Did you know that 43% of consumers rely on online platforms to research beauty services? If you’re an aesthetics practitioner wanting to grow your clinic, it’s more than likely that your ideal client is searching for you on social media.
In a digitally driven world, social media has become one of the most powerful tools for success in the aesthetics industry. Facebook, Instagram and TikTok provide unparalleled opportunities to showcase expertise, connect with potential clients and build a thriving community of loyal followers. However, success on these platforms isn’t attained by a single post. Instead, it requires a strategic and consistent approach.
At LS Media and Marketing, we’ve provided social media marketing support for aesthetics clinics for over four years. In this guide, we’ve shared our insights to help you navigate the ever-evolving landscape of social media and grow your aesthetics business successfully.
Why Is Social Media Important For Aesthetics Clinics?
Across the United Kingdom, 57.1 million people use social media every year. The tool provides a boundless potential for any business. But in the aesthetics industry, its power can be particularly advantageous.
Brand Awareness
Social media is like a digital billboard, but much more effective. Through captivating visuals, informative posts and interactive stories, it provides a powerful channel to expand the reach of your aesthetics clinic amongst your ideal target audience.
With strategic efforts – including consistent posting and active engagement – social media can help you establish a recognisable identity that fosters meaningful connections. For instance, our efforts to enhance multi-platform brand visibility for our client increased leads by 72% in only six months.
Online Portfolio
Aesthetics is a visual industry, and social media is a virtual portfolio for you to showcase your work. Using before and after photos, videos and client testimonials, you can demonstrate the quality of your services to potential clients.
A well-curated social media feed not only highlights the results achieved by your clinic, but also showcases the personalised care that your clients can expect.
Client Connection
Social media isn’t just a one-way-street of communication. Instead, it facilitates direct conversation with your clients to build a sense of community and trust.
On Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, you can engage with your followers, address enquiries and provide personalised recommendations to ultimately strengthen the client-practitoner relationship.
Thought Leadership
In aesthetics, it’s vital that you’re credible amongst your clients. And that’s where social media comes in. Online platforms are an ideal space to share valuable insights and success stories that will help to position your brand as an authority in the field.
Informative Q&A’s and industry-related discussions will demonstrate your medical expertise, training and commitment to safety.
How To Develop A Strong Social Media Presence For Your Aesthetics Clinic
Online success doesn’t happen overnight. In reality, an effective social media marketing strategy for your aesthetics clinic can take between six and nine months to produce genuine results.
Create Engaging Content
On social media, the attention span of an average user is just 8 seconds. In a crowded marketplace packed with content, standing out is essential.
Educational posts, behind-the-scenes glimpses and interactive story polls will keep your followers engaged and interested in your clinic. And visual content, such as high-quality photos and Reels, will highlight the expertise of your staff.
When we implemented a fresh content strategy for our client, we saw an impressive 86% increase in Instagram traffic alone. To build authenticity and credibility to our posting, this strategy included user-generated testimonials too.
Posting Times & Hashtags
Timing is everything – especially on social media. By analysing your audience’s online behaviour and posting accordingly, you can make sure that your content gets seen by the right people at the right time. Likewise, the use of relevant hashtags will increase discoverability and reach a wider audience.
As a social media agency for aesthetics clinics, we’ve found that local hashtags are especially effective. They help to target individuals in your specific area who are already looking for similar services to yours.
Community Engagement
If you thought that just posting on social media was enough to grow your online presence, think again.
Building a community requires active engagement with your audience and stakeholders. You should respond promptly to comments and messages, participate in relevant conversations in your industry and support other businesses in your local community. Ultimately, this will broaden your clinic’s reach and foster a sense of belonging.
Trends In Social Media Marketing For Aesthetics Clinics
In the aesthetics industry, it’s essential that you understand the various content trends that will perform well and resonate with your target audience.
Video Content
Generating new customers for 93% of businesses who use it successfully, video content continues to dominate social media platforms. From treatment walkthroughs to patient testimonials, it will showcase your clinic’s expertise to help you stand out from the crowd.
