After all, with 10 million RealSelf visitors each month, we analyze millions of data points based on what consumers do on our site and say in surveys.

It’s the kind of data-powered learning you can’t get anywhere else.

That’s why we launched the RealSelf Insights Center: To share these actionable insights with you. And as we continue to learn more about aesthetic consumers, providers, and best practices, we’ll update the RealSelf Insights Center so you can make the most informed and productive choices possible for growing your practice.

Here’s a preview of what you’ll find on the RealSelf Insights Center:

• The latest consumer, provider, and industry trends and news.
• Best practices for connecting with consumers on RealSelf.
• Tips for refining and measuring your marketing, from social media to email.
• What’s new with RealSelf, like the latest site features or upcoming events.
• Our RealSelf University series, like the popular “Look Like A Video Pro” webinar.

You’ll also find the kind of insights providers have come to expect from Tom Seery, our CEO. Thought-provoking surprises? Yes. Chats with innovative aesthetic and tech leaders? Yes. Fresh takes on hot topics? Yes, and based on deep data.

Take a look around. Whether you’re a plastic surgeon or a medical spa marketer, the learnings and resources you’ll find here support the goal of growing your practice. So you’ll definitely want to come back to see what’s new.

RealSelf has nearly 10 million monthly visitors, and well over half are researching non-surgical treatments and procedures. Our new Business Pages product gives you the chance to showcase your practice to this large number of potential patients, highlighting your treatments offered, your staff’s expertise, and what sets your cosmetic business apart. Join us for a deep dive into this new and powerful way to reach new customers. RealSelf will help you find your next great patient within the world’s most trusted online destination for researching cosmetic treatments and connecting with aesthetic professionals.

Webinar Featuring: Alyson Engelbrecht, Trainer & Instructional Designer & Morgan Battrell, RealSelf Advocate

Length: Less than 30 minutes

Claim your free RealSelf Business Page.

Visit claim.realself.com to start owning your presence on the world’s largest aesthetic website.

A great RealSelf Profile showcases your skills and empowers you to form deeper connections with current and potential patients. It also lets clients spread the love about the quality of your work. Our provider review pages are some of our most popular content on the site.

That’s a lot of power for a tool that takes just minutes to set up. If you haven’t claimed your RealSelf Profile yet, sign up now. You’re just a few clicks away from establishing a presence on the world’s largest aesthetics website.

Setting up your profile: The basics

Once your practice is verified, you’ll receive a link to your RealSelf dashboard. Start by clicking “Edit Profile.” You’ll see we’ve already pulled in some information from your website to help you get started. We may have also uploaded your profile photo; you can easily change it by clicking “Remove” and “Choose File.”

Pro tip: Pick a photo of you in your lab coat. According to Google, 70% of consumers prefer profile photos of doctors in their lab coats compared to any other attire.² The coat makes you look more credible and compassionate, two qualities highly important to potential patients.

After looking over the information and making additions as necessary, it’s time to ensure you’ll show up correctly in consumer search results. You do this by selecting all the services and treatments you offer in the “Cosmetic treatments you perform” section, as well as information about consultation fees.

Pro tip: Upgrade to Profile Plus and start using RealSelf Spotlights. As a sponsor, you’ll get guaranteed exposure to local consumers researching treatments you offer, and have the ability to further personalize your RealSelf Profile.

Showing off your skills

Once your profile information is complete, start showing off your work and connecting with nearby consumers. Two ways to highlight your team’s stellar skills and compassionate bedside manner is with photos and videos. Our research shows consumers are significantly more likely to contact doctors whose profile features before and after examples of their work, with 10+ photo sets being the magic number to fully earn a consumer’s trust.³

Pro tip: In your before and after photos, make sure the patient’s face or body is the same size in each shot. If one photo is more zoomed in than the other, or the perspective was changed, it can make it harder to appreciate the quality of your work.

Videos are also a powerful way to set yourself apart from the competition. In our studies, one in three consumers say a provider’s videos (or lack of videos) affects their decision-making process.⁴ Record yourself answering common questions about treatments, recovery time, and results. Also, upload a few videos that are just for fun. A good mix shows you take your work—but not yourself—seriously.

