With a booming aesthetics industry, practitioners are learning how important it is to pay attention to the business side of things. Women and men interested in new, age-defying treatments have countless options, and this represents an opportunity for industry professionals to inform potential customers. It is in the interest of practitioners in the aesthetics industry to use digital marketing strategies as a tool both to attract new customers and to hold on to the customers they already have. These strategies are used by the top aesthetic companies, and you can use them, too!
A Closer Look at Digital Marketing
The internet provides you with an opportunity to reach an audience, including an audience of potential customers, in a way that would not have been possible before the beginning of digital advertising in the 1990s. Traditional marketing usually involved mediums like billboards, newspaper advertisements, commercial ads on television or radio, and even mass mailings. Although there was often a target audience based on a particular demographic, sometimes the demographic was simply anyone who lived in a geographic area or happened to be passing by on the road.
Digital marketing, which tailors content to an online audience, is very different from traditional marketing, although there are some similarities. Marketers still have to ask themselves questions regarding the target customer, what sort of products the customer wants, and so forth.
A Different Direction
One of the unique characteristics of digital marketing is that many times, the customer comes to you. That is, rather than coming up with strategies designed to emblazon your logo or your product in front of the faces of as many people as possible, marketers at the top aesthetic companies have to think about how to attract the attention of customers who are already interested in aesthetics or beauty. Once you have gotten their attention, the key is to maintain it, recognizing that a customer may not return until they are ready to buy.
Fortunately for marketers and professionals at the top aesthetic companies, there is a lot of interest in the beauty industry, yielding numerous opportunities for professionals to capture an audience. Not only that, but many people are already familiar with some of the beauty treatments available, as they may have heard about them on social media or television, and they often come to your website or even your clinic already planning on undergoing a specific aesthetic treatment.
Managing Impressions
One aspect of digital marketing that people sometimes forget is the information management side. We might even call it damage control. What this essentially means is that the internet and social media are not only tools for you to connect with an audience, but they are also tools for an audience to connect with each other about you. Although this aspect of digital marketing will be specifically addressed in the strategies of top aesthetic companies, this protection of an online reputation side of the business is very important in operating a successful business.
Although we can talk about digital marketing in a general sense, as something that any business can and should engage in, there are aspects of digital marketing that are unique or useful to know in the context of healthcare. In the past, doctors frequently did not have to advertise as there was usually a steady stream of clients interested in a service, even in highly specialized areas. Although this is still somewhat true, the great variety of treatment options available, as well as the great amount of information available, presents a unique opportunity for healthcare providers, including those at the top aesthetic companies.
The reasons why it is important for marketers and professionals at top aesthetic companies to have a digital marketing plan should become clear as we dive more deeply into the subject. A good marketing plan is the difference between a business that is successful right now and a business that will be successful next year, the year after, and several years into the future.
Why is Digital Marketing Important?
The top aesthetic companies understand why it is important to have a digital marketing plan. Just some of the reasons why a digital marketing strategy is important include:
Standing Out Among the Options
Medicine is more of a consumer-driven industry now than in the past. When it comes to non-essential treatments like aesthetic and beauty treatments, customers have many options, so you need to make a case for why they should choose you.
Cost-Effective
Digital marketing can be reasonably priced. Although marketing prices can vary, digital marketing may be less expensive and more effective than traditional marketing strategies like billboards, TV ads, print ads, and the like.
Casting a Wide Net
Websites can reach a wide audience. A great website can be a hugely successful digital marketing tool because it offers the potential to reach a wide audience while also giving top aesthetic companies an opportunity to effectively market themselves and describe what they do.
Getting in Front of Your Audience
Digital marketing is effective. Let’s face it, we live in a youth-centric culture, and that applies to more than just looks. Young people are using social media, and you can reach a huge audience by simply coming up with a tailored, well-thought-out marketing plan.
Results You Can See
Return on investment can be measured. There are different ways to quantify the results of digital marketing strategies, like pay-per-click (PPC) or other metrics that represent how many eyes saw your ad or decided to engage with it.
Although we can say that digital marketing is important because most people use the internet to obtain information compared to other sources, or because people use social media as a tool to connect with others, this still leaves the question of whether professionals in the beauty industry need digital marketing. It is the case that many people already have a doctor in mind when they opt for an aesthetic treatment either because of word of mouth or what is available in the area, but with that said, a good digital marketing strategy represents more than anything an opportunity for professionals at top aesthetic companies to increase revenue.
Demand is High
The beauty industry is a multi-billion-dollar industry that is expected only to grow in the future. Americans spent $16 billion on plastic surgery in 2016, a mind-boggling sum. The opportunities here should be clear considering how much of our information comes from the internet. In terms of how this information is obtained, much of it comes from searches on search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo. Americans search for plastic surgeons, dermatologists, and top aesthetic companies on the internet, often using a variety of search terms.
This represents an opportunity for top aesthetic companies to increase traffic to their sites and increase exposure. Although exposing customers to a practice is merely half the battle, careful use of the following tools can result in dramatic increases in revenue:
• Online reputation management
• Paid search
• Search engine optimization (SEO)
• Social advertising
• Web design
These are general tactics that can be used as part of an effective digital marketing plan by top aesthetic companies. Companies will have to form a plan based on the services they provide and how they believe they can best reach an audience and maintain their interest.
Which Strategies are Used By the Top Aesthetic Companies?
In reality, the best strategies tend to involve a combination of traditional marketing strategies with new tactics that represent the realities of the modern world in which we live. In other words, professionals at top aesthetic companies can engage in things like promoting and advertising online reviews or managing their online reputation while still engaging in traditional marketing tools like television spots, interviews, and the like.
Not every aesthetic company will use the same strategy, as businesses will vary in areas like goals, budget, and services offered; even top aesthetic companies can vary in these areas. With that said, there are some general strategies that can be very effective for professionals in the beauty industry. These include:
Internal Marketing
Educate customers that you already have in an engaging way, such as sending out educational newsletters or videos.
A Good Website
A nice website can attract new customers who may be unfamiliar with your practice.
Online Reputation Management
For better or worse, people form opinions based on what they read on the internet, so keep track of what people are saying and manage it effectively.
Positive Reviews
As part of reputation management, encourage satisfied customers to post a positive review online or on social media.
Getting Started
As you can see, a good digital marketing strategy can make the difference between a business that is doing well and one that is truly thriving. By making careful use of the many tactics available to the modern aesthetic professional, you can cement your company’s financial future and reputation for years to come. For more information about how to effectively utilize digital marketing, get in touch with our team at Crystal Clear Digital Marketing. We would love to assist you. Contact us today to speak with one of our professionals!
