Nearly 18 million surgical and minimally invasive aesthetic procedures are performed annually according to the Aesthetic Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). In 2019, the number of surgical procedures grew by 6.2% and non-surgical procedures by 13.3% over a four-year period. Clearly, plastic surgery is now a well-accepted means to augment a variety of cosmetic issues and enhance physical features.

But while more people are increasingly turning to cosmetic procedures to enhance their aesthetics, plastic surgeons are struggling to grow their practice and increase their market base. Prospective clients are carefully weighing their decisions against factors such as safety, quality of service, benefits, and affordability.

Before they make an inquiry or visit your clinic, they must have done their homework, mostly online, regarding a particular surgeon or procedure. As such, it is crucial to establish an effective plastic surgery marketing campaign to reach prospects during their research phase and convert them into clients.

Stand Out From Competitors

Cosmetic surgery providers that are able to project trustworthiness and authority through their online presence catch the attention of consumers – and eventually obtain them as new patients. However, all plastic surgeons invest in their own marketing efforts. Unfortunately, the messaging can all sound the same and become redundant. If you want to stand out from your competitors, you need to differentiate your service.

Three fundamental concepts can help set your marketing apart.

·       Communicate in a language patients understand. Medical terms like blepharoplasty, augmentation mammoplasty, mastopexy, and many other procedures won’t likely get the attention of the general public. Rather than using medical jargon, communicate with the language that they understand such as eyelid surgery, breast lift, tummy tuck and nose reshaping.

·         Focus on the benefits. Vital to effective marketing and advertising is to highlight how the procedure can bolster patients’ self-image and how it can bring them happiness. After all, what people buy is not the procedure itself but the improved self-worth, happiness, and satisfaction it can bring.

·         Gain patients’ trust. All cosmetic procedures, whether invasive, minimally-invasive or non-invasive, involve a certain degree of risk. Female plastic surgeons at LaBelleVie emphasized that these services require building the trust between the provider and the patient. Aside from considering the pros and cons of the procedure, prospective clients want to ensure that they are under the care of an experienced and qualified surgeon. Your marketing efforts should build trust by being open to their concerns, providing personal recommendations, and giving comprehensive information.

These three concepts are essential to a cosmetic surgeon’s marketing campaign and should guide your marketing strategies. But how do you carry out these concepts?

Useful plastic surgery strategies

Here are some strategies you can implement this 2020 to reach more potential clients.

Target high-value prospects

Increase your conversion rate by targeting prospective patients with higher chances of availing plastic surgery procedures. Typically, these clients are those who are mature and affluent enough to invest money, effort and time. Use social media, particularly Facebook, to reach your target demographics. You can also segment clients depending on other parameters like income level, interests in cosmetics, shopping behavior, activities and purchases. These can all be done with Facebook, as well as through Google Ads.

Stay connected with existing and previous patients

Advertising remains among the most effective ways to gain new referrals. Your existing and previously satisfied clients can help bring in new patients. This is why it is important to stay connected with them such as through social media and email. You can send them your latest offerings, promos, and services. This way, you can also stay on their mind and will likely recommend you to others.

Constant communication with unsatisfied clients

As with any other practice, there will always be clients who are unhappy with the result of the procedure. Usually, this is due to having the wrong expectations. Hence, you need to stay in constant communication with them. Keep your lines open to them and don’t tire educating them. You should also be very clear about the outcomes to avoid future clients from creating wrong expectations.

Rank search engine results

The main goal of plastic surgery SEO is to reach more prospects in your area. You can either spend time working the ropes of SEO or invest in a reliable SEO company to do these for you. Basically, SEO keeps your website on top of search engines so you’re easily searchable.

Build an effective website or social media accounts

Regardless of where your patients know about you, they’ll eventually check your website to find out more. Consider your website as the first interaction with any prospect, so make it informative, authoritative, and effective enough to make visitors take action. It should look visually attractive and interactive to keep the attention of the visitors—highlight awards and certifications, testimonials of satisfied clients, and before and after images.

Publish useful content

In digital marketing, content is king. Publishing engaging, relevant and useful content makes your website authoritative and creates your brand as an expert in the field of cosmetic surgery. Content is also vital in improving your website’s ranking in search engines. You can use your website or social media platforms to publish these contents, or you can create a blog site for these. Some useful content that you can post include blogs, infographics, images, videos, and case summaries. Use SEO techniques in your content to further help your marketing efforts.

Highlight patient testimonials and reviews

Prospective clients want to know what others have to say about your services. Feedback and reviews from other patients can greatly affect their decision-making process. As such, you want to gather as much feedback as possible. If you’re offering excellent service, then you’ll receive mostly positive reviews that will help build your reputation. On the other hand, negative reviews can be disastrous to your online reputations; hence, your reviews section should be managed effectively.

Invest in videos

Video content is the future of digital marketing. In fact, it is estimated that video will dominate internet traffic in the next couple of years. Hence, your plastic surgery marketing should utilize this content form through video sharing sites (like YouTube) and your social media platforms. Consider increasing the budget in the production of quality videos. You can showcase some hot topics, including short informational videos about your services, client testimonial videos, shot inside your clinic or during an actual procedure, and video featuring your technologies.

Final thoughts

Plastic surgery marketing and advertising is an important part of your practice. Gone are the days when surgeons simply rely on good practice and name recall for new patients to come. Nowadays, investing in effective marketing strategies is necessary for your success and growth. Be guided by the concepts and follow the strategies discussed above and see how it can greatly grow your market base.