Photos and videos can be added under the “Your Content” menu on your dashboard. Want to add more than 5 sets of before & after photos each month? Contact your RealSelf Advocate to upgrade from your free RealSelf Profile to Profile Plus for unlimited photos and other attention-grabbing benefits.

Interacting with consumers

One of our most popular and free tools is Patient Engage. This is our way of helping you get and share reviews from happy clients.

When it comes to picking a medical aesthetic practice, reviews are more important to consumers than your credentials. Our studies have shown that only 14% of consumers will even consider contacting a provider whose profile has no reviews. It takes at least 10 positive write-ups to make them feel fully confident in your services.⁵

With Patient Engage you can build up your review stockpile in two ways. First, we give you the tools to contact up to 50 patients every month via email and request their feedback. Or, if you’re looking for a more hands-off method, you can also add the Patient Engage review widget to your website. Just send the code to your web developer and existing patients visiting your practice’s site can start writing a review in one click.

Pro tip: Sponsors get additional opportunities to connect with consumers via our “Answer Questions” module. Position yourself as an expert on the services you specialize in by answering questions from the RealSelf community. You can even get consumer questions delivered directly to your inbox.

Ready for more than the basics?

Contact your RealSelf Advisor or Advocate to learn more about your RealSelf Profile, dashboard, or sponsorship opportunities. We’re here to help you establish your RealSelf presence, highlight your practice’s great work, and connect with more people who can’t wait to be your patient.

Sources:

(1) RealSelf site data, 2017.

(2) Google consumer survey of U.S. women, May 2016.

(3) RealSelf consumer survey, August 2017.

(4) RealSelf consumer survey, January 2016.

(5)  RealSelf consumer survey, August 2016.

Successful practices get it. They know that online reviews are the new referrals, that before & after photos confirm their skills and expertise, and that even someone who gets a personal referral will “trust, but verify” by going online to conduct further research. These growing practices understand that their online presence is their digital front door and that the quickest, most effective way to generate new business is to employ these 5 steps of successful reputation management.

Here’s how:

1. They recognize the role of reviews

In today’s online marketplace, reviews are the gold standard of word-of-mouth marketing, a digital megaphone that spreads the word about you and your services to millions of aesthetic consumers. They’ve also been shown to have a direct and significant impact on the volume of patient inquiries providers receive. In fact, 86% of aesthetic consumers wouldn’t choose a provider who doesn’t have visible reviews.¹

The following strategies can help you get more reviews:

• Ask about Internet usage on intake forms: For instance, what blogs or review sites they visited during their research, which can reveal their interest/willingness in writing their own review.
• During a post-treatment visit, ask for a favor: Explain that you hope clients will post reviews, not to tout your services, but to “pay it forward” to others considering treatment.
• Encourage clients to post on third-party review sites: Sites where aesthetic consumers gather are considered more trustworthy than proprietary websites and provide wider visibility. Plus, some offer free tools to easily request reviews.

2. They continue the conversation

The best reviews inspire conversations—other aesthetic consumers compare notes, ask questions, etc.—and everybody wins when providers participate. As this online tutorial explains, responding to reviews lets current patients know you value their opinion, invites everyone who reads those reviews to get to know you, and provides an easy way to reinforce the great reputation you’ve earned. And while you should always respond in a timely manner, waiting at least 24 hours is never a bad idea.

• Be grateful: No one has to write a review, so be sure to express your appreciation to the writer.
• Be personal: Individual answers demonstrate empathy; generic ones imply apathy (or worse).
• Be professional: Posting a review doesn’t negate a patient’s right to privacy. All responses should avoid revealing Protected Health Information (PHI) by adhering to HIPAA guidelines (if you’re unsure, consult with an expert).

