How COVID-19 Has Impacted the Aesthetic Industry and Aesthetics Marketing

At this point, it’s safe to say that COVID-19 has turned many things upside down, and aesthetics marketing is no exception. Simply put, not unlike other industries, the aesthetics industry, has been forced into a new way of plastic surgery marketing and adapting to the challenges COVID-19 brought on.

With the lockdown, it was almost impossible for practices to break even, and many furloughed staff while being shut down. While things have improved some since then, some things are just not the same. What’s clear though is that the future seems unpredictable. Not just for aesthetic practices like yours, but also, for the patients.

Join us as we dissect the different ways the pandemic has impacted the aesthetic industry and aesthetics marketing plus insights on what you can do about it.

1. Better Staff Hires

While this is no history lesson, some background is important for context. In 2008, we experienced a global financial crisis that left many industries in limbo. Many employees were let go as businesses closed down. This meant that there was an influx of talent for hire for those businesses that could afford a cushion to ride the wave and survive the recession.

In 2020, we’ve experienced something similar in the aesthetics marketing industry. Notably, the younger generation has been forced to adapt to the times. While most of them get criticized and blamed for high staff turnover when everything’s not rosy, it’s quite understandable that we live in different times. With the COVID-19 pandemic though, such luxuries are no longer sustainable.

It’s highly likely professionals in the plastic surgery industry will take on a more old-fashioned approach and start being grateful at the mere fact of having a job.

This new way of thinking is likely going to make the new staff hires at your practice more reliable and productive as most of them have no other fall back option. It’s a win for your business as they’ll help run your practice and help grow your brand.

2. New Pricing Models

As mentioned before, COVID-19 has had a huge dent in the economy. With little money flowing, a good number of your patients will have less capital to spend on aesthetic treatments.

It’s worth consideration to become a little bit more flexible with your pricing models. You can think about embracing patient financing systems and pay-as-you-go models. This way, your business will have a good chance of staying in the black as cash flow will not be hampered much.

Then again, you also have to be smart as you rethink your aesthetics marketing strategy. While promoting the affordable payment system, you have to insist on deposits as a means of ensuring that patients honor their appointments. This is done to shield the business from patients who love canceling at the eleventh hour.

With profits thinning for some practices, a patient showing up for an appointment could have a massive impact on whether your business registers a profit or a loss. With a stricter cancellation policy, you’ll be able to plan for the future better.

Importantly, patients are aware of what’s happening around the world so they’ll likely be more open to the ideas you share with them.

3. Virtual Conferencing

While airports are now open, travel is very much still restricted in some states. For the aesthetics marketing world, this means a shift towards virtual conferencing as practices will find it tricky to spend big on 3-4 day meetings. With costs saved, you’ll have more money in your accounts to run your practice as you deem fit.

The only negative is that virtual conferences pale in comparison to in-person meetings. While the consultation conversation or post-op conversation may be the same, the virtual meeting limits the personalization and emotional connection between patient and physician.

4. Bargaining Power with Suppliers

Now that you’re more empathetic towards your patients’ financial condition, it’s only logical that your vendors consider your current state of affairs.

As suppliers, they tend to play a critical role in the expansion of your practice’s service offerings. This is because they get to supply equipment and machines that lighten the workload. Before the pandemic, they sort of lorded over businesses with a cash upfront payment model. However, the times have caused a need for flexibility in even B2B partnerships.

To ensure that you successfully transition to the new age, the first order of business must be negotiating new terms with suppliers. Having revealed this, it’s worth documenting that not all businesses have the capacity to buy new equipment in the middle of a pandemic. This has impacted aesthetics marketing organizations that were dependent on making sales.

Already, suppliers and manufacturers have had to change tact by pivoting into other industries. In Italy, where the COVID-19 pandemic hit hard, a good number of car manufacturers started producing ventilators as that’s what was in high demand and they needed to stay in business.

In America, the situation isn’t all that different. With the chips on your side, you have the power to call the game as you see fit. A return to the negotiating table would be a great way to start the conversation with suppliers.

5. Patient Demand

Shortly after businesses reopened, many practices enjoyed a boom in patient bookings. While things aren’t as bad as they were at the height of the lockdown, you have to wonder whether demand will stay high over the next 12 months.

Before giving any verdicts on what the state of aesthetics marketing will look like, we have to be mindful of the human condition.

Importantly, this is not our first rodeo, we’ve come through hard times before and gone back to lead normal lives. Incidents like SARS and 9/11 really shook the fabric of society for a while but normalcy was soon resumed once we learned to live and manage the aftermath.

While a case could be argued that the aesthetic industry isn’t the number one agenda for people who are out of jobs, ultimately, everyone wants to put their best foot forward. As someone who works in beauty, you can bet that you’ll see a growing demand in some particular procedures like minimally invasive procedures that have little to no downtime for patients.

The work-from-home bandwagon will most probably be receptive to the idea of getting plastic surgeries done on them before they get back to their lives. Remarkably, some minimally invasive procedures like some nose jobs allow patients to comfortably don masks shortly after an appointment.

Starting An Aesthetics Marketing Plan to Thrive in The Next Year

COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on the plastic surgery industry. However, it’s not all bad. If the “lipstick effect theory” is anything to go by, people will always find a way of spending on luxuries.

So, as much as times may be rough, it’s expected that there will be an upturn. To successfully manage during this time, it’s wise to take counsel from an aesthetic consultant. Provided you have an open mind, they can help you develop a strategy that transcends pandemics and helps endear your practice to both existing and prospective patients.