The Business Diary of a Holistic Therapist

2024 wasn’t my strongest year, health-wise or business-wise. With less energy to actively market my holistic therapy business, I noticed a visible dip in client numbers. It was a tough pill to swallow but reinforced a hard truth: consistent marketing works. Without it, even the most dedicated practitioner can see their business stagnate.

There’s no denying it, starting again feels daunting. So, as we step into 2025 I need to remind myself of advice I shared earlier this year, that the magic lies in small, consistent improvements. To remind myself not everything has to be done at once – a small 1% change can create a significant impact when combined with other small shifts. ¹

Where to begin?

I’ve learned that starting with the easiest and most impactful tools makes any process more manageable, much less overwhelming – and therefore, more likely to succeed! (I call it ‘the path of least resistance.’) For me, two easy things for me to tackle to get some quick wins are my Booking System and Google Business Profile (GBP).

Optimising my booking system

Your booking system isn’t just for appointments; it’s a valuable touchpoint with your clients. This year, I plan to:

• Tailor appointment reminders with helpful content such as session preparation tips or post-treatment care advice.
• Refresh the welcome message on my booking page to set the tone for new clients.

Keeping my Google Business Profile active

Your GBP is a free powerful tool to increase local visibility, and small, regular updates make all the difference. My tasks include:

• Updating contact details, opening hours, and images.
• Posting a weekly update, repurposed from my social media or blog content.
• Encouraging happy clients to leave reviews, which boosts credibility and search rankings.

Website: Your digital front door

Your website is often the first impression potential clients have of you. As I’m generally happy with mine this is a natural area for me to tackle next, and I’ve already identified opportunities to refine it by:

• Writing monthly micro-blogs answering common client questions like, “How can reflexology help with stress?”
• Adding video content, such as time-lapses of treatments, to make my site more engaging.
• Optimising images with descriptive alt text to improve search engine visibility.
• Creating an FAQ page to address client queries and target long-tail keywords like, “What should I expect from my first session?”²

Social media: Reduce the stress

Ah, social media – the necessary evil of modern marketing. I’m doing it – but only just and not as often as I should, so this has to be next on my list. My biggest lesson from 2024 is that it doesn’t need to be perfect. Instead, I need to focus on authenticity and consistency. Here’s how I’ll approach it in 2025:

• Sharing more behind-the-scenes content and testimonials.
• Posting Reels of client treatments (with permission).
• Repurposing content, such as blogs and FAQs, into smaller, digestible posts.
• Highlighting my week with posts like, “Who I’ve been supporting this week in clinic.”
• Offering seasonal wellness tips that add value to my audience’s lives.

A newsletter: Nurturing, not selling

Email marketing is one of the most effective ways to stay connected with clients, yet it’s something I consistently pushed to the back burner in 2024. Why? I overcomplicated it. Without a broader marketing system in place, I found myself stuck in a cycle of creating fresh content from scratch, which quickly became overwhelming.

This year, I’m taking a different approach. A great newsletter doesn’t need to be complicated—it just needs to be consistent and valuable. My focus will be on keeping it simple by repurposing content I’ve already created, such as:

• Blog posts or social media highlights.
• Client testimonials and seasonal wellness advice.

My goal is not sell, but to nurture relationships. Offering thoughtful, engaging content, I can stay connected with my audience without adding unnecessary stress to my working week.

2025: Taking back control

Now I’ve written all this down, it is starting to feel a little less daunting. I guess the key takeaway for me is to plan ahead so I can reduce the mental load of marketing! Repurposing content will save time, and I’m going to dedicate a day each month to creating and scheduling marketing materials so I can continue to keep things manageable.

So, if like me you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, my advice is start small. Begin with one tool or task, like updating your Google Business Profile or creating a simple blog offering a wellness tip – just use one you already give to your clients. Once you’ve gained some momentum then expand to other areas.

Just as importantly, you should also track your progress. Tools like analytics on your website or social media insights can show you what’s working. This info will help you make more informed adjustments and gives you a sense of control over your marketing.

Inspire yourself: Write your plan

Marketing doesn’t need to be a source of stress, but it does mean taking your business seriously and setting aside time to plan for it. I’d strongly advise writing yourself a marketing plan for 2025 where you can identify your key tools, outline a few simple tasks, and remind yourself why these efforts matter. (To write mine I simply copied and pasted this blog into chatGPT and asked it to create me a marketing plan for 2025).

With a plan in place, you’ll not only feel in control but also see how small, consistent actions add up to meaningful results. Your future self – and hopefully your new clients – will thank you.

Here’s to a thriving, balanced, and inspiring 2025.

Have a great week, Sarah x

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Footnotes

1. Could my toilet sign help grow my holistic therapy business in 2025? ↩︎
2. Long tail keywords are phrases as oppose to single keywords, e.g. Reflexology vs. What is Reflexology? So think about long tail keywords your clients might search for and use them on your website. ↩︎