3. They put negative reviews to good use

A bad review doesn’t have to be bad news, especially when you realize that the majority of complaints concern customer service issues rather than the care received. In fact, according to one study of 1-star reviews, the top three complaints concerned bedside manner (23.1%), honesty/pressure (22.3%), and office staff (17.9%).²

• Recognize areas of irritation: When a review cites aloof employees, excessive wait times, or poor listening skills, successful practices see it as constructive criticism and make appropriate adjustments.
• Reassess on a regular basis: Sharing good reviews with your staff will help them realize the role they play in providing great service. And addressing complaints will empower them to address future problems before they arise.
• Recover with newer reviews: Nothing neutralizes a poor review faster than a few newer, more positive ones. In short order, that one-off outburst will get relegated to the internet’s back pages; after three months, 73% of consumers will simply consider it irrelevant.³

4. They feature great photos

Okay, so you’ve gotten several good reviews, responded to the rare bad one, and let aesthetic consumers know that you stand behind your work. Now’s the time to actually show them some of it with a great gallery of before & after photos.

Why? Because nearly two-thirds (65%) of aesthetic consumers say they need to see 11 or more sets of before & after images before making a confident decision about a provider.¹ 

Want your before & after gallery to get great results? Think big picture:

• Attract a larger audience with more diversity: Displaying a range of ages, anatomies, and ethnicities gives a wider range of viewers a sense of their own potential results (it also underscores your familiarity with their skin, face, or body type).
• Dispel distrust by demonstrating consistency: Even the best images can ruin your reputation if viewers suspect fakery. Forget Photoshop; for today’s consumer, even small changes between before and after—different makeup, better lighting, or a bit of jewelry—can raise big red flags.
• Protect privacy (while promoting sharing): Before posting any photos, get patients’ consent in writing and take steps to avoid revealing PHI. Facilitate further sharing by encouraging clients to chronicle their experiences online and directing them to sites where aesthetic consumers gather.

5. They offer expert insights

Every day, millions of consumers go online to research the treatments they’re interested in and choose a course of action based on what they learn. Providers who share their expertise demonstrate their interest in helping people; they become familiar faces and trusted sources, and they connect with prospective clients before the competition even realizes they’re missing out.

Think of it as Intro to Online Content 101:

• Write what you know: Offer a procedure you’re passionate about or an exciting new technology? Choose topics that align with your preferred specialties and business goals, and the benefits will accrue to both readers and your bottom line.
• Tell true stories: People like reading about other people. Referencing specific cases on your blog or website makes your content more relatable (while underscoring your expertise along the way).
• Participate in social media: Sharing your content on social channels spreads it even further. In fact, 89% of consumers say they expect providers to be somewhat or very engaged in social media.¹

The real reason reputation management matters

All of the above is predicated on one incontrovertible fact: Today’s aesthetic consumers want to get to know you before they meet you. When you share online reviews, appealing images, and helpful insights, they get a better sense, not just of what you do, but who you are.

For them, your reputation doesn’t just precede you; it is you. Help them make informed, confident decisions, and your online reputation will help steer them to your real front door.

Sources:

(1) RealSelf survey data, 2017.

(2) JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery, Negative and Positive Online Patient Reviews of Physicians—1 vs 5 Stars.

(3) BrightLocal, Local Consumer Review Survey 2016.

Whether you’re just getting started or are looking for ways to get more eyeballs on your feed, here are 7 tips to help you gain exposure, engage followers, and boost you and your practice’s brand on Instagram.

1. Post great photos

You don’t have to be a professional photographer to succeed on Instagram. But it’s worth learning a few basic photography and editing skills. This three-minute video gives a crash course in the principles of photography, while this humorous piece will help you edit photos like a pro. Or, if free time is an issue, you may also want to consider hiring a photographer to help you build up your feed.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Our signature untouched look first starts with great planning and proper lighting ! ____________________ 310-400-6534 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Facebook: Goodskinlosangeles Email: info@goodskin.la ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #untouchedlook #goodskinlosangeles #freshface ____________________ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #botox #filler #belotero #juvederm #allergan #makeup #brentwood #nomakeup #goodskin #glowingskin #dermatology #cosmeticdermatology #sente #antiaging #wrinkles #brighter #skin #younger #beautiful #brighterskin #blogger #beauty #beautyblogger

A post shared by GoodSkin Los Angeles (@goodskinlosangeles) on Jul 27, 2017 at 8:25pm PDT

2. Focus on the benefits

Rather than promoting your services, focus on the solutions they provide. Your practice doesn’t just sell butt lifts or microneedling, you give people the power to transform their appearance. Posting before and after shots of your staff’s work shows followers how popular procedures can help them approach life with more confidence.

