If you’re a practicing massage therapist, you probably have your hands full (no pun intended!). You have your website up, your business cards created, and you might even be on social media. Many practitioners ask the question: “To blog or not to blog?” The answer might surprise you.

If you can’t commit the time to update a blog at least a couple times a month, it might be better to let the blogging train pass. When blogs go quiet for long periods of time it can reflect poorly on your business. That being said, it should also be noted that for a blog to be successful, it’s not necessary to write a post every day, or even every week. When content is well-written and unique, it can be an excellent way to build awareness of your practice and help optimize your search engine rankings.

Posts should be engaging and informative. If you can build enough quality content, readers will look forward to your posts even if they are infrequent. So, what makes a great massage blog? What will keep readers engaged and give them the urge to return to your site (and your practice)?

Some general rules apply when blogging, regardless of what industry you’re a part of. You’ll want to make sure you strive for quality over quantity for blog posts. Make posts engaging. Offer readers info they can use. Be more than your own promotion. Feel free to mix it up: vary how you present your content. Some of it can be photos, some written articles or surveys, and if you’re really crafty, you can include video posts.

Whatever format you decide to use, in each post, try to give tidbits, insights, or news that readers can immediately implement in their day-to-day life. We’ve put together some great inspirations for your massage blog below.

• Educate. Who better to write about the benefits you can provide to patients than yourself? But rather than making it about you or your practice specifically, focus on your trade. Write a post exploring the different modalities of massage therapy and the different conditions each massage technique is most used to treat. There are great opportunities for pictures with this one as you can demonstrate how Tui Na may look very different from Shiatsu!
• Debunk a myth or misconception about your industry. For example, do people think massage is just for relaxation?
• Interview a happy patient and get their permission to post their massage response on your blog. This is a nice twist for readers to see the benefits of a fantastic massage from the patient’s perspective. Even consider posting a short video testimonial! You can also gather positive quotes from patients that describe specifics about the treatment and post those on your blog. These can even be anonymous if you prefer.
• Use guest bloggers. Feature a post written from the perspective of a different holistic business (especially one that is complementary to your own, such as acupuncture, chiropractic, or a meditation or yoga center).
• Have you been earning CEUs or attended any industry conferences lately? Did you have a great time at Pacific Symposium? Provide your readers with a fun brief write up about the experience and any upcoming trends you’ve noticed in the industry. This is useful for readers who couldn’t attend the event, and also lends you credibility as a continually educated member of your field.
• Do you receive academic journals or read any nonfiction in your field? Have you read up on the recent research of the benefits of touch? Write your take on it or provide a layman’s overview of exciting new massage studies.
• Be useful. You know what your patients love. Are they healthy eaters? Do they enjoy yoga? Are they seeing you for stress and are looking for other ways to lower their heart rate? Give them some info on these issues. It doesn’t even have to do with massage, and in fact, it can broaden your audience if it doesn’t. Write up a list of sources for great vegetarian restaurants in your area, or think of the benefits that tea and antioxidants can provide to someone with a fast pulse.

Above all: try to have fun. Get creative! Think in terms of how you connect with your patients in person and bring it to the page. You’re already passionate about what you do. Bringing that excitement about wellness and healing to your blog will shine through your posts and attract loyal, happy clients.

Get inspired by checking out the recently named Top 50 Massage Blogs here !

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