How to stand out from the competition online

Really standing out from the crowd as a clinic or practitioner may seem near impossible.The “superstar” injectors worldwide with thousands of followers appear to have it right. But with limited time and value, how do you build a name for yourself or your clinic to stand out, and is it worth it?

Why should patients choose you?

Creating an online presence for your clinic gives you validation. In 2020, most people would say they “Googled” you if they weren’t recommended via word of mouth. People don’t make a decision to buy – or book – the first time they see or hear of you. Usually, it takes between seven to 11 touchpoints for this to happen.

Your online presence plays a massive part if you wish to grow beyond a single injector set-up. If you want to build a business with a proper location and staff, you must understand that people will look you up online, and will find it very strange or off-putting if they cannot find much on you or your business. Creating content gives potential patients reasons to visit you instead of your competitor clinic or practitioner. The purpose is to show who you are, what you do and why people should trust you with their care. The key platforms to host content on are your website, Google My Business profile and your social media platform(s).

Quick wins for effective content:

• Your own imagery (photography of your team, products, treatments and location) will always perform better than stock images
• Video
• Written content such as blogs or articles in local press
• Case studies
• Testimonials

Get behind the camera

Video adds a face and a voice to your brand. New patients taking the leap into their first medical aesthetics treatment will search and consume your content to put them at ease before – or after – booking. A study conducted by Wordstream in 2018 found that using video on a landing page increased conversion by 86%. In the context of aesthetics, traffic directed to a specific treatment, condition or product page is more likely to result in an enquiry.

Producing video that introduces your clinic and staff and even walks through the environment will create a great first impression. It also allows you to reflect your brand and philosophy. Specific video on the consultation and process of your key treatments with key information also deliver great value to patients.

While video can help you stand out, hours of studio-quality film takes a lot of time and money. Realistically, marketing budgets are limited. We recommend producing your key introductions and treatments using a videographer, and then taking to social media to fill out your video portfolio with more information. The camera on your smartphone is more than suitable for the job; a tripod and ring light will give an even more professional look for pieces you share on Facebook, Instagram, IGTV, Twitter and even Youtube.

Your website still matters

Most new patients will check out your website to get a feel for your business. You want to create a great first impression with a website that is easy to navigate and easy to make contact on. When a new patient holds no relationship with you, and is simply comparing clinics, your website may make the difference. Don’t let leads end up elsewhere – get these issues covered:

• Bad on mobile – Does your website look great on a smartphone? Or are images clashing and buttons hard to press, etc.? It’s vital that your website is mobile responsive.
• Technical issues – If your website is slow or if you aren’t receiving messages from it, speak to your web developer.
• Outdated content – Have you neglected the copy on your website for years? It needs regularly updating with news, treatments, correct contact information and new advances in your business.
• Thin content – Have you only got 200 words on dermal fillers on your website? No separation of treatment areas? Rectify this by writing or commissioning more content and separating it logically.
• Poor before and after images – Are you using the best examples of your work in the highest image quality possible? Are you providing context to the cases? Visually
  aestheticmed.co.ukand from a user-experience perspective, it is better to use no more than three to five exceptional before and afters, rather than flooding pages with “OK” examples.

Fix up on social

A few quick points on social media, and how it can keep your professional, stand-out brand glowing:

• Know your audience inside out, and show them what they want to see. Patients want to see themselves reflected in your marketing.
• Don’t just copy, paste and post content across multiple channels. It looks lazy, especially if posted at the same time.
• Keep your messaging and image consistent. This doesn’t mean you need to painstakingly curate your Instagram feed as if it were an art gallery; just make sure everything you go out with has the same branding across it.
• Reply to all comments, even if it’s just a quick “thank you”, as someone has clearly stopped, looked at your image, and taken the time to give their thoughts. Social media is meant to be social; you aren’t a lecturer and you’re using it wrong if you are treating it this way.

Make clients feel like they know you

“I feel like I’ve met you before” is a phrase I have heard patients use about some of our clients who spend time building their professional brand and reap the rewards of a busy clinic. Creating a friendly and welcoming atmosphere around your business for the benefit of your patients is surely what you are doing this for.

Ensure that the atmosphere of your online presence is reflected in clinic. Don’t use any false advertising in your branding; the last thing you want is for patients to arrive expecting one thing but getting another. This also flows into culture; having a great culture within your team, delivering a personal experience and following up with each patient will create a lasting impression. Patients will ultimately remember you by how you made them feel, not just the results you gave.

Alex Bugg works for Web Marketing Clinic, a family-run digital agency that specialises in medical aesthetics. They build websites and deliver award-winning marketing campaigns for doctors, nurses, dentists, distributors and aesthetic brands. Contact her on [email protected] or follow her on Instagram: @webmarketingclinic