#Acne is a struggle for everyone… even for the #motykiemedspa team! Practice what you preach Second round of results coming soon… #Repost @lauren.pickard (@get_repost) ・・・ 5 day results!! The Renaissance peel is great for targeting acne. Lactic acid, salicylic acid, and resorcinol make a great combination. There is very little down time and visible peeling. The proof is in the pictures, schedule a consultation to get your skin ready for summer! #peel #renaisaancepeel #chemicalpeel #chemicalpeels #acne #acneprone #acneproneskin #acneic #acneicskin #treatment #skincareregimen #skincareroutine #skinroutine #skinregimen #skincare #clearskin #skingoals #esthetician #aesthetician #beauty #skinknowledge #facials #medspa #medicalaesthetician #medicalestheician #happypeeling

A post shared by Dr. Motykie Med Spa & Wellness (@motykiemedspa) on Oct 14, 2017 at 10:41pm PDT

3. Embrace video

Using video in your marketing has been shown to increase engagement and boost brand awareness. In one poll, 90% of respondents said videos help them make purchasing decisions, while more than half said they’re more likely to buy a product after watching a video about it.4

Consider what questions you can answer with Instagram videos and stories. Are potential customers always asking you how a certain procedure is performed? A tool like Hyperlapse can help you create a time-lapsed video of a liquid facelift, while the popular Boomerang app lets you turn 10 photos into a mini-video that plays on a loop.

Yours truly getting a light dose of Botox injections for frown lines. Watch until the end for the kicker…I was seriously kidding! I didn't feel a thing. Amaris is amazing! @glamarisrn . . @facebypinky . . . . . #facebypinky #beautyconsultant #botoxinjection #loveyourface #instavideo

A post shared by NURSE PINKY, RN, BSN, CANS (@facebypinky) on Oct 23, 2017 at 8:47pm PDT

4. Get personal

Why are you in the aesthetics industry? Is it because you love educating patients and helping them make great decisions on how to improve their appearance and feel more confident? Or because you love the freedom of running your own business and having time to spend with family? Maybe a little bit of both? Sharing the story behind your practice can help you build rapport with current and potential clients.

I must say I can only hope I look as good as my mother @livingfitn50 at 56 (57 in January). So, I thought it would be fun to interview my mom. As we are sitting here enjoying our morning cup of coffee in Hawaii I asked her what her beauty secrets are and her tips to staying looking so young! (Everywhere we go people think we’re sisters). Read her answers below . 1. Using good, medical grade skincare. She hadn’t started until she was 40 and wish she had known about it when she was 20. “But don’t we all?”. 2. Working out daily and staying active. 3. Eating healthy and a well rounded diet. “It’s not easy and it’s okay to slip every once in awhile” 4. Surrounding herself with family and her parents 5. Her Faith. 6. Seeing @the_beautynurse for injectables and Microneedling and also doing facial treatments such as chemical peels and hydrafacials with @darcimarievalleydermatology (She recently started seeing her). 7. Defying age by wearing SFP. “I wear it religiously”. 8. It’s never too late. Even if you’re 50 it’s a good time to start a good skincare regimen and in-office treatments. . . . #beautysecret #beautysecrets #skincare #skincaretips #skincareadvice #skincareproducts #skin #beauty #beautiful #botox #microneedling #spf #hydrafacial #juvederm #aesthetics #fit #fitness #momanddaughter #hawaii #aloha #fourseasons

A post shared by MELISSA BERG, RN BSN (@the_beautynurse) on Oct 17, 2017 at 8:49am PDT

5. Be consistent

You can do whatever you want on Instagram: publish videos of treatments, post photos of your friends and family, share inspirational quotes, you name it. But the key to building a successful brand is consistency. If your Instagram feed is composed of mostly high-resolution before and after photos, and then you throw in a blurry picture from your kid’s birthday party, it will create a disconnect with users and cause confusion. Embracing Instagram scheduling tools like Later and Buffer allows you to ensure your feed has a consistent flow.