Examples of video content include;
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Educational reels that explain the benefits and uses of different aesthetic procedures.
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Behind-the-scenes footage of an aesthetics procedure.
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Interviews with satisfied clients once they’ve recovered from their treatment.
User-Generated Content
By encouraging your clients to share their experiences on social media, you can turn them into your very own army of brand ambassadors. These authentic testimonials and endorsements will instil trust in potential clients and support your word-of-mouth strategy.
Examples of user-generated content include;
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Reviews taken from your website or Google Business and repurposed for social media.
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Before-and-after photos of your client’s results.
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Interviews with satisfied clients once they’ve recovered from their treatment.
Interactive Content
Gone are the days of passive scrolling. Now, social media users want content they can interact with. Quizzes, polls and Q&A sessions will turn your passive followers into active participants who feel strongly connected to your aesthetics brand.
Examples of interactive content include;
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A live Q&A story session, where followers can ask questions about their skin concern and you can advise on the best course of treatments.
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Feedback polls for new treatment spotlights or promotions.
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Quizzes to test your followers on their knowledge of e.g. the right skincare routine.
Storytelling
Effective storytelling on social media will humanise your aesthetics business. Whether you share the origin story of your clinic or highlight a client’s heartwarming transformation, storytelling will create a connection that goes beyond skin-deep.
Examples of storytelling content include;
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‘Meet the team’ campaigns to highlight your training and expertise as medical practitioners.
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A client’s transformation, starting at their first treatment and ending once they’re completely recovered.
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A spotlight on the treatments you’ve personally had to help your clients feel at ease.
The Best Social Media Platforms For Aesthetics Clinics
Finally, choosing the right social media platform for your aesthetics clinic is crucial for reaching your target audience.
At LS Media and Marketing, we’ve found that our clients see the best results on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.
Instagram is a visual-centric platform ideal for reaching millennials. With 30% of all users aged between 25 and 34 years old, it offers a huge opportunity to connect with a demographic looking to slow the signs of ageing.
Originally a photo-sharing platform, Instagram has shifted its focus to Reels and interactive elements like Stories. These features have put the platform at the forefront of storytelling and community engagement – two trends that are non-negotiable for the growth of your aesthetics clinic.
The platform is ideal for before-and-after photography alongside short, snappy and educational videos about your treatments.
Facebook is the biggest social media platform in the world. With 48.5 million users in the United Kingdom alone, it offers a huge reach for your aesthetics clinic.
In 2023, 77% of 43 to 59 year olds used Facebook more than any other social media platform. As this age group are often seeking treatments to help soften the signs of ageing, it’s likely that they form a large chunk of your target audience.
Consistency is key for reaching this demographic on Facebook, as is posting on local community groups to reach people in your area. Plus, don’t forget the power of reviews and recommendations for building trust.
TikTok
Capturing over 1 billion users with its short-form, entertaining videos, TikTok has quickly earned its place as a powerhouse in the social media landscape. However, its user-base skews heavily towards the younger demographic.
With 36% of users aged between 18 and 24, we’ve found TikTok to be the least effective platform for our aesthetics clients. However, this doesn’t mean that investing time on the platform is futile. Interestingly, the number of Gen X TikTok users are growing – and 44% say that the platform helps them discover new products and services.
By leaning into trends and embracing TikTok’s playful and informal nature, you could still pick up a client or two. But overall, you’re likely to achieve better results from Instagram and Facebook combined.
Aesthetics Clinic Social Media Marketing With LS Media & Marketing
At LS Media and Marketing, we understand the importance of social media for the success of your aesthetics business. With our comprehensive approach to organic marketing, we take the time to understand your target demographic, and craft a compelling strategy that will lead to the growth of your clinic.
Click here to discuss a social media marketing strategy for your aesthetics clinic, or find out how we increased our client’s Facebook reach by 215% through the power of organic content.