This won’t be the most shocking confession you’ll ever hear from me, so don’t brace yourself...but, I pay a premium for my fruit and vegetables. And it has nothing to do with the quality of the produce I get. The truth is, I just really like the guy who owns the fruit shop near my house.
Every time I step through his doors, I have a great experience. Andrew is personable and always makes time to chat. He knows I moved to the area last year, he’s heard all about my business and he always asks about my three kids.
I know a lot about Andrew’s story too. He’s lived in the area nearly his entire life, which keeps him on top of every last piece of local gossip, and he is also a keen cook, always happy to share details of his latest concoction.
Sure, I could just as easily go to the mini-market next door. It would be a bit cheaper. But I feel a bond with Andrew now, and I’d miss our easy camaraderie.
You see, people really do buy from people they know, like and trust. It is a truism for a reason, and there is a lesson here for your aesthetic clinic.
If you want to build a loyal following with prospective patients, you need to share more of yourself and demonstrate personality and character in your marketing.
Potential patients need to get a sense of who you are, as a person. When you do that, they feel closer to you and are far more likely to pick you over the clinic down the street. Best of all...it is a key differentiator, as well.
Chances are you offer similar treatments to competing clinics, but there is one thing you have that they can never replicate – YOU!
Most aesthetic clinics market treatments and discounts. Rarely do they feature the clinic owner or practitioner(s) in their marketing at all. This is a big mistake. When all communications come from “the practice” rather than a “personality” you completely miss the chance to build deep rapport with your prospects.
Some clinics do feature the owner in outbound marketing, but the problem is, doctors and surgeons typically want to sound professional and authoritative, which is OK and necessary, but what ends up happening is, they use too much formal, complex jargon, and focus entirely on the treatments being showcased. They shy away from anything remotely personal, emotional or distinctive. Again, BIG MISTAKE!
Since all the doctors in all the practices you are competing with are showing that exact same “medical professional” persona, you all end up looking the same…and you are all leaving a lot of money on the table! Money you could be putting in your bank account.
To build a true bond with your prospective patients, you need to get personal. This doesn’t mean sharing anything you are uncomfortable with, or being somebody you aren’t, that would defeat the purpose. But, making your marketing feel more personal should be a key part of all your customer efforts.
Your marketing should reflect your authentic voice. When you share real stories, real thoughts and your real sense of humor your messages will stand out and connect to your patients and leads deeper that anything your competitors are doing. And, the more connected patients feel to you, the happier they are to pay a premium, return more often and refer their friends and family to you.
By making your marketing messages sound uniquely like you – the very best “personable” version of you – conversion rates will improve, which means more profit. Ultimately it will be much easier to grow your business with less effort and far less ad spend.
Danny Bermant is director of Brainstorm Digital, which helps aesthetic clinics get their patients through their doors again and again, so you can quickly grow your revenue without the headache of online advertising. Visit https://www.brainstormaesthetics.com to see how one practice generated an additional $183,000 from an email database of just 3,000 people, using Brainstorm’s methods.