@the_beauty_injector

6. Use hashtags

People on Instagram use #hashtags to search for posts related to their interests. Research has shown Instagram posts with at least one hashtag receive an average of 12.6% more engagement5, while 11 hashtags seems to be the sweet spot.6

How do you know which hashtags to use? Consider tagging the services you provide (for example, #lipsuction or #laserhairremoval) so people researching those terms can find your feed. Other popular industry hashtags include #lipgoals, #cosmetictreatments, and #beautifulskin. For more ideas, use a tool like Websta to track which popular hashtags are currently trending.

My signature eye rejuvenation technique. Achieved for this patient by doing a complete brow lift (30-40units) and Dermal filler in the under eye and upper cheek area (2ml). We can talk everything eyes tonight on the live at 8pm!! #VanessaLeeRN #undereyefiller #browlift #teartrough . . . Appointments @FacileSkin :310-929-2220 : Vanessa@FacileSkin.com : 638 1/2 North Robertson Blvd. West Hollywood, CA 90069

A post shared by VANESSA LEE, RN (@vanessalee_rn) on Oct 25, 2017 at 1:09pm PDT

7. Have fun

How did the RealSelf Instagram feed become the fastest growing account in the aesthetics space? Because we’re passionate about helping our followers discover new treatments, products, and providers. As you become more comfortable on the platform you’ll start seeing how much fun it is interacting with the Instagram community and building your feed.

That’s when the magic happens.

Saturdays are for the smiles

A post shared by RealSelf (@realself) on Oct 21, 2017 at 4:46pm PDT

Imagine this: a potential patient walks in and says a friend referred her to your practice. Do you just hand over some forms to fill out? Of course not. You ask who that friend was, so you can learn the source of this referral.

That’s what Google Analytics does with your website visitors. This free technology makes it easy to track where your website visitors come from, such as a Google search. And that helps you measure the success of your marketing efforts so you can invest your time and marketing budget on what’s working best.

Getting started with Google Analytics

If you’re the do-it-yourself type and have access to the management area of your website: begin with Step 1.

If you have a 3rd party vendor that will set up Google Analytics: Skip to Tips for working with website consultants.

Step 1: Get a Google Account

Go to google.com/accounts and choose “Create an account” at the bottom of the page. Agree to the Terms of Service, click “Next step,” and then continue until you reach the dashboard of your new Google account.

Pro tip: Instead of using your personal Google Account, create a new account for your practice. This account should be one you’re comfortable sharing with others if needed, separate from your own Gmail account and any personal matters.

Step 2: Sign up for Google Analytics

Go to google.com/analytics and click “Sign in.” Choose Google Analytics from the drop down menu and click “Sign up.”

1. Under What would you like to track? Choose Website.
2. For Account Name and Website Name, enter the name of your business or practice.
3. For Website URL, enter your URL (copy and paste to prevent typos).
4. For Category, choose Healthcare.
5. Choose your time zone.
6. Leave all of the boxes checked under Data Sharing Settings.
7. Click “Get Tracking ID” and accept the Terms of Service.

Step 3: Install the tracking code or ID

Once you’ve created your account, you’ll be directed to the main Analytics administration dashboard. Your tracking code will appear in the center of the page under “Website Tracking.”

This tracking code must be added to every page of your website. The exact installation steps depend on how you access the administrative functions of your site.

For most websites, you’ll log into the administrative area of your website, and then:

Check the Admin or Analytics section for a place to add a “Google Analytics tracking ID.” If there is, copy and paste your tracking ID into that field.  

If there isn’t a “Google Analytics tracking ID” field, you’ll have to add the tracking code snippet manually to each page of your website.

1. Start by going into the HTML code for your homepage.
2. Press the CTRL and F keys at the same time (or Command and F if you’re using a Mac), and then search for the text: </head>.
3. Paste in the full tracking code snippet from Google before that </head> text.
4. Then hit save and repeat for the rest of the pages on your site.

Pro tip: Take care to paste only one copy of the tracking code on each page; duplication of this code will result in reporting errors.

