Establishing a strong social media presence is essential to any cosmetic surgery practice. These days, we spend nearly as much time in the virtual world as we do in the real world. Social media offers a unique opportunity to market to a specific audience with a low overhead and a relatively high return on investment.
Establish a Presence on Visual Apps
Because the cosmetic surgery industry is a market based on physical appearance, your practice could greatly benefit from a strong following on apps that are largely visual. A text-based medium like Twitter would not be as effective as a visual one for marketing purposes. For example, Instagram has been proven to have strong marketing potential for cosmetic surgeons. Many top cosmetic practices across the country utilize Instagram accounts to find potential clients and connect with current ones. Instagram is a photo-based app and often contains posts showcasing sparsely clothed women which gets the most likes. This benefits the cosmetic industry, because beautiful scantily clad women abound on the site.
Use Hashtags
Hashtags are a great way to connect with current clients and find new ones. When someone clicks on a hashtag, they are able to view every post in the conversation about the topic. For example, tagging your photos with #plasticsurgery will allow you to view every post tagged with the same exact words. This provides a useful way to keep updated with trends and conversations related to cosmetic surgery. Originally a Twitter invention, hashtags have spread to every other major social media platform. If you are not making use of hashtags, you are committing a major social media faux pas.
Facebook is the quintessential "social network." Facebook is the original social media platform, so gaining a keen understanding of the platform is a worthwhile endeavor for any cosmetic surgery firm. Posting regularly keeps your practice relevant and helps you engage with your target audience. Additionally, Facebook can be a great tool for marketing. With very specific targeting options, Facebook can boost your ability to connect with the audience you have in mind, i.e., insecure people with a disposable income. Ads can be highly targeted based on a large variety of factors, including parental status, age, employment, and financial security. For a niche market like plastic surgery, the more specific the targeting, the higher your conversion. Neil Patel, a prominent digital marketer, suggests trying to keep your user on the platform as much as possible. He says, "People trust Facebook and don't want to leave their 'home.'" So, it is best to post directly on the platform rather than constantly linking back to your website.
Snapchat
Snapchat is an app with intriguing implications for the cosmetic surgery industry. The app automatically includes filters designed to show what a facial alteration would look like. These filters have caught on like wildfire, and cosmetic surgeons worldwide report young clients referencing these digital alterations during consultations, according to this article from a study by the National Institutes of Health. This study indicated that the more selfies a subject took, the higher the chance that they were unhappy with their natural appearance in some way. Therefore, a strategic marketing campaign on Snapchat can help boost your bottom line. Ensure that your practice has a Snapchat account, and post regularly. Snapchat is instantaneous and event-based so be sure to document any important happenings around your practice including successful surgeries, conferences, and even client testimonials.
Because Pinterest is a social networking site primarily used by women, and since 87% of cosmetic procedures were performed on women in 2016, it would benefit a cosmetic practice to have a Pinterest account. Because this is also a visual medium, its potential conversion rate is high. Well-done, visually appealing "before and after" shots have been shown to be popular on the medium. Ideally, in order to attract clients and maximize conversion, give a call to action with each post. This goes for every post on social media.
Show Your Good Side
Showcasing any positive contributions your practice has made to the community on social media can also help boost conversion. Reconstructive surgeries and the stories behind them can help foster a feeling of goodwill among your followers. Expanding your content to videos can be a way to draw in clients. To succeed on Youtube or other video-sharing websites, you should either entertain or teach, but never both. Establish a tone and stick with it.
Use of social media has been shown to have a direct, positive correlation on an individual's likelihood to undergo a cosmetic procedure. Implementing an effective social media strategy will help ensure that your cosmetic surgery practice does not miss out on these potential gains.
