Julie Brown: Why InnerRewards, Inc.

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Why InnerRewards, Inc.

InnerRewards is going to revolutionize the wellness industry. And it is going to change the way women over 30 connect online. But what is it? Why does it exist?

It started off as a simple premise—wouldn’t it be great if there was an online place where I could connect with other women like me or who I aspire to get to know?

We are a social lifestyle platform connecting women around wellness. It is a little bit Facebook, a little Yelp, eBay, and iVillage. A lot of great sites rolled into one…but specific for a lifestyle. We are a balanced ecosystem where members can read articles and blogs from each other and purchase spa trips. It is a place where a yoga instructor is a member, too. And it is Web 3.0 with the latest tools & features.

Wellness deserved
I wanted to connect with:
• Educated, sophisticated, interesting women who think Pilates is as essential as brushing their teeth.
• Women who prefer a spa vacation more than jewelry (if asked to chose)
• Women who love to have a weekly massage, but don’t necessarily have the time or the budget…(but if they had a rewards program…and a mobile massage therapist…)

Even better, I wanted to do a group purchase on an actual Website for a trip to say…Yoga in Mexico, or a girlfriend getaway in Napa with a spa day included.

Underserved Community: Where are all the sites for “older” women?
As a marketer, I felt that women over 30 were an underserved community, and certainly, sites targeting a lifestyle are few and far between. The fashion and beauty
Websites, particularly for those 18-25 are in abundance. But what about me? So I decided to create it…and then the fun part came.

The Spas Love Us, (because they need us)
I’m a member of iSpa, which is the largest trade organization for the spa industry. I ordered up their research studies and was pleasantly surprised to discover spas:

• Want an online presence, but don’t want to build & maintain their own Websites (if they have the budget, they’d prefer to spend it on an esthetician or massage therapist or so forth)
• Rely on word of mouth and customer loyalty—1 out of 3 people tell a friend about a spa and this results in lower acquisition costs (which can be high for spas—so review sites are important)
• Want to increase the number of spa-goers by decreasing barriers to entry (which include misconception that spa is luxury)
• Have little or no insight into why a customer won’t come back…or how to even tailor services for upcoming trends and needs

We Can Help Spas/Wellness Providers
Here are some of the things we can do for businesses:

• Provide aggregate analytics on things people like without violating a member’s privacy—but providing great insight into trends, popular products and topics and more (and of course the reviews and ratings)
• Create an incredible mini-site which takes advantage of a targeted community and provides SEM/online marketing, technology, & design
• Help you educate your audience as to your expertise and special sauce
• Create a “spagat” where your atmosphere helps ensure a great experience for your clients (I like “zen,” you might like “casual” or “upscale,” etc)

This is great for our members, too, because we hope to be the one-stop place for the best businesses in the industry—and the best deals!

Not Just Spas
It isn’t just spas…the great thing about “wellness” is that businesses and people can connect around complementary services. In my experience, the massage lover also tends to eat healthy and organic, go to Yoga, try acupuncture, and get into complementary alternative medicine if and when we get sick. This helps people on the site get to know others…and it helps businesses find new clients because the Yoga goer might get recommended a Day Spa based on her personal preference (atmospheres and things she likes).

So there it is. We’ve created an incredible place where you can meet others like you, get great deals on things you love, and learn from wellness providers.

Oh, and we give you Rewards for all your contributions on the site. So get started—sign up and post something!

Comments

You're right, there aren't many sites about spas and women's lifestyle, I agree. It's a shame really, because there IS a great demand for it. Glad you made one :)

Posted by: Master of Spa Deals | December 13, 2008 at 05:36 AM