Step 4: Test & verify the tracking is working

When installed correctly, you’ll be able to see selected data in your Google Analytics account immediately. Go to the left-side menu and under Reports choose “Real-Time,” and “Content.” If you’re not seeing any active users on the site, open your website in another window and click around until you see the number change in your Analytics report.

Most Google Analytics reports are updated every 24-48 hours. Allow several days after installing Google Analytics code on your site before expecting most reports to feature any data.

Tips for working with web consultants

If you’d rather have your website company set up Google Analytics, keep these 3 things in mind:

1. Insist that you are the owner of the primary Google user account attached to your website’s Google Analytics profile. This ensures that you retain ownership of, and access to, your website performance data. Google allows you to share access to the Google Analytics profile with your web consultant without giving them your username and password.
2. Once Google Analytics is installed on your site, avoid changing Tracking IDs when you change staff or agencies. This will introduce a discontinuity in your data that will complicate long-range data analysis.
3. Ask your web consultant whether advanced Google Analytics configurations, such as goal tracking, event tracking, spam filters, custom error responses, or linking to Google Search Console, will benefit your marketing efforts.

Social media pros & cons

+ Everyone’s doing it: Facebook has 2+ billion users. Instagram has 700+ million. And Twitter? 328+ million tweeters.

+ Hashtags extend organic reach: Consumers interested in particular treatments can easily discover relevant posts and your account with just one click—no marketing spend required.

+ It’s free to post: Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter make it quick, easy, and free to share content on a regular basis.

– Free can mean hard to see: If you don’t pay to boost a Facebook post, as little as 6.5% of the audience you’re trying to reach (including people who Like or Follow you) will actually see it.²

– #fewertweeters: Twitter reported that monthly users in the U.S. dropped from 70 million to 68 million in the first half of 2017.

– Instagram skews younger: If your treatments are mainly for an older audience, know that more than half of Instagram users are under 30.³ Though this can be a big pro, if you offer treatments like Botox® that are seeing growth from consumers in their 20s.

Your website pros & cons

+ Branding: Your practice’s website is your main online presence, allowing you to start establishing a brand identity and trust with consumers.

+ Mobile-friendly: If your site is built to be responsive (automatically adjusting layout for smartphone users), consumers can easily navigate your site and contact you directly.

+ SEO matters: Search engines refer 300% more traffic to websites than social media does.⁴ Using search engine optimization techniques to show up higher in search results is a must.

– The web is crowded: Competing with other local practices and national aesthetic websites can be tough, when search rankings depend heavily on popularity and how relevant your content is.

– Outsourcing costs money: While it’s often worth the expense, many practices rely on external companies to create and manage their website.

– Less effective reviews: Aesthetic consumers choosing a doctor find 3rd-party reviews 50% more useful than testimonials on a doctor’s website.⁵

E-newsletters pros & cons

+ Good for retention: Driving repeat business is easier when you show up in a patient’s inbox with helpful news, tips, and discounts.

+ Relationship building: How you engage when patients aren’t onsite is just as important as your quality of work and bedside manner when they are.

+ Measurability: You can easily track how many people open your emails, click on links, and take advantage of special offers.

– Not great for acquisition: If you don’t already have someone’s email address, you can’t send them the newsletter you worked so hard to create.

– Labor-intensive: Especially for multitasking staff members that handle marketing, finding time to write, design, create, and send e-newsletters can be tough.

– Inboxes fill quickly: If your recipients don’t read right away, they’re not likely to circle back a day or a week later.

Newspaper pros & cons

+ Offers work well: Because newspaper ads rank highest on consumer trust and have a “here today, gone tomorrow” urgency, special offers can be very effective.⁶

+ Variety of ad formats: Chances are, your local paper has ad sizes and formats that can easily fit your marketing budget.

+ Going digital: Many newspapers now offer digital extensions, where your online advertisements can reach the readers who’ve switched from print to web-based news.

– Declining offline readership: As consumers continue the shift to getting their information and news online, printed newspaper circulation has decreased for 28 straight years.⁷

– Poor branding: Printed newspapers have cluttered pages and low resolution photos, so grabbing attention and making a good impression can be a challenge.

