyworkbiz.com

PS The first time I offered this course, over 200 people signed up within several days. I didn’t anticipate the response. I ended up taking the course off the site to prevent more people from buying so I could give each student the attention they needed and answer their questions personally. Based on the initial response to my offer I may need to do that again, so don’t put off your decision for long. Order now

. . .

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YouTube IS Social

Posted on November 2, 2010 by Eric

Most people think of YouTube as a video sharing site, but in actuality it can be classified as a social networking site.

As of October 28th, 2010, 1 billion people have subscribed to various YouTube channels!!

For those of your who aren’t familiar with subscriptions on YouTube, they are the same as Friends in Facebook or Followers in Twitter.

I’ve been preaching the value of incorporating video marketing into your practice for some time now. It’s a powerful and untapped opportunity.

If you have an existing channel, make it easy for people to subscribe. cut and paste this widget code into your website:

Just replace the [add YouTube Username here] with your own channel username. When you do you get something that looks like the image you see above. You can see it in action on my son’s site at http://www.seththechef.com.

My son Seth has received thousands of visits from people in over 50 countries since he built the site earlier this year (he was only ten!) He did it all himself with a little advice from Dad and by using YouTube as a marketing tool.

Video Marketing is just one of the many topics I’ll be covering in the BodyworkBiz e-Marketing for Massage Professionals e-Course. Sign up today to learn how to market your practice online. Get more info here:

http://www.bodyworkbiz.com/web.php

e-Marketing for Massage Professionals e-Couse…

Posted on October 15, 2010 by Eric

It’s been years in the making and it’s coming this Monday…

It’s the no-hype, totally practical, step-by-step guide to building your practice using the Internet…

…the e-Marketing for Massage Professionals e-Couse!

The Internet is one of the largest untapped resources for building your massage practice. The world is online and they are using the web to find massage professionals in their neighborhoods. Are they going to find you?

This comprehensive program cuts through the hype and provides you with practical, step-by-step guidelines for using the Web to build your massage business. Surprisingly most of the tools that are available to you are low-cost or no-cost.

My gift to you…

This is one of the most substantial courses I ever created. Like the other 101 courses at BodyworkBiz this one has 101 lessons delivered over a five month period.

If you haven’t purchased one of these courses from the site before, I’d like to send you the first week of lessons as a gift. So starting Monday you’ll get a daily email from me at no cost. These will be the actual course lessons.

If you like what you see and you can see its value for your practice, you can simply sign up for the program while it’s half price. If not, then that’s fine, enjoy the first week of class.

In this 101-day course you’ll discover…

How to get your website ranked highly be all the search engines
The fastest and easiest way to rank at the top of Google search results
How to use Facebook and other sites you already visit regularly to get new clients
Ways to ramp your word-of-mouth marketing up to warp speed
Why you absolutely need to start making videos
Completely legitimate ways that Internet marketers use to have links to their site syndicated across the Internet
What to do when you get a negative review on an online review site
The most effective place to advertise online
And much more. That’s just breaking the surface…

But web marketing seems too complicated, doesn’t it? Not anymore.

Even if you don’t know a bit from a byte or an FTP from a KFC, this course will make the process of getting clients through the web as simple as 1, 2, 3.

I’ll take you step-by-step through the whole process. We’ll make using the Internet to grow your business practical, doable and inexpensive. The course is hype-free and provides no-nonsense strategies that work.

And best of all, it’s…

Surprisingly easy
Low or no cost
Simple to maintain
Fun to do
Can be mostly automated
And will boost your massage income dramatically

Why listen to me?

There are lots (and I mean lots) of people who claim to be Internet marketing experts. They may be well intentioned, but more often than not provide outdated and ineffective ideas based on their limited experience. With me, you have the real deal.

I’ve written over 100 top-ranking websites for massage professionals. I have tested dozens of strategies on these sites and have tracked the results, so I know what truly works in the real world.

I’m also the developer behind Massage Therapy Radio and the World Massage Conference, which is the largest event in the history of massage with about 12,000 paid attendees last year. I pioneered online education in the massage industry with BodyworkBiz.com and have written and optimized sites for companies ranging from educators and consultants to software and restaurants. You can be sure you are getting information that is not only relevant and highly effective, but that is also presented in a fun, easy to understand way.

Here’s the scoop…

This E-Marketing Made Easy e-course will be released on October 18th, 2010. Like the other 101-Day courses on this site, lessons will be delivered by email from Monday to Friday each week for approximately five months.

