Dr. Peicheng Hu is a researcher from China that studies floatation therapy over there. He’s speaking at the Float Conference this year so Ashkahn decided to take the opportunity to talk to him about the Chinese float industry and some of the differences in the practice as well as the type of research being done out there. 

When looking at online marketing, Google Ads seem like an obvious choice, but are as relevant for Float Centers as they are for other businesses? The most useful thing these ads do is boost search result placement, but if the ads are to boost the ranking of a float center that is the only center in town, it’s not going to affect search results much.

Derek and Graham dissect the platform and really focus in on the uses (or lack thereof) of Google Ads for float centers and provide tools and tips for online marketing and how to make it as effective as possible.

Building community relationships when you’re already working 12 hour days at your float center can seem impossible. How do you make those connections when you’re busy during business hours? 

Derek and Graham tackle this problem and focus on it from personal experience. When Float On was just starting up, Graham was always running around, but still found time to grab a tea with local wellness professionals in his down time just to chat and hang out. Derek also points out that there’s plenty of social media tools that you can use between transitions when you have a couple minutes. 

In another jam packed marketing episode, Derek and Graham get into the nitty gritty of how to write out all the content you need on your website. 

They dive in and explain the importance of layout, how to keep things succinct, and some really great resources for copywriting, A/B testing, and general marketing knowledge.

Derek and Graham talk about the many tactics they’ve tried at Float On with developing referral programs. They’ve tried many things with varying success, from affiliates to endorsements to discount codes. All with varying success. The favorite tactic at Float On, of course, is giving away free floats and developing relationships with others in the community.

Graham and Derek break down the benefits of chatbots. They discuss the usefulness of popular marketing tools like these and what place they have in brick and mortar businesses like float centers. They might be marginally useful, but there are almost definitely better things to focus on if a float center is having difficulty with marketing.

There’s so many inspiring and creative float centers out there, many of who keep coming up with ingenious new ways to get the word out for their centers.

What’s the protocol for borrowing marketing ideas like this? How does proximity factor into it?

Graham and Derek break down the nuances of marketing strategies and where to pull from and what to avoid. It’s all about etiquette. 

James Nestor, a science-adventure journalist with a focus on reporting about humans relationship to water. He is speaking at the Conference this year and Ashkahn took the time to ask him about some of the research John Lilly did on dolphin communication back in the day. He shares cool stories about Lilly’s work at that time as well as the impacts it’s had throughout the scientific community since.

Today is the last day to buy discounted tickets for the Float Conference!

Today, Graham and Ashkahn talk all about everything they’re excited to see at the Conference this year, everything from the Bus Tour, to the Speakers that are coming (some returning, some coming for the first time), the Bus Tour, The Marketing Forum, other Friday activities, the awesome after parties, and did Graham mention the Bus Tour yet? 

It’s Float On’s last year hosting the Conference, and it’s gonna be excellent. See you there!