Wall Street vs Medspa Main Street

The number 1 question that Medical Spa investors, owners and managers are asking right now is “how do the recent events on Wall Street effect me and my business”.  Needless to say, as small business owners we will be impacted by the downturn in the economy and to some degree the volatility of Wall Street.

Clearly the credit crunch is having a negative impact on those seeking to add or increase credit lines or secure a loan.  There is no money available right now for small business.  Thus growth and expansion along with new developments have slowed to almost a standstill.

The silver lining for Medspa investors, owners and managers is that the consumer demand for our services seems to have remained strong due to market expansion.  People have less money to spend but every day there are more people becoming educated and knowledgeable about the results and benefits of Medical Spa services.  This market expansion seems to be maintaining and growing sales at the well run Medspa operations, locations that understand the necessity for a consistent dose of efficient marketing and effective management every day, every month, every quarter. 

In addition, since there is no money to open new or shore-up failing Medspas, the well run operation is in a great competitive place.  Weather the storm, steadily maintain or grow sales over the next 12 months and the outcome will be an opportunity to capture the expanding market along with the renewed energy of spending once past these difficult economic times.

We have successfully worked with Medspas across the country in the past 12 months, to help them continue their sales growth and based on our observations of the industry we continue to remain positive for the successful future of the Medical Spa Industry.

FXA

Acara Announces the Platinum Sponsors for its 1-Day Seminar

Acara is pleased to announce that its 1-day seminar being held this October 27th, How to Market & Sell Medical Spa Services for Top-Line Success is being sponsored by 3 industry leaders: Sciton, Robard and the Medical Spa Society.

Sciton Inc is a cosmetic medical device company formed in 1997 to provide advanced lasers and light sources to the aesthetic medical markets.   Sciton has introduced PROFILE™, the only configurable light and laser based platform for aesthetic practitioners.

Robard Corporation integrates scientific research with market vision to deliver superior weight management programs and nutritional products.  They’ve been building profits for their partners for over 30 years.

Medical Spa Society is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to raising and upholding the level of professionalism practiced throughout the medical spa industry through professional and consumer education.

Who should attend this seminar:
Physicians, medspa owners, nurses, medspa managers, sales consultants, and all industry professionals are welcome and will be able to increase their sales and marketing skills to build their Medspa business.

LEARN MORE…

or

Special pricing is available for Medical Spa Society Members.

FXA

Meet Acara at the Medical Aesthetics Conference Sept. 21-22 at Booth #311

Acara’s CEO, Francis Acunzo is the featured speaker at the following sessions…

How to Stand Out in a Competitive World
Sunday, September 21 at 1:30 PM- 2:30 PM Room 1E09
Industry leader Francis Acunzo will review the increasingly competitive environment, providing insight into the direct and indirect competitors that compete for market share within the world of cosmetic retail healthcare. In addition, learn how to identify effective strategies to beat out the competition to maintain and grow your business. (MGMT04)

How to Build Your Spa’s Public Image/Awareness During a Challenged Economy
Monday, September 22 at 10:15 AM-11:15 AM Room 1E09
Has the economic slowdown begun to affect your spa? Is your marketing plan bringing your spa the results it demands? Are you seeing the right bottom line results? Please join Fran Acunzo for secret tips to boosting your spas revenues and positive results. In today’s presentation you will discuss the following: Trends, Brand Awareness, Marketing Efforts and Public Image. (MGMT02)

What It Takes for Medical Spa Success in Today’s Economy
Monday, September 22 at 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM Room 1E09
You can expect to leave this session knowing how to develop and manage the many day to day operational issues that you encounter and most importantly, how to drive traffic through specific MedSpa marketing techniques that are proving successful all over the US. This presentation is organized into three sections related to the most important areas for the successful launch of a MedSpa:
1). Facility 2). Operations 3). Marketing.

Industry Professional Networking / Roundtable Event (Open To All Conferees)
Sunday, September 21 at 12:30 PM
Come and join the top industry experts, including Francis Acunzo, in this innovative networking event; where the industry experts are available for one-on-one consultations with you to answer your most burning questions. Don’t miss this event.

If you’re not already registered for this conference visit: www.medaestheticsconferenceny.com

If you’re on the trade show floor – stop by and introduce yourself – we’d love to meet you. Booth # 311

Med Spa Marketing Tip of the Week

Title Tags for Online Lead Generation

How do most of your potential clients find you? If you are tracking your leads then you probably realize that the internet is one of your top lead generation sources. Two methods for driving more traffic to your site are Natural or Organic Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and another is Paid Search. In order to drive Natural or Organic Search (which costs you zero) potential clients need to be able to find you. They may not know that your business exists, but they do know they live in Westchester, NY (for example) and that they are looking for Laser Hair Removal or Smartlipo (TM). Title Tags are one of the top ways to drive more traffic to your medical spa or aesthetic practice website. If you manage your website, you can do this yourself for free. Otherwise, you can provide a list to your web maintenance provider.

