With the surge of the Internet, social media, and an increasingly connected global community, the marketing world is shifting and so are consumers’ opinions. In fact, according to the Edelman Trust Barometer, just 64% of the informed public trusts businesses, while 63% agree with the statement “a good reputation may get me to a try a product—but unless I come to trust the company behind the product I will soon stop buying it, regardless of its reputation.” With these statistics in mind, it’s clear the key to capturing loyal clients, even in the medical aesthetics space, is to continuously gain and maintain consumer trust through strategies that champion transparency and authenticity.
Building an authentic brand for your medical aesthetics business can lead to increased patient trust online and a community of loyal clients willing to invest their dollars in your aesthetics practice. See our following online marketing tips to help you establish an authentic persona online while harnessing the power of personal branding.
Define Your Purpose
Creating a branding strategy when opening any business should start with defining the overall business purpose and values that will drive every business decision. Defining what drives your medical aesthetics clinic alongside what sets you apart and staying true to those values gains you immeasurable consumer trust. But don’t just choose the latest trends. Company values are not always linked to some level of social impact. Instead, focus in on the direct physical, emotional, and psychological impacts your services offer and how they come together under one brand purpose. Using a personal approach will help to avoid choosing “trendy” values that don’t naturally align with your purpose and will actually risk losing patient trust. In fact, with just 12% of millennials factoring in a brand’s social responsibility when making purchases or employing services, the quality of your product and your trustworthiness is far more valuable to consumers.
Be Consistent—Especially on Social Media
Don’t wander too far from your clinic’s values, voice, and overall branding strategy once you’ve locked it in, particularly on social media. These crowded online areas are ripe for criticism and anything that seems unnatural can wreak havoc on your social media accounts when you’re trying to build brand authenticity. Avoid any and all attempts to capitalize on popular trends or borrow cultural idioms from communities in which you don’t belong. Doing so will only draw criticism and distrust online alongside an appearance of “inauthenticity” that could spell the end of consumer trust in your business. The same may be true for any current or political events or trending topics. It might be tempting to get in on the rising traffic, but if weighing in on these topics doesn’t align with your clinic’s purpose and values, it’s not worth the risk.
Get Personal—But Not Too Personal
Consumers are much more likely to be attracted to a personality than a faceless company, so if you’re a medical director or aesthetics clinic owner, get comfortable with putting your best face forward to help build your clinic’s authenticity. Use the following tips to get started on incorporating your personal brand into your clinic’s marketing efforts:
- Start with photography: Hire a professional photographer to capture some headshots and candid photos, using different clothing, backdrops/room, or accessories for variety. Add a headshot to your website’s “About” page alongside a well-crafted bio that will adequately introduce you to your target clients, and use the remaining images for social media postings. Once you’ve used all those images, you will either need to get comfortable taking quality images yourself or hire a photographer for ongoing shoots.
- Favor first-person: Even if you have a freelance writer crafting captions or blogs on your behalf, always opt for first-person pronouns (it’s personal branding after all) and ensure the voice remains consistent and natural to you. Incorporate your personal branding into any email marketing promotions, crafting personal letters and signing them off with your name. These details will show consumers you’re making the extra effort to connect with them as individuals.
- Get candid: Talk on podcasts, in conferences, and broadcast live to social media to better acquaint followers to your candid personality and have them connect to that It’s easier to keep up personal branding when it comes naturally, so just be yourself. Those static images and captions will be increasingly impactful once followers get a feel for who you really are in person.
- Keep a filter in place: You don’t want to share everything that’s personal on your business account. Feel free to offer some details about your life that align with your business’ defined purpose and values, but keep your tone on the positive side. Don’t go off on rants. If you’re offering a critique, keep it tasteful and professional, and always be helpful by patiently explaining your point of view and offering an alternative solution.
- Encourage conversation and feedback: The purpose of having a personal brand connected to your business brand is to spark engagement. Encourage online followers and current clients to get in on the conversation online or in the clinic and always be open to their opinions and feedback.
Gain access to more tips on how to better market your medical aesthetics clinic for continued business growth through a partnership with Venus Concept. Our unique business partnerships include ongoing practice enhancement support to ensure your marketing strategies are always hitting the mark. Contact an expert today to learn more.
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