You can spend a great deal of time and money to market your practice in hopes of bringing in more patients. What you might not know is that you don’t have to break the bank to bring in new customers. Here are 5 tried-and-true marketing ideas for cosmetic surgeons that will get the word out without emptying your bank account!
1. Maximize Patient Referrals
You already know that a referred patient has a much higher chance of conversion than does someone coming from the internet or an ad. You also know that it’s often tough to get patients—even the most satisfied patients—to send you their friends and family members.
It goes without saying that providing outstanding results coupled with stellar customer service is one way to increase referrals but how do you get satisfied patents to take action and actually send their friends and family members to you?
One way to do that is to offer an incentive. Here are two that work very well:
A. Friend and Family Perks
When your patient schedules an appointment for an aesthetician treatment and also schedules a friend for the same or similar treatment on the same day, they each get 25% off. If you really want to get fancy, call a local restaurant and ask the owner or manager if they will give you some BOGO (buy one get one) coupons for your patients. It’s a nice way for their eatery to receive referrals from you for little investment, so it won’t be tough to talk them into the idea. Now you can offer your current patient and her buddy a “goody” that costs you very little and they can enjoy lunch out before or after their treatments.
B. Referral Cards
These are super easy. Have your printer design a simple card that offers the bearer a $50 discount off a service (facial, injectable, etc.) when they are referred by a current patient. Give these cards to your patients when they check out after a treatment or procedure.
- Patients give them to friends.
- The friend calls in and schedules, comes in for service with the referral card and gets $50 off her first treatment.
- Front desk files the referral card under the name of the referring patient in a recipe card file.
- When your patient comes in for a treatment, she also gets $50 off for sending her friend to you.
- For a sample card and details on Patient Referral Cards, click here.
Everybody loves a “special offer.” And yes, businesses, including yours, don’t like giving out discounts. We’re guessing, however, that it’s better to get 75% of something than 0% of nothing. Increasing your patient base with the above techniques is easy and—shall we use the word? Cheap.
2. Are You Using Google Reviews?
A. When was the last time you checked your Google Business Profile (GBP)? Wise to do so often, so you can see what’s being written.
B. Encourage your patients to leave positive reviews by asking them to post a review. A simple request can often lead to valuable feedback. Once you have these reviews, proudly showcase them on your website, social media, and marketing materials. These testimonials are powerful tools that can significantly enhance your online presence and attract new patients to your practice.
3. Social Media is a Free Outlet—Are You On?
Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter (now X) are perfect places to share content, staff birthdays and anniversaries, your latest fave lunch spot, myth-busting points about cosmetic surgery and/or fillers and facial treatments, as well as patient testimonials and before and after photos (with patient consent of course). Here are a few social media marketing ideas to consider:
A. Hold a Facebook or Instagram Contest
Post a question and a prize for the first correct answer on a random day—or notify your followers in advance and post numerous questions with prizes to increase interest. The prize doesn’t have to be expensive: movie tickets, X cc of filler, a facial, etc. People love contests! Use the questions to educate your followers, such as: “Where did Dr. Surgeon go to medical school?” “Name the aestheticians in Dr. Surgeon’s office.” You get the idea.
B. Run Ads on Facebook and Instagram
If you haven’t run ads on these social media sites before, you won’t believe how simultaneously inexpensive and highly targeted they are. You can drill down to zip code(s), gender, age range, and interests to engage those most likely to desire your services. You choose your financial “buy:” $20 a day, $20 a week, whatever works for you. Start small and test your results before jumping in with a larger financial commitment.
4. Are You in Touch?
Sending regular newsletters—or even informative emails—is a great way to share helpful tips, success stories, details of new treatments, equipment or staff, and special offers. Keep them short and send them on at least a monthly basis.
5. Live Q&A Sessions on Zoom Are Inexpensive and Easy
Since Covid, many practices have gotten out of the practice (pun intended) of having in-house events. And let’s face it, people are busy, so, holding a Zoom session either on a specific topic (or open floor questions) can bring in a fair number of folks.
Tips for a Successful Zoom Event:
- Give plenty of notice: two weeks or so works well.
- Ask for RSVPs.
- Remind everyone 3, 2 and 1 day prior.
- Set a reasonable time—after dinner but before it gets late. 7:30 or 8 pm works well.
- Plan in advance for sharing charts, before and after photos, etc. to be certain you have easy access to the items you want to share.
- Be sure you are well-lit and positioned appropriately in front of the camera.
- Do a short “rehearsal” with a staff or family member to confirm lighting and microphone the night before.
- Check your mirror before you start!
- Keep things moving and make it brief: 45 minutes to an hour, max.
- Mute everyone unless/until you open the floor for questions.
- Share the wealth: you don’t have to be the presenter if you have others in the office who are able and willing, such as a PA, associate surgeon, aesthetician, etc.
The Bottom Line
Marketing doesn’t have to be based on lavish events or costly advertising. We will continue to share cost-effective ways to build your practice!