Each lesson is bite-sized and is designed to be read over your morning coffee. The action steps are simply laid out and easy to do. You can pause the lesson delivery at anytime and pick up at a time that’s convenient for you. All lessons will be archived online for your reference for one full year.

I’m also adding dozens of videos to this course to supplement the written lessons, so you can look over my shoulder, so to speak, and see exactly what I’m seeing on my computer screen.

Help is only a keystroke away

When you are entering an area that is unfamiliar questions often come up that aren’t covered in the course. I’m here to help you through all the bumps. I’ve set up a special discussion list on Facebook where you’ll be able to ask me any questions you have.

I’ll respond to all your questions personally. Purchasing an e-course is not like buying a book. You’ll basically have a full time consultant at your fingertips for a full year. Ask any questions you like, I’m happy to answer them all.

And a bonus…

If you register now as part of my “pilot” group, you’ll have access to a series of webinars that I’ve arranged for you throughout the next five months. These are optional, but will enhance your understanding of the material and will allow you to have any questions answered. Each call will involve a short summary of the concepts and strategies covered in the course followed by a Q and A session where you can ask me any question personally. I’ll be your personal Internet concierge for five months.

The course will be priced at $99 when it officially releases. You can get it right now for a special launch price of just $47. You can click the button below to order now…

..or simply do nothing and enjoy the first week on me.

I’m super excited and hope you’ll join me in the program.

All the best,

Eric Brown, Director
www.bodyworkbiz.com

Give away massage? You’ve got to be joking!

Posted on August 20, 2010 by Eric

I’ve just finished reading a series of posts at indeed.com and the Massage and Bodywork Professionals forum on giving away free massage.

The topic always generates strong feelings. Some swear they would never give away massage even if their life depended on it. It diminishes their credibility, devalues their worth, and would only attract the freebie seekers.
Others have tried it and simply say it sucks; it’s never worth their time.

I love the idea of giving away free massage, BUT… it has to be done the right way:Your approach to giving away massage has to create a high-perceived value for your services and to get those people to want to rebook with you regularly.

I’ve tracked the actual results of dozens of therapists and bodyworkers in all types of settings and the bottom line is…

Done right it works!

Don’t trust me though. Actually listen to people who have used my approach from the 60 Clients in 60 Days program or read comments they’ve made both publicly and behind the scenes:

http://bodyworkbiz.com/60days-audio.php

http://bodyworkbiz.com/60days-results.php

http://bodyworkbiz.com/60days-progress.php

Here are just a couple…

“Last weekend, I went to a local event where I sold my homemade microwavable rice-filled heating pads. I sold 50 in 4 hours, did lots of one-on-one talking with people and gave a coupon to everybody who bought a heating pad (stapled a sample of Biofreeze to each coupon) also talked with them about the benefits of massage. From this promo, I got 15 new clients within a week – all upgraded and all rebooked!”
DJT

“I’m definitely having fun here. When I trained we were told, “Never, ever, give away your services.” I did anyway over the years, but with a lot of guilt. Now I am just plain having fun doing it. Friday when the client came out he bought 6 gift certificates. Guess you can say I am just a Pleasure Piglet. Thank you for your guilt freeing program Eric.”
Debbie

World Massage Conference Is Pioneering

Posted on July 13, 2010 by Eric

The BBC recently ran a story on the increasing interest in virtual conferences.

As little as three years ago when I started the World Massage Conference with Scott Dartnall and Melanie Hayden, the idea that you could have a virtual conference seemed ludicrous to most. A lot of people couldn’t fathom it.

Even after explaining the virtual conference concept in person at massage conferences, the attendees would cock their heads to the side with baffled expressions and invariably ask us, “And where is it being held?”

It’s awesome that people are finally getting it. A virtual conference is just like being there. Not only do you get to hear presenters you would never have the opportunity to see live, but you get to be part of a global community. It’s fantastic to see massage professionals from around the world connecting and getting to know one another. I love the dialog that happens when therapists from very different backgrounds and experiences come together and share insights and information.

It’s exciting to be on the cutting edge of online learning. And I’m delighted to have been instrumental in making it happen and being a part of it.

If you haven’t checked it out yet, go to World Massage Conference. The Fall 2010 conference will be open for registration in August, but the replays for the Spring 2010 conference are available online. Register for the spring conference recordings and you’ll get free access to the fall event.

