The 3 Biggest Marketing Mistakes I See Lightworkers Make
This entry → the 3 biggest marketing mistakes I see lightworkers making, plus this week’s channeled message about not taking it all on, and my own lesson this week about making space with grace for what is inconvenient and “negative productivity.”
Marketing Message:
The 3 Biggest Marketing Mistakes I See Lightworkers Make (#1 is the most common, and the BIGGEST way to miss out on clients)
Whenever I deep dive into a lightworker, healer or other soulpreneurs online presence I see the same patterns over and over again.
Listen, I got lucky. I chose a career in marketing because I was good at business communications and because I was glamorized by the ad exec/journalist type jobs in every major rom com in the early 2000s (looking at you, How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days!")
I blindly picked Business Marketing in college, and I happened to excel at it because of my natural gift of being a messenger.
I realize that not every lightworker took a path that helped them market their light-spreading services to other humans, and this is precisely why I quit the corporate rat race to share my marketing knowledge with other spiritual humans who actually want to make a difference in the world, like me.
So with that, let’s dive in to the top 3 biggest marketing mistakes I see other lightworkers make, because not only is it a relatively quick and simple fix, but it will help you convert more clients…which means helping more people….which means helping the world be a better place.
#3 – Overwhelmed by social media, so they post inconsistently (or they avoid it completely.)
Here's the trap: trying to “do it all”: posting occasionally on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Pinterest, and ending up genuinely nowhere, because nothing gets the attention it needs to actually work.
Consistency on one channel will always beat inconsistency across five. For a local, in-person business like yours, that one channel should almost always be Facebook and/or Instagram, because that's where your local community actually spends time, and both platforms are built to help local businesses get discovered nearby.
Choose your one home base
If your clients skew a bit older or more local-community-oriented, Facebook (and Facebook Groups) is often the stronger home base.
If your clients skew younger or you enjoy more visual, story-driven content, Instagram may be the better fit.
You can cross-post to the other one occasionally, but pick a primary platform and commit your real energy there.
Post on a rhythm you can actually keep
3–4 posts a week, consistently, will outperform daily posting for two weeks followed by a month of silence.
Batch-create a month of content in one sitting so posting becomes a 5-minute “schedule and go” task rather than a daily scramble.
Mix content types: behind-the-scenes of your space, client testimonials (with permission), educational tips (stretches, self-care between sessions), openings in your calendar, seasonal promotions.
Lean into local
Use your city/neighborhood in captions and hashtags so local search and discovery features can find you.
Engage with other local small businesses' posts: comment, share, tag. Local cross-pollination builds real community reach.
Encourage happy clients to tag you or check in. This is some of the most trusted “advertising” there is.
Use Stories and Reels for reach, not just polish
A quick, unpolished 15-second video of your treatment room or a self-care tip often outperforms a highly produced graphic.
Consistency and authenticity beat perfection here. You don't need to be a videographer, just show up.
Quick win
This week: pick ONE platform (Facebook or Instagram), block 30 minutes to plan 2 weeks of posts, and schedule them. Consistency, not perfection, is the goal.
Not sure which platform to go all-in on? Read this blog post about which social media platform is best for your soul-led business type.
Pro tip: Use pre-made Canva templates so you’re not designing from scratch.
#2 – Neglect Their Google My Business Profile
When someone searches “massage near me,” your Google Business Profile (still commonly called Google My Business, or GMB) is often the very first impression you make, before your website, before your Instagram, before anything else.
A well-optimized profile is free, and it's one of the highest-return marketing assets you have. Here's how to make yours work as hard as you do.
Claim it and fill out every single field
Verify your listing through Google Business Profile Manager if you haven't already: an unclaimed listing means you have zero control over what shows up.
Complete every field: hours, phone number, website, services offered, and a full business description.
Choose your primary category carefully (“Massage Therapist” or “Massage Spa”) and add relevant secondary categories (e.g., “Reflexologist,” “Prenatal Massage,” “Sports Massage”) if they apply.
Add photos regularly
Listings with photos get significantly more clicks and direction requests than listings without.
Add real photos: your treatment room, your storefront or sign, you at work (with client consent), your products.
Update photos monthly. Fresh, seasonal photos signal to Google (and to clients) that you're active and open.
List your services with detail
Add each service you offer as its own listed service, with a short description and price range.
This helps you show up for more specific searches, like “deep tissue massage” or “prenatal massage,” not just “massage.”
Make reviews part of your routine
Ask every happy client for a Google review, out loud, at the end of a session, is the easiest ask. “If you loved this, a quick Google review helps other people find me!”
Text or email a direct review link after the appointment. The fewer clicks required, the more reviews you'll get.
Respond to every review, good or bad, professionally and warmly. This shows future clients (and Google) that you're engaged.
Aim for a steady trickle of new reviews rather than a big batch once a year. Recency matters to Google's ranking.
Post updates like mini social posts
Google lets you publish short posts directly on your profile: promotions, new services, seasonal offers, or simply “now booking for next week.”
