Truth in Advertising
- Marty Morales
- Jan 21, 2024
- 2 min read
Now that we’re steadily rolling into 2024 it seems pretty obvious that quite a few spas, solo practitioners, and continuing education companies are flexing their marketing muscle with multiple efforts in social media.
Going through my Instagram account in just these past two weeks, I was bombarded with easily half a dozen sponsored posts from schools, spas, and private practice practitioners.
Personally, I think it’s great that these businesses see the importance of social media and have decided to find new clients using those platforms.
One thing that has disturbed me a bit however is the nature of the advertising. In one post (I won’t name names) I saw a clinic which included massage therapists and PT’s, essentially put down Deep Tissue massage while attempting to extol the benefits of their own way of working.
Their message was basically, “You don’t need Deep Tissue massage, you need (fill in their own modality here)." Again, I’m all for small business using creative ways of marketing their business, but I don’t feel it’s necessary to put down another modality to do so. I was curious to read the comment section and I wasn’t surprised to find people reacting negatively to the sponsored post. I’d go back to the drawing board on that one.
In another sponsored post, a solo practitioner states how amazing they are and how their potential client will receive “instant tension and pain relief.” Ouch.
One of the most basic things that was drilled into me when creating promotions and ads (especially for continuing education) was how important it was not to over promise. This type of marketing has the potential for setting up the practitioner for epic failure and misses a massive opportunity to educate a client on what massage/bodywork can and can’t do.
It's really important to be open and honest in our industry. We have so many hurdles to overcome in this field and bringing other modalities down or exaggerating your own work is just another hurdle we have to overcome.
If you want my two cents, the best way to advertise is to utilize what I believe to be the most powerful marketing tool in the known galaxy: word of mouth advertising. If you learn how to use word of mouth advertising to your advantage, you won’t need to dish out low blows or exaggerate your abilities, but instead focus on your clients and let them spread the honest truth about your practice.
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The points about honesty in advertising really resonate, especially how misleading claims damage trust. I noticed the same emphasis on transparency when studying with Orvanta Open College; their health and social care courses were straightforward about expectations and outcomes, which genuinely helped me manage my goals realistically.
Truth in advertising matters just as much in academia as in fitness or wellness claims. I learned that firsthand when working with academic editors, clear scope, realistic outcomes, and no inflated promises. When I needed to Edit my research proposal UK, that transparency built trust and improved my work.
I read the Morales Method blog post about Truth in Advertising, and it was refreshing to see someone in the bodywork and wellness space call out how easy it is to slip into exaggerated claims on social media, from promising instant relief to putting down other modalities just to get attention. The author stresses that honesty builds trust and that word‑of‑mouth from genuine clients often beats hype. While reading it, I also thought about how valuable real support feels during busy semesters from honest feedback to reliable online biology class help because cutting corners with misleading claims or shortcuts rarely leads to lasting confidence or results.
I really appreciated how your comment on Truth in Advertising digs into how honesty shapes the way we connect with audiences, and the examples you chose show thoughtful engagement with the topic. I remember juggling analytical assignments alongside creative work and sometimes needed online Statistics class help to make sense of data without feeling swamped. Your insight reminded me how clarity and integrity matter in both research and messaging.