Have You Tried These Marketing Strategies at Your Medical Spa?

Loyal patients are the heart of your medical spa. However, you also need a steady flow of new patients to continue to grow a successful, long-term business. 

That's where marketing, and a detailed plan, come into play. 

Getting started

As you brainstorm your marketing goals and initiatives, start by defining the ideal patient at your medical spa. Consider: 

• Are they predominantly female or male?

• How old are they?

• Where do they work? 

• What do they value?

Your marketing efforts will only be effective if you understand who you’re targeting and what motivates them to take action.

Marketing from awareness to advocacy

Next, think about the entirety of your ideal patient’s journey—from awareness to conversion to loyalty to advocacy. 

How do you plan to:  

• Get the word out about your business? 

• Convert them into a patient?

• Retain them?

• Turn them into a brand advocate? 

As you plan your marketing, it's crucial that you and your team are aware of what the potential legal issues are regarding marketing messaging in your state. Consider HIPAA guidelines, especially when using social media, and always consult with your legal counsel. 

Next, develop specific strategies for each stage of their journey. That way, you’ll keep patients coming back and, eventually, they’ll start to market your medical spa on your behalf (after all, the most effective form of marketing is a customer referral).

The following four strategies show what marketing looks like throughout the customer journey:

Awareness—host an open house.

A well-planned open house introduces your medical spa, and your services, to prospective patients in your community.

Events that combine education and entertainment are an effective method of promoting your services. This way, prospective clients become comfortable with medical services while feeling comfortable with their friends and acquaintances. Add some compelling imagery and promotions, and you’ll gain patients on the spot.

Encourage attendance with:

• Lectures, treatment demos, and/or Q&A sessions with the physician

• Raffle prizes

• One-day-only pricing

Action—showcase your treatments with video.

You know what they say—seeing is believing. Don’t just talk about your treatments to interested patients, let them see it for themselves with videos. 

Film your staff performing your most popular procedures or aesthetic treatments (think CoolSculpting, BOTOX, etc.), including what to expect before, during, and after their treatments. Answer frequently asked questions and address any misconceptions, too. 

Add these videos to the service pages on your website and social media pages and in targeted social media ads promoting any introductory offers you have.

When using treatment demos or before and after photos on social sites or in any marketing, be sure to get written consent from the patient, and don’t give medical advice online.

Even when clients post positive remarks on your business social media pages, the appropriate response is to thank them for their comments, not to acknowledge that they were, in fact, a patient. It's wise to place a disclaimer on your social sites reminding visitors of the public nature of the forum, so they are not compelled to over-share.

Again, be sure to consult with your lawyer before marketing your medical spa services in this way. 

Loyalty—use automation to keep in touch.

Staying connected with patients is key to retention. 

Thankfully, marketing automation makes ongoing communication via text and email simple. Simply set-up campaigns based on specific criteria (i.e., to follow-up with first visits, win back lost patients, celebrate birthdays, etc.) and forget them—the software will send them automatically as they apply. 

Download our guide to become a text message marketing pro. 

Advocacy—create a VIP membership.

Your most frequent patients should be rewarded for their loyalty and advocacy. 

Create a VIP membership that gives your best patients the special treatment they deserve, like discounted treatments and products and/or complementary add-ons.

Also, reward them for sharing their experience at your medical spa. Give your VIPs points when they: 

• Leave a review

• Refer a friend

• Tag your business on social

Allow these points to be redeemed for credit towards future treatments or products to encourage them to visit your medical spa on a more frequent basis.  

Now that you’ve read through a few ways to target and retain new patients, it’s time to put your own plans on paper.