Great marketing techniques for aesthetic clinics

With the rise in demand for non-surgical aesthetic treatments, there has been huge growth in the number of clinics offering everything from thread lifting to hyaluronic acid fillers. The aesthetic space has become more competitive than ever as clinics jostle with each other to cut through the noise and deliver important information to those considering fighting the signs of ageing.

Patients are becoming increasingly savvy in their ability to search, read reviews and compare results for different anti-ageing treatments. Despite this research, the customer journey is one that still requires much hand-holding and education around different options and expectations, as well as reassurance from the clinic.

This education requires multiple touchpoints across a range of channels, including company websites, email marketing, social media and paid advertising. Everything starts with choosing the right products for your clinic so that you are poised to cover a wide range of patient needs. This could include offering a combination of thread* lifts and dermal fillers to treat different areas of the face or choosing the right products to successfully stimulate collagen production for tighter-looking skin.

Once you have your chosen product/brand portfolio, it's important to understand how brands can support you in marketing your aesthetic practice. Aesthetics is a four-tier system that flows from manufacturer to country distributor to clinic to patient. In a world where content is king, messaging has to be consistent across all audiences. If most of your time is spent face to face with patients in your clinic, it's often difficult to switch hats between being an aesthetic practitioner and marketing manager, so having access to high-quality content to reshare across your channels can prove to be the difference between ‘good’ and ‘great’ marketing.

Consistency is key when it comes to nurturing your audiences to the stage where they're ready to consider going ahead with their chosen procedure. Therefore, creating an information funnel where different messages are delivered at different times is vital. On email, for example, a 'welcome series' of five to six different messages outlining the what, why, how, when and where of the procedures offered can be pre-designed and delivered with automation to educate prospective clients in a timely manner.

On social media, everyone is watching—your patients, your partners, your competitors and beyond. Building strong bonds with the brands and products you use in your daily treatments is key to building trust faster across all demographics and interests. Resharing content published across platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and Twitter can be achieved simply at the click of a button. When users search for treatments such as MaiLi or Silhouette Soft, your clinic could be at the top of the results, so lean on the brands that provide you with useful marketing material.

Testimonials will always triumph on social media. A before-and-after photo series or video of past patients will build trust in your future clients, as will explainers on what exactly will be done*, and where. This also speaks of the knowledge and experience you've gained working with these products*, and assures those concerned about the benefits of moving forward.

Be transparent. Be candid. Engage and invest in the product portfolio of the brands you work with. Spend some time and resources on advertising to reach both existing and new audiences. Look hard at Google Ads; focus on targeting areas within a few miles, where there will be limited competition. Additionally, always make sure your website is a hub of information on all the products and services you provide.

Convincing prospective clients to make appointments should be your key objective.

*The information contained within this presentation has been provided by health care professionals in their medical practices independently of any involvement of Sinclair. Any opinions, information, views or advice provided or expressed are those of such medical professionals and not of Sinclair. Use of Sinclair’s products in combination with any other product or accessory that is not listed within the IFU shall be undertaken entirely at the medical professionals risk.