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Advertising to Attract Aesthetic Patients
Friday, December 12th, 2008Different between Marketing and Advertising Your Aesthetic Practice
Sunday, December 7th, 2008Most aesthetic physicians I’ve worked with have distaste for marketing. They feel they are above it. They feel they shouldn’t have to prove themselves to anyone. They also prefer to delegate the task of marketing to someone else. However, once you understand the difference between marketing and advertising, it becomes obvious that the persons truly qualified to “market” your practice are you and your staff.
There is a huge difference with marketing and advertising. Advertising is someone standing on a corner motioning to the passerby to come take a look at what they’re selling. It’s the effort you put into getting your telephone to ring.
Marketing is everything that follows after the telephone rings. Such as how the receptionist handles the call, you introducing yourself, your sincere interest in the patient, your office’s appearance, its sounds and smells, the mannerisms of staff and especially those at the front desk and, of course, the quality of care.
Promoting your aesthetic practice is an essential, integral necessity that’s very much a part of aesthetic medicine today, especially with greater competition growing every day, whether it’s through TV, cable, radio, print, direct mail or internet marketing.
Advertising is most effective when combining education and then an introduction to you, your staff and your facilities. One strategy is to use video about you, your staff and your office to professionally promote you. Add it to your website, add it to other vendor portals and show it in your office. Such a strategy becomes a more efficient promotion model with elements of both advertising and marketing.
Just know advertising is the first part of your success. Marketing is everything after that that will truly build your successful aesthetic practice.
Where Did the Aesthetic Patients Go?
Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008I’m getting more and more stress calls from aesthetic physicians saying they need help. Their phones have stopped ringing, the reception area is a ghost town and their staff is way too busy doing nothing. Help!
Ok, let’s regroup. First, we need to check your mindset – otherwise known as attitude.
Have you ever heard that saying “If you believe it’s true or you believe it’s not – you’re right?” What are you saying to yourself? Are you coming from a place of abundance or from scarcity? The aesthetic physicians who will fare better are those who believe and are open to opportunities. Open your mind and eyes to “see” the opportunities and what you can do now to combat the negativity going on around you.
By the way, aesthetic patients have not vanished. In my book /“Your Aesthetic Practice/What Your Patients Are Saying” I remind you there are many social trends driving their needs. Let’s not forget there are 76 million baby boomers who still want to look and feel good. They may need more prodding from you but their initial want is still there.
Here’s a secret in marketing. Always cater to the wants of an aesthetic patient on an emotional level. Remind them how your services will make them feel better, more alive and younger. And, stay in touch. You must build a relationship with these patients who may be rethinking and re-prioritizing their needs. Simply communicating with them regularly and letting them know their options could be enough to get them to come back.
Help your aesthetic patients see the opportunities as well. Perhaps they have backed away from more expensive surgical procedures so this is the perfect opportunity to educate them on what you can do for a lot less money and downtime (fillers and Botox). The more you connect with them now on the smaller procedures, the more likely they will be to stay with you for the bigger procedures.
Keep a good attitude – keep in touch with your aesthetic patients – keep your revenues flowing.
Follow the Money in Aesthetic Marketing
Monday, November 24th, 2008Have you pulled back on your promotional efforts? Or, do you see this as an opportunity to invest in your practice?
A great example of someone who understands opportunity is Warren Buffet who is buying up bargains like crazy right now because others have stepped away from the table out of fear.
The secret is to go where the money is. That means if you are even breaking even with any of your promotional efforts – keep doing them! Keep current patients coming in and attract new patients now so when times are better, they will stick with you and spend more with you.
Those who conquer tough times are the ones who get into motion and do something. This is critical because money is attracted to movement and speed. It’s not attracted to those who are scared and standing still.
Get in the game…winners embrace these challenges and do what it takes to not only weather the storm but flourish in it.
The Secret to Aesthetic Marketing
Friday, October 31st, 2008One of the biggest secrets in aesthetic marketing that increases the response to your offers is….multiple exposures. The more times an aesthetic patient hears and sees your name, the more comfortable they will be with you and trust that you are the perfect solution for them.
Another way to get multiple exposures is through combinations of media. If at the same time your patient is receiving mail from you, they also see your ad in the local newspaper and their girlfriend mentions you… that’s powerful and compelling for them to call you since they feel as if they know you better.
Multiple exposures gives your patients instant recognition of your name and practice and a much better chance of them responding to your promotional efforts because they are mentally saying, “Oh yes. I know you.” and is now much more receptive to you.
Here are other low costs things you can use for multiple exposures to your aesthetic patients:
#1: A uniform business image – colors, your name, a logo carried over to your practice materials, your website, your signage and of course all your advertising.
#2: Repetitive contact with fewer aesthetic patients rather than just one contact with a large number of prospective patients.
#3: Distribution of your brochures and business cards to strategic alliances.
#4: The sponsorship of a community event.
The point is to stay in front of your patients as well as your prospective patients. Because, when they are finally ready for aesthetic enhancement, they are going to look up and look for answers and you better be there for them!
What You Can Do Now to Ensure a Successful Year in Aesthetic Medicine
Thursday, October 23rd, 2008What You Can Do Now to Ensure a Successful Year
The media is scaring your patients. All of this doom and gloom about the economy is paralyzing to a majority of your patients who are or could be affected by the dips and turns in the economy.
Don’t buy into it! There is much you can to ensure you float through these choppy waters safely and profitably.