– Shorter shelf life: With a printed newspaper, your ad has a window of just one day to grab attention.

Magazine pros & cons

+ Consumers trust them: Like with newspaper ads, consumers place the most trust in magazine ads when making a purchase decision.6

+ Higher quality photos: Before & after photos aren’t just for your website. Magazine ads showcase your work in all its glossy, high-resolution glory.

+ Longer shelf life: Unlike newspapers, magazines often stick around for months on coffee tables and in tote bags so you have more opportunity to catch a reader’s eye.

– Health care marketers are slow to adapt: 47% still rely on print magazines, compared to other marketers at just 35%.⁸ Would you rather keep up with the competition, or get ahead of them?

– Long lead times: Print deadlines require submitting ads months in advance. There goes advertising your new treatment option that required a big equipment investment.

– Infrequent publications: Most magazines come out just once a month, yet conventional wisdom says you need to reach a consumer seven times to make an impression.

Radio pros & cons

+ Broad exposure: You can potentially reach a lot of local consumers. For instance, 82% of med spa clients are age 35+,⁹ the same group that still listens to the radio.

+ Demographic targeting: Choose a radio station that appeals to your potential clientele, such as “top 40” current popular hits for a younger audience or talk radio for an older audience.

+ More affordable than TV: Ideal for a local business, radio spots are easier and cheaper to make, and less expensive to get on the air.

– Low awareness: If your radio spot airs but people are too busy yelling at traffic or focusing on their computer, does it really make a sound (or an impression)?

– Pay more for your target audience: Costs vary based on listener demographics, day and time (with weekday drive time the peak price), and demand from other advertisers.

– Lots of variables: Accurately understanding what you’re buying requires parsing the factors above, plus deciphering radio industry lingo like AQH (average quarterly hour).

The good, the bad & the ugly

Marketing your practice can be tricky. But you don’t want to take for granted the growth the industry is seeing. It’s more important than ever to establish strong marketing strategies, which starts with maximizing the pros you get out of your marketing channels while minimizing the cons.

Sources:

(1) American Society of Plastic Surgeons, 2016 Plastic Surgery Statistics Report.

(2) HubSpot, The Decline of Organic Facebook Reach & How to Outsmart the Algorithm.

(3) Pew Research Center, Mobile Messaging and Social Media 2015.

(4) Search Engine People, 40 Unbelievable SEO Statistics You Need to Know.

(5) RealSelf survey data, 2017.

(6) Marketing Sherpa, Marketing Chart: Which advertising channels consumers trust most and least when making purchases.

(7) Pew Research Center, Despite subscription surges for largest U.S. newspapers, circulation and revenue fall for industry overall.

(8) Content Marketing Institute, Research Finds Health Care Content Marketing Lags Two Years Behind.

(9) AmSpa, 2017 Medical Spa State of the Industry Report.

In my 10+ years of industry experience, I’ve seen my share of medical marketing mishaps. Surgeons who spend big on billboards, but can’t prove it brings in new patients. Med spas with a great website, yet no idea how potential patients find them online.

Want to avoid their fate? Don’t make these three common mistakes when it comes to understanding your practice’s marketing performance.

Mistake #1: Not measuring accurately

Why spend on marketing, but not track the return on that investment? That’s like a repeat patient who gets the same lip filler like clockwork, yet never looks in the mirror. And whenever the practice’s staff tries to discuss an alternative that would perform even better, the patient brushes it off because this is how she’s always done things.

As with any business expenditure, you want good value out of your marketing. Of course, the main success metrics are getting new patients and encouraging repeat business. And the most effective way to do that? Identify what marketing efforts work best for your practice. At the very least, your front desk staff should be asking new patients, “How did you hear about us?” and tracking referral sources using a spreadsheet that you review on a regular basis.

Some people call tracking referrals “closing the loop,” but I think of it more like “climbing the spiral.” Because when you accurately measure your marketing efficacy, you can adjust your marketing plan accordingly to help those results go up and up.

