Do you really know what your patient's journey from considering a treatment to arriving in your practice is like? A key part of the patient journey is patients researching and addressing their fears surrounding a treatment or procedure. This is why knowing your potential patients’ concerns is central to increasing patient acquisition and delivering your patients the results that keep them coming back. In one survey, it was reported that the top three concerns patients had were pain, cost, and not getting the results they wanted. Each patient’s journey is unique, but by addressing common concerns that patients share, you can better market your services and set the right expectations with your patients. By knowing more about the patient journey, you can more effectively reach your potential target audience and retarget current patients in an efficient way.

Understanding the Patient Journey

Very rarely will a patient go immediately from deciding on a treatment to walking into your practice. The patient journey usually begins with a Google search, where potential patients will look at all of their options and research treatments on common sites like RealSelf. Patients will often compare treatments, look at others' results, and search the web for answers to their most pressing concerns prior to deciding on treatment options. Once a patient decides they want to pursue a treatment they must then find a provider, which is why it is important that your practice is visible and caters to common patient concerns and questions on all of your marketing channels. Depending on the services your practice provides, your patients may have different concerns, but by analyzing some of the most common worries patients have before cosmetic procedures, you can better help your patient along their journey.

Aesthetic Patient Concerns

While every patient will come to you with their own questions and concerns regarding a given treatment, it is important to be aware of what a large majority of patients share in their worries about aesthetic treatments.

Pain: Whether a patient is undergoing something as intensive as surgery or is receiving a minimally invasive treatment like BOTOX, pain is always a #1 concern. Let your patient know what they can expect before and after a given procedure, and inform them of all of their options to make the treatment process as comfortable as possible. This can include offering your patients different pain-relief options, as well as being upfront with them about exactly what they can expect the treatment to feel like. Be sure to also address any concerns your patient may have about pain during any potential recovery process associated with a given procedure.

‍Cost: Many patients wonder about the cost of their treatment and if it will be worth it. This can lead to patients to seek out bargains or avoid treatments altogether. It is important that you educate your patients about the benefit of investing in an experienced provider because of the difference in the treatment process and results. This can be done through both your marketing channels and during the consultation process. Furthermore, if a patient is looking to stay within a certain budget, be sure to set realistic expectations about what results they can expect based on what they are willing to spend.

‍Results: One of the top concerns patients have is whether or not they will get the results they are expecting from treatment. Patients are constantly bombarded with stories of botched procedures or negative reviews of treatments that can deter them from proceeding. Give your patients confidence by setting realistic expectations with them and working closely with them along their journey to reassure them throughout the treatment process. Showcase your patients' results on different marketing channels that patients check before choosing a provider, like social media, to help give them confidence in their decision to pursue treatment and pick you as their provider.

Addressing Patient Concerns via Digital Channels

As aforementioned, the patient journey often begins online. Use this to your advantage by optimizing all of your digital marketing channels to address patient concerns. Make sure that you have optimized landing pages and pages on your site that answer frequently asked questions about the treatments you provide and why patients should choose your practice based on your expertise. Social media can also be a great channel to interact with potential patients about their concerns surrounding treatment. Conducting Q&A sessions and engaging with your audience to address common questions can bring the hesitant patient into your practice to learn more. Furthermore, social channels like Facebook and Instagram are great places to showcase your work and give potential patients confidence in the results they can hope to attain from your practice.

Consultation-First Marketing

Your incredible staff should always be at the cornerstone of your marketing and outreach efforts. This makes it crucial that your staff is 1) familiar with all of your treatment options, 2) able to answer common patient questions and 3) capable of securing more consultation bookings. The consultation, one of the most important parts of the patient journey, takes part inside of your practice and should be a key element in addressing patient concerns. The consultation allows you to interact with your new patient in the most direct way, and is the ideal environment for you to set realistic expectations about treatment options so that patients feel comfortable with their decision to choose you as their provider.

Retargeting Your Current Patients

If you already have patients coming in for noninvasive treatments like facials or dermaplaning, retargeting them for treatments that are often associated with some of the most common concerns, like injectables, can be a great way to make the hesitant patient take the next step. By using channels like email and text marketing you can create customized campaigns that address common patient concerns.

Be the Patients' First Choice

Whether you are a new practice or have been in the aesthetics industry for years, understanding the patient process is one of the most important parts of seeing your practice thrive. At Med Aesthetics Group, we are experts in aesthetics and understand the patients you are trying to see in your practice, and we know how to get them there. At Med Aesthetics Group, we don't just talk about results, we make them happen. Our results-driven marketing campaigns have increased calls and consultations by over 300% for many of our clients. See your practice reach its potential and switch to us today. To learn more about our services and what we can do for your practice, give us a call or book a free demo.