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The concept of a ‘better version of yourself’ has become a buzzword in modern aesthetic practice. Gone are the days of extreme makeovers and, increasingly, less is more. Facial aesthetics is now valued for its minimally invasive treatments rather than the big-ticket surgical procedures of yesteryear. In an industry once plagued by a media spotlight that took a dim view of any dramatic results, clinical excellence and the safe delivery of bespoke patient care now take priority over the consequences of extreme surgery. Together with these assurances, medical professionalism, open communication and the careful handling of patient expectations encapsulate the ideal of best practice.

From minimally invasive injectables to fillers and threadlift treatments, the evolution within the facial aesthetics market has been rapid, thanks largely to the innovation of pharmaceutical companies, the honing of skills in treatment applications, and a need by the industry to meet the growing demands of patients inspired by what they see online – evidence-based ‘lite’ procedures that deliver results.

In tandem with this evolution came the digital revolution, offering practitioners a new way to market their clinical expertise, as well as a chance to turn the tide on the seemingly incessant wave of bad press.

Essentially, aestheticians needed to promote their values and share their results online in order to engage with an audience hungry for new treatments and optimum results, but without the extreme approach they had previously learnt about in headlines.

INSTAGRAM

Roll on to 2019 and the marketing of any aesthetic practitioner needs to go beyond an online profile, a treatment menu and a blog or two. Social media platforms offer countless opportunities for on-going ‘conversations’ with patients – old and new – as well as the promotion of a brand. While a Facebook page and Google searches are often the initial starting point for a patient seeking treatments and practitioners, Instagram, the photo-sharing platform, is perfectly placed to educate patients and, in particular, showcase case studies evidencing your work.

With one billion people using Instagram every month, it is very much the go-to space for those looking for fast and easy engagement. Potential patients scrolling through their Instagram feed want to know about you, the treatments you offer and the results you are achieving. They want to see results in high quality before and after images shared by both you and your patients and, as Instagram tends to attract a much younger audience than Facebook, engaging on this platform will widen your audience to include this demographic for whom celebrity lifestyles might mater – and for whom first impressions and great aesthetics count.

Make sure you opt for a business account so you have access to detailed analytical data. If you already have a personal Instagram account, then do check your privacy settings.

Use your practice name as your Instagram username. Try to append your location to the name, for example @AcmeAestheticsActon. Adding your location will mean that if you like a picture on an account belonging to a local business or influencer, or any potential patient, they are more likely to check your profile as the location would feel familiar. It encourages local engagement, which is where you are most likely to elicit new patients. If your favoured username is taken, avoid using numbers. Although often the simplest way to create a unique username, it can impact on your credibility as a business – and may even suggest the account is not genuine.

Don’t forget to ill out your biography. You need to flesh out the details in your bio so that people know what your account is about. Keep it brief, but do link to your practice website. You can also direct traffic by mentioning the link, i.e. ‘We have a gallery of makeovers to share with you. Check them out. See link in bio.’

Inspire with imagery and storytelling. Digital storytelling is a skill that creates a personal narrative to share with your target audience. When it comes to creating posts for Instagram, it is as important to focus on the visual, as it is the script. Instagram is all about images and a facial aesthetic clinic is, of course, very much a visual business. Also, think about how the clinic is being portrayed – a luxury setting should be reflected in the tone of voice and quality of photos, for example. Engaging digital storytelling has tremendous potential for motivating patients to enquire further, take an action, and proceed in scheduling their treatments.

SAFETY FIRST

The importance of safe treatment is, of course, a key driver when it comes to patient communication, with the regulatory expectations placed upon clinicians to advertise and market with integrity at the heart of an aesthetic business.

Make staff members’ aesthetic qualifications a key component in the marketing messages you share.At a Cosmetic Treatments and Lifestyle Therapies Roundtable organised by the JCCP and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in February that was attended by various regulators and interested parties, it was agreed that there is a very real need to work closely with the Advertising Standards Authority to identify ‘potentially misleading or inaccurate advertising claims relating to the provision of cosmetic or lifestyle treatments and interventions’.

In the same month, MP Alberto Costa tabled a parliamentary debate on the regulation of non-surgical procedures, calling for stricter regulation in the beauty industry, which covered treatments such as dermal fillers and Botox injections.

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Mental Health, Inequalities and Suicide Prevention, Jackie Doyle- Price, responded at the time by acknowledging: “It is important to ensure that the public understand the risks associated with the procedures, and we need to do our best to improve standards throughout the industry”.

As pressure mounts on the government to make changes to the current regulatory status, aesthetic practitioners promoting their business on social media platforms should use this lack of clarity as a springboard for educating patients. Indeed, arguably any marketing of facial aesthetics should include three key principles: skills, safety and setting.

As well as sharing your work and discussing what various non-invasive treatments can and cannot achieve, consider walking your online audience through a patient journey, highlighting the safety elements of seeking treatments from people like you – a medical practitioner – in a clinical setting.

Do be sure to promote positively. Talk about the assurances your medical background offers rather than focus on the lack of skills and knowledge of non-medics.

MP Jackie Doyle-Price observed that the government “clearly needs to make much more rapid and substantial progress if we are to protect consumers properly”. In the meantime, it is let to medically trained practitioners to ensure potential patients know that their clinic is a safe place for their noninvasive treatments and effective risk-free results – and social media is most probably the best place to do so. AM

Shaz Memon is the creative director of Digimax and Digimax Dental. He is a business leader, designer and award-winning digital and dental marketing expert. He has worked with leading names such as: Barclays, BBC, FHM, HP, House of Fraser, James Caan, Lennox Lewis, McDonald’s, and UBS. His work has won numerous awards, and today he is a regulator contributor to leading magazines and UK publications, including The Telegraph and The Guardian.