Navigating Aesthetic Clinic Marketing in a Digital World

Aesthetic clinic marketing is a conversation every cosmetic surgeon and their staff needs to have at the beginning of a new year. Understandably, younger physicians probably get this more than anyone else as they are more accustomed to the need for an aesthetics digital marketing plan and see it as a given.

While new, the 24/7 use of digital aesthetic marketing and media doesn’t seem like it’s only going away anytime soon. The stage looks set for bigger and brighter things going forward.

This article will attempt to narrow down the best practices for practicing cosmetic surgeons to manage their aesthetic clinic marketing. We’ll be touching on aspects like reputation management, the best social media platforms to gain traction, how to navigate and increase local market share, and how best to connect and impress potential patients online.

Given the fact that social media plays a crucial hand in patients’ purchasing decisions, you must also take note of how the aesthetic clinic marketing world is changing and how you can evolve with the times.

Doing so will enable you to thrive where the internet has blurred and become the great equalizer in doctor-patient relationships. The highlighted pointers will help you build and implement a successful digital plastic surgery marketing strategy that appeals to your ideal patient.

Online Aesthetic Clinic Marketing is The New Print

More than ever before, journalists and media publications now turn to social media platforms in search of stories to share.

This is largely because people no longer seem to fancy the fresh ink on paper smell that was previously effective at advertising. Digital devices, especially mobile ones, seem to be at the fore of the ad world in terms of circulation.

To cope, major publications have started phasing out print media by optimizing their web presence and social engine rankings. This is a true sign of the times and something you need to take note of if you’re looking to build a lasting impression in the plastic surgery industry.

Sticking to the conventional way of doing business will not help you much if you’re looking to lead the charge in the plastic surgery industry. Instead, it will drive potential patients into the arms of your competition who are more receptive and adaptable.

With change in the air, digital media has never looked more alluring. Journalists can get almost instant engagements on stories while they’re working on tight deadlines. Given that you don’t have to invest heavily on the capital front to contact sources to a story, it’s safe to say things are on the ascendancy.

To plan out your aesthetic clinic marketing roadmap for the upcoming year, this is what you need to do:

1. The Essence of Reviews and Your Reputation

Like it or loathe it, patients seem wired to sample reviews before they choose to book an appointment with you.

What this means is that every negative review on websites about you can harm your chances of running a successful practice. As dividing as the current rating scene is, it’s undeniable that it’s the one metric that a good number of patients count on to inform their purchasing decisions.

Thankfully, social media platforms afford many business owners like yourself to educate patients with their curated content. You can take things up a notch by showcasing innovative procedures and highlighting your practice’s credentials as a means of setting yourself apart from the competition.

Importantly, you need to create a distinction between your professional profile and your personal profile. This way, patients will get to discover and interact with the professional outlook you want to share and get to respect the work you do.

2. The Patient Experience

Vision is important in the plastic surgery industry. That’s why every aesthetic clinic marketing strategy needs to have a long term plan that includes the patient experience.

Generally, clinics that offer fantastic five-star services tend to be rewarded in the long term by patient loyalty. To avoid proverbially shooting yourself in the foot, it’s receommened to provide services that resonate with your patient base.

There are times where you may feel that you need to cut back on patient service to satisfy short term gains. However, doing this may not be advantageous to you as it’s much more costly to attract new patients than it is to maintain existing ones.

Rather than cutting back on the patient experience and treating it as an afterthought, it’s better to invest your resources towards bettering it. Notably, as a survival instinct, the human experience is set up in such a way that patients are more likely to remember negative reviews more than the positive ones.

The only way to come out strong when the tides seem against you is by giving patients a meaningful, memorable, and enjoyable experience that keeps them coming back for more. To successfully execute this, you need to train your staff on how to handle patients through different procedures and also work on getting them synchronized with your organization’s goals.

On occasion, the little things – offering liberal scheduling, enhancing the pricing formula, and making upgrades in the clinic waiting room – may be costly to implement. Make no mistake though, in the end, the results more than pay for themselves once patients start sharing their positive experience with others.

3. Internal Aesthetic Clinic Marketing

Definition wise, internal marketing refers to promoting your services by your internal staff to the patients who have appointments or in the office already. This is where sales and marketing collide and your internal staff should be cross-selling and upselling services to existing patients.

In practice, it works out beautifully because it helps ensure that your practice remains atop the minds of your patients’ minds and instills the favorable trait of loyalty.

In particular, we also have to tribute word of mouth marketing in this respect as being a trusted medium for creating awareness about the procedures you offer at your practice. The fact that patients get to enthusiastically share their personal experiences without much nudging does a great deal in building your reputation on review sites, forums, and blogs.

4. Patient Reward Programs

You have to make patients your top priority. While there’s a great opportunity for growth when you’re on the lookout for new patients, the indicators show that the longevity of your practice highly depends on input from loyal patients.

While you can count on organic interactions to create a loyal following, a case can equally be argued that you have to be intentional about out. For this, we recommend devising a patient reward program for those who share referrals among family and friends.

Incentives here can include specials like courtesy discounts, VIP status, and treatment vouchers. Such simple ideas can help patients make the leap to becoming brand ambassadors who are eager to spread the word about your practice.

Conclusion

Being savvy about aesthetic clinic marketing best practices can help you gain an edge over the competition. While the highlighted pointers should bring you up to speed, you still need to do more groundwork by attending a couple of conferences, networking with colleagues, and inquiring for help from vendors you work with.

If that’s a bit too much for your plate, you can choose a smoother learning curve that involves onboarding an aesthetic consultant to show you the ropes.