Marketing to Mothers to Be

Looking for a way to grow your spa business?  Targeting your products and services to expectant mothers can open up a world of opportunity! According to Stacy Denney, founder/CEO of Belly Friendly, a prenatal training program for spas based in Corte Madera, California, “There are 16,000 pregnant moms entering the market every day in the United States. Couple that with the forward momentum of the national wellness movement, and the time is ripe to cultivate the pregnancy market." Here are some key ways to market to expectant mothers to create fertile results!

• Make your spa a mother safe environment - Require therapist to get prenatal certification & continuing education.  To foster a pregnancy-friendly environment, every staff member should understand each trimester’s common aches and pains, as well as pregnancy myths, and emotional states.

• Watch your lingo - Marketing to mothers to be requires speaking their language.  Your marketing language should emphasize ways in which your specialized services and products can ease and enhance the overall pregnancy experience.

• Offer education and empathy - This can be done by offering a discount to first-time guests, a percentage off of a second service, and discounts around Mother’s Day and Pregnancy Awareness Month (May).  Consider designating a special “pregnancy section” in the retail area, featuring chemical-free products that are designed to make pregnancy easier such as Scandle Aromatherapy Lotion Candles to aid with stretch marks and relaxation.

• Host special programs and events - This can be done during the pregnancy and then events that focus on family after the pregnancy.

• Cross-promote with other businesses -Including local OB-GYNs, prenatal fitness, pregnancy retail outlets, or anywhere expectant mother's will be hanging out or shopping.

• Cater Your Presence to Moms Online - Use the web to get the word out about your pregnancy services.  Make sure your online channels reflect the appropriate professional, educational and nurturing environment, and make your site as informative about pregnancy and prenatal wellness as possible.

• Keep her on the appointment books - After your client gives birth, you want her to continue to come back your spa, so offer postpartum services for all her post-pregnancy needs.

Source:  "SPA MARKETING: The Pregnancy Market" by Tracy Morin - Day Spa Magazine