How to Market Your Massage Business in December

If you’ve been massaging for a while, this might sound familiar to you as a massage therapist or bodyworker running a private practice:

“December’s busy. I should feel great… but January is always so quiet!”

December in the massage world can be super busy, but would you agree, it’s a strange kind of busy for massage businesses?

You sell a ton of gift vouchers. You’re booked full of one-off pamper clients. Everyone is trying to get in a “quick massage” before Christmas kicks off properly.

On paper, it looks great, and you’re happy the money’s coming in… but deep down you know that this kind of busy isn’t going to last for your massage practice.

Because then January comes.

And with it … the dreaded silence.

Clients disappear.

And the bookings you do have are often the gift voucher people coming for sessions you were paid for weeks ago.

So you’re working… but not earning. Worst of both worlds for self-employed massage therapists!

I see this pattern all the time with the therapists I mentor. They’re super busy on the run-up to Christmas…and then super quiet in January.

Many therapists mistakenly think people don’t book massages in January because no one has any money after Christmas. But that’s only part of the story.

What’s actually going on is this: Therapists aren’t doing enough marketing for their massage business in December.

I totally get it, December is pretty exhausting. You’re rushing from one client to the next and from one Christmas do to the next, and the last thing you’re thinking about is doing massage marketing or social media marketing. No time for that!

But the thing is, marketing isn’t just for filling up your bookings. It’s also for staying in touch and connecting with your clients and your audience, something that’s essential for long-term massage business growth.

When you disappear completely, people don’t stop liking you, but they do stop thinking about you. And the impact of that shows up a few weeks later, usually in early January, right when you’re hoping things will pick up again in your massage therapy practice.

It’s so important to keep your marketing going at this time of year!

It doesn’t need to be anything big (you’ve got enough going on). But it is important to keep getting your name and face out there as much as you can as a massage therapist and small business owner.

So here are 9 things you can do this December to help you stay on people’s radar come January.

(And if you’re not busy this December, don’t worry, everything I’m about to share will help you set yourself up for a much stronger start to the new year in your massage business.)

9 Easy Ways to Keep Marketing Your Massage Business in December

1. Schedule a few posts now so you can forget about them later

Future-you will thank you for this one!

Take an hour this week to schedule a few quick posts to go out over the next few weeks. Don’t worry about making them long or super glossy. Just create something that keeps you visible while you’re busy doing other things in your massage therapy clinic or private practice.

A few ideas for you:

A post about your opening hours or last available appointments before Christmas

A friendly “see you in the new year” post for when you stop working

A photo of your treatment room looking inviting (a warm blanket, fairy lights, or something seasonal). People connect with the atmosphere of a massage studio!

It doesn’t need to be perfect; it just needs to exist! Even one post a week is enough to remind people you’re still around and thinking of them.

2. Show a bit of the behind-the-scenes

A quick behind-the-scenes post keeps your posts looking real, friendly, and relatable, perfect for authentic massage marketing.

A few ideas for you:

Your post-work ritual (a cuppa, stretch, walk, or even a tidy-up!)

Your treatment table set up for the last client of the year

A short caption about how it feels to help people through the stress of this time of year with massage therapy

These types of posts remind people there’s a real person behind your massage business. And when clients feel connected to you, they’re more likely to come back. They’ll remember you not just because of your awesome massage, but because they like and trust you as a person.

3. Send a thank-you message to clients

December’s the perfect time to give out some thank-yous.

You could write a short post or email saying how much you appreciate your massage clients, the people who’ve supported you, referred friends, and kept your small business going.

Just write from your heart. You can even tie it into your marketing by adding something like, “I’ll be back open from 3rd January. If you want to start the year well, you can book in now.”

This is just for you to create connection (not sell). Connection builds loyalty, which is worth far more than a hard sell in any massage therapy business.

4. The 3-point email

Don’t want to do a thank-you email? Send this simple 3-pointer instead:

1. Acknowledge they’re frazzled
2. Let them know you’ve got a couple of January massage appointments open now
3. Invite them to book today so it’s already in the diary for when the Christmas weirdness is over (add your own touch here depending on what your massage work is great at - easing tension, clearing foggy heads, helping people reset after the festivities, etc.)

That’s it! One paragraph is enough.

5. Collect marketing ideas while you’re busy

While you’re working, keep your eyes and ears open for useful insights from your massage clients.

What are they complaining about right now? 
What are they worried about?
What are they looking forward to once Christmas is done?
How do they wish they could feel in their body?

Those little comments are clues for your massage marketing content in the new year. They show you exactly what people need from you and how to talk about it.

You could even jot a few notes after each client. Things like “too much rushing around, feeling frazzled.” That’s language you can use later in posts, on your website, or in your emails.

It’s basically market research disguised as conversation.

And while you’re at it, if someone gives you a lovely comment about your massage work, ask if you can turn it into a testimonial. You don’t have to post it straight away - save it for January when you might be scrabbling around for content ideas.

6. Get clients rebooking for January

You don’t have to do a big “new year offer” to fill January in your massage clinic. Instead, get your clients rebooking now.

When clients say, “I’ll get back to you after Christmas,”offer to book them in now before they forget. You can frame it as being helpful:

“If you want, I can pop you in for early January now so it’s already sorted. It saves you having to remember once everything gets busy again.”

Again, you’re not being pushy, you’re doing them a favour.

7. Repurpose old content

If your brain’s fried and you can’t face writing anything new, reuse old posts!

Scroll back through what you shared earlier in the year (or this time last year). You’ll almost definitely find something still relevant to your massage audience. Update the wording, swap the image, and post it again.

Hardly anyone remembers what you posted six months ago!

You can also tweak posts for the season. For example, a post about tension can become:

“If your shoulders are feeling like concrete after all that wrapping, cooking, and organising, it might be time to book in some downtime for January.”

8. Check in with people who regularly send you clients

This might be a personal trainer, hairdresser, yoga teacher, physio, or anyone who regularly refers massage clients to you.

Christmas is the perfect opportunity to check in. Send them a little card or text to say you’re thinking of them - something light and friendly.

It keeps your massage business in their thoughts without feeling transactional.

9. Remember: momentum beats motivation!

Most massage therapists wait until they feel readyto start marketing again, which usually means waiting until things are quiet and motivation is high.

Let’s be honest: after the Christmas fog, motivation takes a while to come back! Marketing works best when it never completely stops. Even a small trickle keeps the flow going.

A few short posts, a quick thank-you message, and a gentle reminder about January massage bookings are more than enough to keep the momentum going

And finally - don’t pressure yourself to do everything perfectly.

Marketing during busy times is about doing something, not everything.

So if all you manage is one short post before Christmas and one after, that’s still something. It’s still connection, it still helps your visibility, and it’ll still make a difference when the Christmas dust settles.

I say this every year, but it’s true: the therapists who keep showing up (even a little) are the ones whose diaries will stay full all year round.

So don’t overcomplicate it. When January comes, you’ll already be miles ahead. While everyone else is scrambling to get going again, you’ll easily get the clients in.

Happy Christmas!