Mistake #2: Not asking the right questions

Start smart by considering the pros and cons of popular aesthetic marketing options. Considering a free marketing channel like Facebook? Curious about a paid channel like search engine advertising? Ask the right questions upfront to make more informed decisions about your marketing budget. Here are five tried and true questions to consider when researching marketing options:

1. Which channels have audiences that match your desired potential patient?

If you’re focused on women age 30 and up, it won’t help to run ads on sports talk radio (skews male) or post heavily on Instagram (skews younger).

2. Do the benefits help you with your practice’s specific goals?

Social media and advertising help with raising awareness, while review and educational sites help with developing impactful relationships (and referrals) with potential patients.

3. When will you start seeing more patients?

Consider the personal nature and cost of aesthetic treatments. Even when a marketing campaign works, the patients you reach could still be at the beginning of their 3- to 6-month consideration and purchase journey.

4. How can you measure the results, using tools they give you?

In particular, digital options like Google AdWords, Facebook ads, and email marketing tend to provide analytics like click rates and conversion rates.

5. How can you measure results, using your own tools?

Getting more visitors to your website is good. Knowing exactly where they’re coming from? Even better. Google Analytics is especially helpful, and free (see our step-by-step guide for setting up Google Analytics).

Mistake #3: Not tracking down answers

So you’re asking the right questions. Are you following up by getting the answers too? The variety of things to consider for marketing and measurement can be overwhelming, but try these techniques to start your due diligence.

Research your competitors

Check their website, social media accounts, and review site profile. Keep an eye out for local print ads. Google phrases like “[surgical procedure] in [your town]” or  “[your town] medical spa” to see what search engine ads come up. You don’t want to copy others, but you can gain insights into what tactics are popular nearby—and identify opportunities competitors are missing.

Consult experts

If you have the budget, there are agencies and consultants that specialize in aesthetic marketing. They can optimize your website, set up Google Analytics for you, measure social media performance, and a lot more. You can also talk to similarly sized businesses that aren’t direct competitors, to pool knowledge and discover new approaches.

Search online

You’ll find a wealth of marketing and measurement help on the web. Like video tutorials for understanding website analytics. Or guides on how local businesses can make the most of radio advertising. Even blogs that specialize in medical aesthetics marketing, such as digital marketing, video marketing, or tracking leads.

Investing a little time pays off

Getting caught up in the day-to-day operations of your practice can skew your perspective on marketing. Coming up with new ideas, keeping up with the good tactics, and measuring results can feel like a chore. But like an in-demand new laser or cool chairs for the waiting room, marketing campaigns are an investment into your business. And with a little attention and upkeep, that investment can bring big returns.

5 Steps to a Trusted RealSelf Profile

Choosing a provider requires trust. Here’s how you can optimize your RealSelf Profile to inspire consumer confidence and get the best results from your presence on the world’s largest aesthetic website.

1. Inspire patient reviews

Having at least 50 reviews can give consumers the confidence they need to contact you. In fact, practices with 50+ reviews receive 70x more email and phone inquiries than practices with less than 10 reviews.

Tip: Try using Patient Engage to collect reviews from multiple patients at once. This free tool available in your Provider Dashboard makes it easy to add reviews on a regular basis.

2. Promote your expertise

Answering consumer questions on RealSelf does two things that build trust. First, you get to directly engage interested consumers. And second, you demonstrate your commitment to patient education.

3. Add special offers

Did you know that 40% of consumers who request a consultation are interested in a special offer? Including special offers on your RealSelf Profile can give potential patients the extra little incentive to contact you instead of a competitor.

4. Showcase before & after photos

The proof is in the photos. 71% of RealSelf users say they need to see at least 11 sets of photos before making a confident decision about a cosmetic provider.

Tip: Use RealSelf Spotlights to promote your before & after photos on pages related to treatments you offer. Spotlights with before & after photos get nearly 3x more contacts.

5. Connect with your consultation requests

Each month, we send providers 500,000 contacts from interested consumers. To build trust pre-consult, reply to inquiries with a sense of urgency. Your response rate and response time are key signals for how trustworthy you seem to consumers researching providers like you.

Tip: Respond to inquiries within 24 hours. Consumers expect a fast follow-up, and you don’t want to compete against yourself by taking too long to reply.