If you own or manage a medispa in the Lower Mainland there are some gold standard marketing tactics you can use to capture the attention of local patients and keep them coming back.
1. Share Seasonal Promotions & Discounts
Many patients like to visit a medispa before a special occasion. Whether it's a Christmas dinner, Graduation ceremony or just a summer brunch date, they want to look and feel their best.
As a medispa owner, you can use special occasions and seasonal holidays as a great way to capitalize on this. Run promotions that are in line with the season, like summer skincare discounts or body contouring treatments. Create a sense of urgency by reminding your patients that this will only run for a limited time.
2. Optimize your Google My Business Account
Whether you are a small business or a larger scale franchise, it is so important to be aware of your local presence in the area you work.
Google My Business is a tool that all business owners should utilize. Share your office hours, address, contact information, important updates and images of your medispa on your Google My Business page. This tool gives you important insights so you can see how many people view and call your business listing per month.
It also lets you appear on Google Maps. Be sure to use relevant terms to describe your medispa on your listing, and share the services you offer so it's easy for prospective clients to find you locally.
3. Develop a Strong, Organic Social Media Following
Social media marketing may seem deceptively simple, but the truth is, it takes a lot of work to gain an engaged audience online.
You need consistent content, a powerful voice and a lot of time and dedication to attract clients through your social channels. Be sure you have a business account on both Facebook and Instagram to start. With these, you will gain access to a wealth of reporting tools which give you insight on what your followers like to see.
Here are some fun social media marketing ideas for medispa's to get started:
- Encourage user generated content by asking clients to tag you in social content
- Follow other local businesses
- Engage with and reply to your followers online promptly
- Share behind the scenes photos and videos in the office
- Showcase before and after images and treatments
- Share your promotions on social as posts and stories
- Use hashtags that are relevant to your business, services and region
- Partner with and share content from other local businesses
It is important to remember that social media is not all about the numbers anymore. Do not panic if your account isn’t over 10,000 followers. Engagement is the most important aspect on social channels nowadays.
You could only have 100 followers, but if 50 of them are actively engaged with your company online, those are still 50 prospective clients that are ready to hear from your brand. Focus less on the numbers and more on creating meaningful connections with your clients online and watch the conversions happen.
4. Run Paid Google & Social Media Ads
Ads are a fast way to spread local awareness, re-market, gain followers online and ultimately, convert new patients. There are many different types of digital ads available to marketers and business owners alike.
Before you decide to start creating and running your own ads however, it’s important to consider what your goal is. If you are looking to sell more skincare products, you would run shopping ads on Google or on your social media channels.
Likewise, if you are looking to re-market and establish brand awareness, you can run display ads, which are very image focused. Many of our medispa clients prefer a blend of different types of ads which target multiple different potential client types at once.
Ads take a lot of planning and forethought to create initially, however, unlike other channels, once they are running, they do much of the work for you. You can choose the time of day your ads run, the locations and demographics they target and set a monthly budget. They give you lots of control over your marketing.
5. Keep Your Website Up to Date
Your website is your virtual storefront, it’s important to make a good first impression online and sometimes that means giving your website a periodic facelift. This does not have to mean a complete website redesign, however, it is important to constantly add fresh content to your site. Here are some website edits that you should be doing regularly for your medispa:
- Post before and after photos
- Showcase new promotions
- Share helpful blog posts
- Prompt visitors to subscribe to your newsletter
- Have a contact form for new client intake
- Create new service pages for new treatments you offer
- Have an FAQ section for client questions
- Optimize your website for conversions
In some cases, if your website is over 5 years old, it may need a more in-depth upgrade. Technology is always changing and search engines are constantly scouring the internet for fresh, useful and relevant information. In order to stay competitive online, it’s important that you keep up with new digital trends and ensure your website is compliant with the latest security requirements, easy to navigate and is mobile friendly.
6. Build a Strong Email List
Newsletters foster a sense of community. Use your mailing list as a channel to communicate directly with existing and potential patients.
Give them incentive to subscribe to you by sharing a discount on their first purchase/treatment, or advertise the exclusive benefits of being a subscriber, such as early access to VIP sales, discounts and events.
It can be difficult to determine how frequently your newsletters should go out. In order to stay top of mind, you will see some companies sending out newsletters daily or even multiple times per day. If you are just getting started, it’s best to aim for once a month, and experiment with increasing the frequency.
If you send emails out to your subscribers too often, you risk being seen as a spam account, so try to avoid this common email marketing flaw.
7. Ask for Client Reviews
Your reputation online is very important to maintain. Appearance matters and patients browsing your medispa are going to notice your reviews, or lack thereof. Whether it's on Yelp, Google my Business or a local listing specific to your area, review platforms are hard to ignore. Generally, if a company has hundreds of 1 star reviews online, it’s a red flag that they are not going to provide a good customer experience.
You want to position your medispa as a positive place and you need high reviews to convey that to prospective clients.
Luckily, review requests can be automated via email, and prompted to send after your patient's treatment. It is always best to ask your client in person if they could please leave you a review as well. A personal touch goes a long way in the digital age. It’s important to note that it is generally seen as bad practice to incentivize reviews, by offering patients discounts or services in exchange for a 5 star review. This can be seen as bribery. Happy clients that have had a good experience are very likely to leave great reviews, so you have nothing to worry about.
8. Build a Referral Network
Chances are, your current patients know someone else who would love to explore your services. Offer a discount or gifted service if they refer a new client to your medispa. You can also host events that encourage your patients to bring a friend or relative. For example, around Mothers Day, share a discount for mother - daughter treatments.
You can also generate referrals more subtly without asking for them by allowing clients to purchase gift cards for your services. These work as a free-trial for new patients, coming to your medispa. If they were given a gift card, they’re likely going to come visit you, even if they have never been before. They should be considered as prospective long term patients.
Revamp Your Medispa Marketing Strategy With ElementIQ
Now that you are equipped with some new marketing strategies for your medispa, get started and try them out! If you have any questions, or you would like to take your marketing strategy to the next level, reach out to our team of experienced marketers.
Whether you’re looking for a new website, brand guide, social media strategy or help with paid ads, our team has the tools and skills required to elevate your medispa and attract new patients. We have over 10 years of experience working in healthcare marketing and related sectors. Contact us to start the conversation!
