A strong online presence will help any spa succeed. Stephanie Smith, CEO of Cogwheel Marketing & Analytics, during the 2025 iSPA Conference This guide offers valuable information and strategies to help spa operators and directors maximize their online presence and attract new clients.
Balancing Marketing and Operations
Many spa professionals find it difficult to strike the right balance between their operational responsibilities and marketing efforts. This is often compounded when they have a budget that’s too small or not aligned with their priorities. To effectively use available resources, it’s crucial to create a marketing plan that includes concrete steps.
Understanding the market and demand for spas
Marketing strategies that are based on accurate market research will be more effective. Tools such as Google Trends Search terms such as “massage nearby” or “spa near me” can reveal trends and fluctuations in search behavior. Recent trends suggest that head therapy, scalp massages, and head spa treatments are gaining in popularity. Services like body scrubs, wraps, facials, medical/cosmetic procedures, and massage therapies are also expected to grow.
Source: https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/spa-market
Creating a marketing plan: five key steps
Here are five steps to developing a marketing plan.
Audience Segmentation
- Know Who You Are
- Effective marketing requires a clear understanding of the spa’s identity and target market. Answer the question, “Why Your Spa?”
- Gather Data
- Utilise data from reservations systems, CRMs and other technology.
- Data on clients’ booking patterns, demographics and service preferences will help you identify key segments.
- Align your offerings and messages with the expectations and needs of the audience.
- Set Data-Driven Goals
- Set specific, measurable, realistic and time-bound objectives.
- Set short-term and longer-term goals. They will serve as a guide for your progress, and they allow you to make adjustments on the way.
Shopping Behavior
- Patterns for Profit
- Consider the journey of your customers when aligning marketing efforts.
- Marketing should be targeted at both the 5% customers who are already ready to purchase and the 95% that are still in research and consideration.
- Different booking patterns can be observed for different customer segments or spa types, e.g. a hotel spa vs. a freestanding spa.
- Aligning Offers with Market Demand
- Spas can tailor their promotions and offerings to the market by analyzing data and identifying gaps in their schedule.
- It is possible to encourage bookings in slower periods using promotions and pricing strategies without affecting profitability.
Boosting Visibility
- Create a strong online profile across multiple platforms. This is essential for attracting clients.
- For search engine optimization, ensure consistency of URL for the website, as well as name, address and phone number (UNAP).
- Optimize Google My Business listings including claiming ownership of the listing, completing sections and actively encouraging reviews.
- Verify and correct information about spas across multiple GPS sources (e.g. Uber, Lyft, Bing Maps), to ensure accurate directions for potential clients.
- Consider listing your spa on industry and local blogs to gain more visibility in competitive markets.
- Use clear messaging, high quality photos and videos and customer testimonials in order to attract your target market.
- Online reviews have a significant impact on search rankings and customer perception.
Marketing Strategies and Investments
Test out small marketing strategies to find the best ones.
- Social Media Marketing
- Facebook and Instagram are cost-effective platforms for reaching target audiences with targeted advertising.
- Engaging users and encouraging their content can increase reach.
Read about how to run a Facebook ad campaign.
- Google Adwords
- Google Ads is a great way to reach customers who are actively looking for spa services near them.
- Display and programmatic advertising:
- These strategies are a great way to increase awareness. They target potential customers by using their online behaviors and location data.
- Remarketing Campaigns
- Targeted ads and communications encourage existing customers to come back and do business with you.
Collaboration and Partnerships
To maximize effectiveness, collaboration is essential, both with partners external to the hotel (for spas in hotels) and within the hotel. This includes:
- Strategic Alliances
- Partnerships with online platforms, local businesses, and agencies (e.g. SpaFinder, ResortPass) to increase reach and attract new clients.
- Data Sharing and Communications:
- For a spa to optimize its marketing, it is essential that the spa communicates with its partners and shares data.
You should ask your team these questions:
Spa Marketing Case Studies
Implementing these strategies, and analyzing them continuously, can help spa directors and operators build a strong online presence and attract more customers, thereby boosting business growth. This customized approach can produce lasting and meaningful results. For example, our Teacher Tuesday Discount Promo generated over $12K incremental sales, by targeting periods of low demand, while offering a charitable donation to the community. Or, The Ritz-Carlton Lake Tahoe’s Exclusive Locals Card, which increased monthly appointments by 30 percent. You can increase customer engagement and drive brand loyalty with the right approach.