Posting even twice a month keeps your profile looking active and can nudge you higher in local search results.
Use the Q&A and messaging features
Pre-load a few common questions and answers (parking, cancellation policy, what to wear/expect) so potential clients get instant clarity.
Turn on messaging if you're comfortable fielding quick questions, since some clients will message before they'll call.
Quick win
This week: claim your profile if you haven't, add 5 real photos, and ask your next 3 clients for a Google review. That alone can move the needle within a month.
Pro tip: Don’t just hand them a business card, hand them a coupon with a discount in exchange for a review.
#1 – Making clients doing extra work to book.
Every extra click, every phone tag, every “I'll call you back to confirm” is a chance for a potential client to lose momentum and simply... not book.
The businesses winning right now aren't necessarily the ones with the fanciest websites. They're the ones that let a client find them, see availability, book a time, and pay a deposit, all in under two minutes, without ever picking up the phone.
A lot of people are sitting around wondering “what do I wanna do this weekend?” If they get the idea to book a massage, you’ll lose them if they can’t see your availability or you make them pick up the phone. They want a simple way to book an open slot on your schedule. That’s it.
Invest in real booking software
Look for booking software built for wellness/bodywork businesses (options many massage therapists use include Vagaro, Square Appointments, Acuity, and MassageBook).
Prioritize software that lets clients see real-time availability, book instantly, and pay or leave a deposit at the time of booking.
Automated appointment reminders (text and email) are worth their weight in gold: they dramatically cut down no-shows.
Take payment at the point of booking
Require a deposit or full prepayment for new-client bookings. This alone filters out casual “maybe” bookings and protects your calendar.
Make cancellation and rescheduling policies clear and automatic, so you're not the one having an awkward conversation.
Offer package and gift-card purchases directly through the same system, for more revenue with zero extra steps.
Simplify your website down to one job: book me
Your homepage's main goal should be getting a visitor to the booking button, not telling your whole life story.
Put a “Book Now” button above the fold, in your website's main navigation, and repeated throughout the page.
Cut unnecessary pages, sliders, and pop-ups. A simple page that loads fast and books fast beats a beautiful page that confuses people.
Make sure the whole experience works flawlessly on a phone, since most local searches and bookings happen on mobile.
Reduce the number of decisions a new client has to make
Offer a small number of clearly-named service options (e.g., “60-Minute Relaxation,” “90-Minute Deep Tissue”) rather than a long confusing menu.
Pre-answer common hesitations right on the booking page: pricing, what to expect, cancellation policy.
Quick win
This month: pick one booking platform that takes payment, set it up, and put a “Book Now” button at the very top of your website. Then simplify everything else.
Want me to swoop in and help?
Channeled Message:
You don’t have to take it all on. Outer resources are all around you to support you, and by trying to do it all you close the door for others to come and help. Open yourself to the help around you. Step back and have a willingness to trust that other have your best interest in mind and genuinely want to see you succeed. If you wish to receive, start by being open to receiving the help the Universe is delivering to you. You do no one any favors by turning down the support that has been divinely arranged on your behalf.
Mik’s Message:
If you’re just tuning it, about 4 months ago I was fired from my copywriting job. It was absolutely shocking and out of the blue. They fired the whole copywriting department, so 3 others were also out of a job. I believe it was an AI thing, but who knows.
I decided to use this as an opportunity to say sionara to the corporate rat race (for good this time!) and use it to step fully into my calling a messenger. I now use my gift, knowledge, and experience to amplify and encourage other lightworkers, healers & soulprenenurs.
But this was NOT a clean pivot, and in fact, there has been some serious penny pinching.
I was fortunate enough to be connected with an amazing lightworker who owns a holistic healing center near me, and I run her marketing which is helping in the meantime while I myself build this business and find more clients. So please know, I am not just trying to sell you some dream as a phony who “rEtiReD mY hUsBaNd” coach for coaches. I’m right here in the trenches with you sharing you what’s working for me, and letting you know you’re not alone.
And of course, when we’re growing a business, it can be WILDLY frustrating to have to make room for, well, life.
Which was me last week. I stepped in to babysit my sister’s 2 little kids on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday which essentially tanked my productivity for the week, halted building my business, and tanked any billed hours for my client.
There were times I wanted to cry, honestly.
That’s when I realized, I had already made the space for this to take place. Being upset, irritated over overwhelmed at what I COULD’VE been doing, was doing nothing. It was literally “negative productivity.”
So, this week and the weeks ahead, I want you to try being aware of any moments of “negative productivity.” Where you’re focusing on how inconvenient, or annoying, or overwhelming a task is, which shoots your productivity, progress, and overall headspace into the negative.
Ask yourself – how am I sending myself into the negative? How can I flip my progress and growth back into the positive?
Literally even pausing to take a breath and just saying “f*ck it, I”m already here…” is productive.
With warmth & gratitude,
XOXO
Mik
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