I’ve put together a timely audio and visual presentation, with me personally narrating, entitled, “What You Can Do to Ensure a Successful Year”
Click Here to Watch:
http://cosmeticimagemarketing.com/media/What_To_Do_For_Successful_Year.wmv
It’s full of simple strategies to keep your phones ringing, your patients buying and referrals coming to you.
The point is to first check your mindset. Are you buying into this pessimism? If you are, you are not going to be open to opportunities and possibilities so fix that first.
The next step is to do something. I know your first instinct is to lay low for now but that’s the worst strategy. Your aesthetic patients need more compelling reasons to invest in aesthetics so, now more than ever, give them those reasons.
Educate them on little things they can do right now to look fantastic for the Holidays. Motivate them to act now with a special offer and a tight expiration date. Encourage them to refer their friends so; they too, can look fabulous for Holiday parties and family photos.
Those who strategically act now will conquer. Those who sit back and do nothing will perish.
The Holidays Are Coming and So Are Your Aethetic Patients
Tuesday, October 14th, 2008With the holidays right around the corner, you want to strategically reach out to your patients. This time of year is full of emotional hot buttons for your patients so be sure you are communicating with them about the possibilities you offer to have them looking fabulous for the Holidays.
Aesthetic Patient Hot Buttons
The aesthetic patient is now thinking about the upcoming holidays. That means Holiday parties with friends, office parties with coworkers and get-togethers with family. Cameras will be clicking and video cameras will be humming so your patients will want to look their best since these photos and videos will be circulating for months and years to come.
They may also be pondering having more invasive enhancement done since their company may close down during the holidays or they can take some time for themselves and could afford a little downtime.
Your patients may also get an annual bonus they want to spend on something special just for them.
Let them know the possibilities and how you can help them. Give them a choice about all the possibilities but then break it down in case they want to take smaller steps.
Now is the time to communicate with your patients about how fabulous they could look during the Holidays.
It Takes a Marketing Mix to Grow Your Aesthetic Practice (Part 3 of 3)
Monday, September 29th, 2008Last time, I covered the long-term strategies and now I’ll discuss the short-term strategies that will:
- get your telephone to ring
- your patients to refer
- your prospective patients to finally book
Short-Term Strategies to Grow Your Aesthetic Practice
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Start with Your Current Patients.
While you’re waiting for your long-term marketing strategies to take hold, implement some “fast-acting” marketing projects that give you revenues now. Start with your current patient base. They already know and trust you. Therefore, they’re much more apt to respond to your marketing efforts. So use the marketing mix to cross-promote comparable procedures and treatments and encourage patient referrals.
If your patient is interested in photorejuvenation, there’s a good chance she’s also interested in vein therapy, soft tissue augmentation and medical-strength retail products. Be sure to check with your individual society by-laws to learn the dos and don’ts of marketing your services. Depending on the specialty, it can be either products or services.
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Newsletter.
Send a quarterly newsletter to your database to educate them on the latest news in the cosmetic enhancement world. You also may want to include a special offer.
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Direct Mail.
Work with your vendors to sponsor a comarketed piece that promotes yourself and them. Vendors are usually happy to help you promote their products and services, and they can help you offset your marketing costs.
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Internet Marketing.
Have a graphic designer create an html message with a special offer that can be e-mailed to your patient database monthly. Be sure you have permission to send e-mail to your patients, and they must be able to opt out if they want. This is, by far, the cheapest and fastest way to communicate with your patients. It’s well worth the time to collect e-mails at every opportunity. Make the messages short and newsworthy so patients look forward to the next one.
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Word-of-mouth Referral Program.
Offer some incentive for your patients to refer friends or family. The best referrals will come from satisfied patients who were treated well and got a great result. Thank them with a personal phone call and/or note each time they send someone to your practice.
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VIP Cards.
Americans love frequent buyer programs. So take care of patients who regularly see you for cosmetic enhancement. They will want, and perhaps even expect, some incentive for being loyal to your practice. Talk with your vendors, since they may be able to help you with a VIP program. For example, the manufacturers of Botox® Cosmetic and Restylane® offer a frequent user VIP card that offers a discount on your next treatment.
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Gift Certificates.
Be sure to display eye-catching gift certificates your patients will see. If they’re happy with your services, they’ll buy them for friends, family and colleagues.
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In-House Events.
Invite your patients and their friends, as well as neighboring spas, salons and retail shop personnel, to your office for an evening of education. Present what’s new in cosmetic enhancement and sell products.
Tracking Results
Make sure your staff asks every new patient how they heard of the physician. They must know how patients are finding their way to your office. The easiest way to track results is a log near the telephones to remind the receptionist to ask. She can then enter that information into a software program. You’ll be able to pull up reports periodically to track trends and marketing results. You also can code your ads, use a special telephone line or have them present a coupon for the special price you mentioned in your ad.
Remember, it takes different messages and different avenues to connect with your preferred target market. If aesthetic patients aren’t ready today for your services, they will be three, six, nine months from now. Be sure you’re there to address their needs.
Patient Email Marketing
Friday, August 22nd, 2008Email marketing is, by far, the cheapest and fastest way to communicate with your patients today.
Thanks to advanced technology and streamlined processes, you can literally send out a message and within minutes, get your telephone ringing with eager patients.
In today’s competitive environment, it’s vital to keep in touch with your patients on a regular basis. This will help ensure their loyalty to you and keep them coming back throughout the year. You also want to “market through education” since a true aesthetic patient wants to know what’s new in the world of cosmetic enhancement.
Be sure you are asking your aesthetic patients for their email address so they can receive your very exclusive web offers and event announcements. And, your email messages should be brief, eye-catching and include very special promotions so they look forward to hearing from you.
