Plastic surgery is a growing market. Studies show that social media alone has contributed to a 31% increase in plastic surgery requests. There’s a higher demand for plastic surgery procedures now more than ever. So, if you’re a plastic surgeon, today is the perfect day to step up your plastic surgery marketing game and ride the trend to grow your business.
As great as the increase in demand is, there is a downside. The cosmetic surgery field is becoming more and more competitive. The higher the demand, the stiffer the competition.
Those who are interested in visiting a clinic will always do prior research online. People factor in affordability, convenience, benefits, and credibility before choosing a clinic they want to visit.
So what can you do to get ahead of your competition? The answer will always be marketing.
We want to help your business grow, so we’ve listed 7 plastic surgery marketing tactics and strategies you can implement in your marketing plan to gain new clients and grow your business.
Plastic Surgery Marketing
The first step to improving your marketing plan is to develop a goal. Write down what you want to achieve so you can create a marketing plan that targets that goal. Some of the most common goals are:
Of course, in the end everyone’s goal is to gain new clients, but there are different avenues you can take to get there. Your marketing strategy will change based on whether you want to get clients through organic website traffic or Facebook ads. Once you’ve figured out your path, you can proceed to molding your plastic surgery marketing strategy. Make your marketing plan as detailed and comprehensive as possible.
*Tip: Always use your marketing strategy as your guide or outline. This means that everything you publish or put online needs to serve a purpose. Everything you do should go back to your marketing plan and goal.
7 Plastic Surgery Marketing Tactics And Strategies To Grow Your Business
1. Build a Website
This should no longer come as a surprise. By now you should know the importance of having a website. People nowadays can’t be bothered to search the phone book for a cosmetic surgery clinic, or even try to visit a physical clinic if they’re only planning on inquiring.
“Websites promote you 24/7: No employee will do that.”
― Paul Cookson
Everyone goes online to do their initial research before actually visiting the clinic. Most transactions are now done online, so it’s become crucial for businesses to show up online.
If you don’t have a website, you’re already losing business.
However, as important as having a website is, it doesn’t stop there. The design and content of your website is just as important as having one.
Your website becomes the extension of your clinic, it’s where you can make a good first impression and where you can establish your authority and credibility.
Think of it this way: your website is a gateway to introducing your plastic surgery business to potential clients. It should look professional and include information they’d want to know.
These are factors that influence a potential client’s decision to trust you or not. So make sure your website gives your visitors valuable information.
*Tip: Aside from your home page, services page, about page, etc., remember to include all your contact information on your website. This includes your name, clinic phone number, clinic email address, any social media accounts, and clinic address. Don’t forget to add surgeon bios, awards, and certificates on your about page to make your website more reliable.
2. Reviews, Testimonials, Before and Afters
91% of millennials trust online reviews as much as friends and family. (Brightlocal)
Reviews are crucial for businesses online. They play a significant role in a potential clients’ decision-making process. It’s why you should always include the best reviews by your previous patients on your website. If you don’t have enough of these, request them! Most people are happy to give you a glowing testimonial if they were happy with your services.
All businesses are bound to get a few negative reviews along the way. If you do and they show up on Google or another site where your business is featured, you should immediately resolve them. Reply to the person and explain the situation or offer to resolve it privately. You can get a lot of value from these negative reviews. Other people can see you respond with integrity and make the situation right, plus it acts as a learning experience to better improve your business.
Another more visual review is a before and after. These photos always catch people’s attention online and they’re worth a thousand words. Visitors can see for themselves how the procedure impacted your patient. Make sure you only include photos of procedures that you offer and make it as relatable as possible.
*Tip: Using high-quality photos and videos on your website are great for improving your SEO ranking.
3. Use Content to Your Advantage
Content is one of the best ways to boost your website’s SEO ranking and organic traffic. It plays a big role in reeling in leads that can eventually turn into patients. Content can also solidify your expertise in your field in the minds of website visitors.
You’re going to have to publish relevant, engaging, and educational content for it to work to your advantage. Some examples are blog posts, infographics, photos, and videos.
4. Try Out Social Media
Believe me when I tell you that social media is a plastic surgeon’s best friend. Studies show that social media has the biggest influence on a person’s desire to get plastic surgery, especially on women.
This means that your demographic is likely to be avid social media users, so use social media platforms to your advantage. You’re more likely to find your target market on social media than any other digital marketing platform out there.
Social media allows you to reach, interact, and engage with a bigger audience, so leverage it by consistently posting relevant content on your accounts. You can also engage by promoting special offers, linking your website content, answering questions, going live, posting photos, videos, tutorials, and even to run ads.
There’s so much you can do on social media that can help you grow your plastic surgery business.
*Tip: Make your social media channels as interactive as possible. Use it to get information about your audience. You’ll be able to pinpoint their likes, dislikes, personality, and behaviour to help you improve your overall marketing tactics and strategies.
5. Get Paid Ads
Digital advertising works differently from your traditional print, radio, and TV ads. The beauty of digital advertising is that it allows you to specifically target your audience so you can maximize all of your advertising and marketing efforts.
Digital advertising uses the pay-per-click or PPC format. This means that you’re only going to have to pay if someone clicks on your ad. Your ads will also highly depend on the keywords you use. Here’s a link to a more in-depth look at Google Ads. You can also refer to the image below to choose which type of ads you should run.
There are many advantages to paid advertising, like:
*Tip: There are a few things to keep in mind when starting your ad campaigns. A few of these are the design of your ads, the content of these ads, where you advertise, the keywords you use, and who to target your ad to.
6. Start Email Marketing
Email marketing is still the best and most effective tactic to nurture your leads, but it will only work if it is written in a way that can convince your audience to acquire your services. It has to be creative, unique, and witty enough for people to want to open the email.
You have to start with an attention grabbing subject line. Then you proceed to write the body. The body of your email needs to be concise but still contain valuable information. You should also be able to link your website or blog in a strategic manner. The last thing you have to do is to insert a compelling call-to-action. Without the action, there’s no point, after all.
7. Develop Your Brand
Think of branding as your business’s persona – it’s how people perceive and remember your business. Your brand represents your entire business. So it’s safe to say that it is important to have a well established brand with a clear message.
As a plastic surgeon, ask yourself, what kind of message do you want to deliver to your audience? Once you’ve figured that out, you can start building your brand around that message, but make sure your message is realistic, honest, and positive. Put yourself in the shoes of potential patients – what are the pain points they’re experiencing, what are their barriers to coming to see you, and what would remove those barriers and convince them to take that next step?
“Determine who you are and what your brand is, and what you’re not. The rest of it is just a lot of noise.” – Geoffrey Zakarian
Another important factor in branding is the visuals. We’re all suckers for brands with great design. Research even proves this statement by showing how branding design can have a dramatic impact on the way we view a company.
Branding design will be the first thing that interacts with a potential patient. It encompasses everything, from the design of your office, your logo, your website design, letterhead, and even down to the smaller things like the fonts you use.
If you want to appeal to your audience, you have to create a design that represents you as a plastic surgeon, your clinic, and branding message. Try using visuals that reflect your work. Your design should be welcoming and comfortable enough for potential patients and previous clients to want to come back.
Read this article to learn about the power of strong branding and look out for our next blog post to get a guide on effective branding design.
There is no better time than the present to start working on your marketing tactics and strategies. Start building your plastic surgery marketing plan to grow your business. You have many available resources, so grab the opportunity! If you have any questions or inquiries, call us! We can work together to successfully market your plastic surgery business.