A Title Tag is the text that appears above the web browser. This text should not say Home or Index or simply the name of your medical spa or practice. For example, if you have a medical spa in Westchester, NY – then your home page Title Tag should read something like this… Westchester Medical Spa by Dr. XYZ or Westchester NY Laser Hair Removal, Smartlipo (TM), BOTOX (R). For a Title Tag to work well, your content (website text) on each page should reflect the same key words and phrases.

I would recommend listing your most popular services or those you want to drive. There should be a unique Title Tag for each page of your site. For your Smartlipo website page, you may want to use: Smartlipo in Westchester NY by Dr. XYZ.

There are many good methods for marketing your medical spa or cosmetic practice; this is one of the first ones I would implement if it were my business.

What are the best online marketing methods you use?

Acara Announces “Marketing & Selling Medical Spa Services” a 1-Day Seminar in CT

On October 27th, in Branford, CT we will be holding a 1-day Seminar on Marketing and Selling Medical Spa Services for Top-line Success.  I’ve added a tab (see above) to this blog listing Acara Seminars and our website provides all the details for registration.

Physicians, medspa owners, nurses, medspa managers, sales consultants, and all industry professionals are welcome and will be able to increase their sales and marketing skills to build their Medspa business.

LEARN MORE…

or

Special pricing is available for Medical Spa Society Members.

 

 

FXA

Acara Marketing Tip of the Week

Before and After Pictures Sell Your Med Spa

Sciton BBL example of Before and After image

… A picture is worth a thousand words and Seeing is believing. Apply these ideas to the marketing and advertising of your medical spa or cosmetic practice. Statistics show that people have greater recall with pictures versus words.

When I say “pictures”, I mean Before and After photos. BA’s are compelling. They also help manage your client’s expectations about what can be accomplished and remind them just how deep those wrinkles were before the Juvéderm™ injections they received a month ago.

Canfield Scientific in one company that has photography equipment, plus the Visia or Reveal as two great options for taking great before and after images – and revealing your client’s skin’s condition.

Acara’s top medical spas’s use Before and After images in the following ways:

1. BA Book: Make this available in your waiting area and use during your medical spa consultations; both for the initial consultation and for discussing additional services.

2. Website: Place Before and After images on your aesthetic practice website.

3. Print or Direct Mail: BA’s can be a very effective lead generation tool when used in print or direct mail advertising.

NOTE: You must have written permission to use your patient photos. Vendor before and after images are another source you might want to consider using; especially until you’ve built your own library.

Medical Spa Marketing Tip of the Week

Lead Capture… Most of the time, business people think of marketing as advertising. While this is true, it’s only part of the picture. Marketing includes an array of activities of establishing and promoting your brand (getting the word out), plus capturing the responses to your promotions. Whether you are promoting your business using Public Relations, a print ad, an email broadcast or in-house signage, there has to be a systematic method for gathering lead data and ultimately following up on the leads. If not, you run the risk of throwing good money and time out the window without generating a good return on your investment.

 

One of the most common areas of lead capture that is overlooked is on your medical spa or spa‘s website. It’s not enough to have a phone number, address and email on the contact us page. Make sure you have a “Lead Capture Form” on your website. This is an electronic form that potential clients can fill out to request more information from your spa or medical spa. The form generally requires name, email and phone — then there are other fields that can be optional such as: Address, How did you hear about us, What services are you interested in? Here’s an example of Acara’s Lead Capture Form.

 

Once the form has been filled out, your system should automatically generate an email to the lead — ideally with a call to action. A certificate with an expiration for a $ off or an upgrade to a popular service is appropriate. The lead data should populate into a system that is checked daily if not more often. Personal follow up should happen the same day or if after–hours, the next day.

 

Your database is your greatest marketing asset , treat it like gold. Be sure to check back next week for a new tip on effective marketing for spas and medical spas.

Deb Roberts

Marketing Tips of the Week

Deb Roberts, Acara’s VP Marketing will be writing a weekly MedSpa Marketing Tip.  You should check back frequently to receive your weekly dose of marketing expertise from the person who has created marketing plans and programs for over 60 locations throughout the country.

FXA

Smartlipo Pioneers to Hold Smartlipo & Liposuction Training in NYC

This country’s pioneers in Smartlipo, Bruce Katz MD and Michael Bruck MD of JUVA Skin & Laser Center located in NYC will be conducting a 2-day physician training for Smartlipo and Liposuction on October 18-19.  I have known Dr. Katz since 1998 at which time I worked with him and his team to develop and open his internationally renowned Medispa.  He is one of the finest teachers in the nation, for these procedures, along with his partner Dr. Bruck.  From what Angela Caponi, COO of JUVA has told me these trainings quickly fill-up, so if you are interested you should register now.