New promotional video

Posted on June 2, 2010 by Eric

Here’s a new video I had created using the service I talked about in the video marketing webinar I held earlier this year. I thought they did a fantastic job and thought I’d share:

Video Marketing Webinar Replay Available…

Posted on April 14, 2010 by Eric

The webinar replay will be available for about a week. No cost. Get more info about the event and what you’ll learn here:

Free Video Marketing Webinar Replay

Here’s the first comment to come in after the broadcast…

Thank you so much for the Webinar on making videos. This was fantastic! I have been looking for another way to market my business. It seems that to stay ahead of the pack you must always look for something new. Tthis is it – making a video. Thank you for sharing. I am very excited about putting a video together. I guess I’ve been reluctant because I don’t look like a celebrity and wondered how the general public reacts to every day people. I guess we’ll try it and find out. Thank you again – much appreciated. That was one hour well spent.

Gail Russo, LMBT, Cary, North Carolina

Here are some links from sites I mentioned throughout the broadcast:

The Power of Video for Marketing Your Business

Thanks for attending the webinar. We looked at lots of great information for getting your business found online and getting new customers.

You saw how I was able to get videos at the top of Google search results for not just my businesses, but for any massage practice. I uploaded a video for a therapist two weeks ago and within 24 hours she got a page one result. It’s not that hard and I outline exactly how you can do it.

Here is the video that I produced for her. It took me about an hour using one of the web services mentioned below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jSOn7TuG4w

Here you can see the video has a number 1 position in search results out of 639,000 competing pages and the video was uploaded less than two weeks before this screen shot was taken:

For more marketing info, be sure to sign up for the Marketing Tips newsletter at
http://www.bodyworkbiz.com

Also more info at my blog:
http://eric.bodyworkbiz.com

Subscribe to my YouTube Channel at:
http://www.youtube.com/user/bodyworkbiz

Free website building video course:
http://www.spiffydiywebsites.com/

My son’s site. He was 10 years old when he built his site using the instructions in the video course:
http://www.seththechef.com

Free website creation tool used above. No catches or strings. Completely free and your website is hosted for free. Super easy to use:
http://www.bodyworkbiz.com/freewebsite

Flip Video is the camera that I normally use. It’s super easy: An on/off button and zoom button and that’s it. It plugs directly into your computer and the software is in the camera. And it’s very affordable:
http://www.theflip.com/

Edit in Windows MovieMaker, a free program that comes installed with Windows. It is simple to use and has a very short learning curve. (Mac users have iMovie.) Example of video edited with MovieMaker to get a sense of possibilities (World Massage Conference):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKiNG2G_pAc

Online video creation services:

Animoto for Business. Nice looking videos. Some stock images, video and music. $249 per year or $99 for 3 months: http://animoto.com/business

SpotMixer. 30 to 90 second commercials. Some stock images and video. $79 to download your completed video: http://www.spotmixer.com

This video was made with SpotMixer (I did a small edit in MovieMaker):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jSOn7TuG4w

Jing Pro: Does screen capture and combined webcam/screencapture. Can download MPEG files. $14.95 per year: http://www.jingproject.com/pro/

Have someone do it for you. Prices usually range from $500 to $5,000. Best and lowest cost service I’ve seen on the web is iFlashVideo. Professional 60 second videos for only $49 per month. Write the text for your commercial and they will put it together with images, video, music and voiceover. They open up for membership on an occasional basis and you have to lock in your subscription.

http://zi.ma/iflashvideo

Important Note: iFlashvideo is an unbelievable bargain. You will not find this kind of production value for so little anywhere. I signed up as a subscriber when they first opened their doors. They are open for new members for just four days. Check it out and if you are in the least bit interested in video marketing sign up right away before it closes. Sign up is not open from the main site, go here:

http://zi.ma/iflashvideo

Once you have your video produced you must upload to as many video sharing sites as possible. You can automate the process to a certain extent with distribution services.

Free distribution service: Tube Mogul distributes to a limited number of video sharing sites
http://www.tubemogul.com

Paid service: Traffic Geyser is the crème de la crème of video distribution services. I subscribe to this service. Will upload to about 20 sites and will upload audio to podcasting sites. At $99 it’s a little pricey, but if you are going to do video marketing in a bigger way it is certainly a worthwhile investment.
http://www.trafficgeyser.com

I will be developing some web marketing services and courses in the future and will eventually do an expanded version of this Video Marketing strategy. Be sure to sign up for the Marketing Tips newsletter to get updates on these:

http://bodyworkbiz.com/newsletter.php

Eric Brown, BodyworkBiz Blog

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