By Janine Janse van Rensburg – Managing Director, Extracts Collection
Pregnancy is a never ending market and besides it being a beautiful experience to share with your clients, it has the potential of contributing a significant portion to your spa revenue.
The successful implementation of Pregnancy treatments within your spa will depend heavily on your approach and ability to connect with this market.
The starting point should be to fully equip your team to have the confidence and knowledge to welcome and treat the expectant mom. She needs to feel one hundred percent sure that she is in good hands and that you are fully embracing the pregnancy market vs merely having a pregnancy massage on your treatment menu for the odd occasion should a pregnant client visit your spa.
You and your team needs to show intent.
You should also carefully select which therapists to invest in and train in the discipline of pregnancy spa treatments. Chose the therapists who are genuinely interested in and passionate about pregnancy treatments as this will go a long way in ensuring confidence radiating from your team during the entire customer journey.
The next step is to get the message out there by connecting to the correct audience. And contrary to what you may believe, the correct audience is not just expectant moms.
Husbands are often “soft targets” as they may feel helpless when seeing their partner go through both physical and emotional changes of pregnancy. Strategically placing advertisements promoting safe pregnancy spa treatments on platforms targeting married men in the age range of 25 – 45 often results in them buying a Spa Voucher for their expectant partner.
The language and visuals you use carry a lot of weight in whether you will catch the attention of a pregnant mom and convert that into action. By using beautiful images of pregnant woman exuding a sense of well-being appeals to most pregnant moms and grabs her attention.
Once you have her attention, ensure that the wording you use appeals to what is important to her and convince her in one sentence that she will be in good hands visiting your spa. The most important aspect to her is that the treatments and products are pregnancy safe, and that you know what you are doing. Secondly will be the physical and emotional benefits of the treatment.
Something to keep in mind is that the average age of pregnant woman have increased significantly to 30 – 35 years of age, and the amount of woman in their 40’s having babies have double over recent years. So make sure that the imagery and language you use appeals to the age group of pregnant woman in your area.
Other effective marketing channels include dropping off either an information pamphlet or special offer promoting your pregnancy treatments at gynaecologists rooms, midwifes & Doula’s in your area, nursery schools as those moms often have second and third pregnancies, maternity boutiques and social media platforms used by your market.
It is worth putting some budget towards targeted advertising on digital platforms ensuring you reach the correct audience. An example of this would be to specify that your Facebook advertising must reach pregnant woman between the ages of 30 – 38 within a 10km radius of your spa.
You can also create marketing angles that will appeal to the friends and family of pregnant woman by putting in place a referral program or special deal that will benefit both the pregnant mom and the referee to each enjoy a treatment at your spa at a discounted rate or a value add attached to it.
Your in-store presence must also display and promote that you welcome expectant moms into your spa. Don’t hide the fact that you offer pregnancy treatments, have dedicated section on your treatment menu for your pregnancy treatments and do a focus display in your reception area.
As you can see, a lot of thought, effort and intent has gone into getting an expectant mom to visit your spa. The return on your investment lies in her coming back for more treatments during the remainder of her pregnancy, and becoming such an advocate for your spa that she will tell every pregnant mom she meets along the way that you are the only spa they should go to when going for pregnancy treatments.
Making sure that your team embraces her and shares her passion for her pregnancy will go a long way in ensuring an unforgettable experience. Equip your team to ask the right questions and be prepared to answer any questions presented to her with confidence. The treatment delivery, comfort of your bed and massage pillows, gowns that are big enough to cover her gorgeous bump and any little “attention to detail” treats will set you apart from your competitors.
Aligning your spa with companies who specialise in maternity treatments and skincare will not only add to your credibility as a pregnancy expert, but will also expose you to audiences and communities you may not currently be tapping into by leveraging of their marketing efforts. The correct partners will also have the experience, knowledge and back-up to offer guidance and advice to ensure the successful launch and implementation of Pregnancy Spa Treatments within your business.
Janine Janse van Rensburg
Managing Director
Extracts Collection
+27 11 33 0500
