Can your medical spa survive, better yet thrive without offering Allergan's powerhouse product BOTOX Cosmetic?

We love BOTOX Cosmetic as the perfect treatment to introduce a new and/or existing customer to the wonderful world of cosmetic injections. However, BOTOX's leadership in the market has also come with its own disadvantages for med spa owners, with overly aggressive pricing that has made it tough to earn a profit on the most popular cosmetic treatment in the US. If you're on the fence about BOTOX Cosmetic, and want to provide alternative neurotoxin injectables or market other treatments for your patients, we are here to help you navigate through the process so that your med spa can reach its utmost potential with or without BOTOX.

BOTOX Cosmetic acts as a great introductory procedure to elective cosmetic procedures. In addition, the brand equity and awareness that it has is dominating. Simply marketing BOTOX at your medical spa or aesthetic practice can help you drive revenue from customers that are searching for it. But what if you choose not to offer the popular injectable? Can every medical spa, dermatologist and even dentist starting to offer BOTOX find another way to drive new patients and offer treatments that produce similar results? The short answer is yes. We have seen many medical spas be just as, if not more successful, without offering BOTOX, but it is crucial that you approach your marketing efforts in the right way. Med spas can survive and do quite well without the popular injectable if providers educate themselves on how to best market their practice without BOTOX at the forefront. By capitalizing on alternatives, other cosmetic injectables, and other minimally invasive treatments, your med spa can flourish. Read on to find out how!

Should I Offer BOTOX at my Med Spa?

BOTOX changed the aesthetics industry when it was first FDA-approved in 2002. Since its introduction, it has rapidly gained popularity and has even been FDA-approved for a number of non-cosmetic uses like treatment of migraines or hyperhidrosis. BOTOX is a household name, and by far the most recognizable name when it comes to wrinkle-reduction injectables, but is it a necessary product for you to offer at your med spa for success? Neurotoxin injectable treatments like BOTOX, Dysport and Xeomin were the most popular minimally invasive treatments in 2017, accounting for more than 7.23 million of the 17.5 million cosmetic procedures performed. Despite being less-known, alternative injectables like Dysport and Xeomin offer practitioners different advantages, including cost effectiveness. If you choose to offer Dysport and/or Xeomin as BOTOX alternatives, inform your patients about the similarities and potential advantages each product may have compared to BOTOX.

Do you have to offer any of these products, though? Not necessarily. While wrinkle reduction treatments with neurotoxins are undoubtedly popular, many other minimally invasive treatments are gaining more and more recognition. As patients are turning towards nonsurgical options, procedures like lip injections, jawline contouring, nonsurgical nose jobs, and collagen-inducing treatments are becoming more sought-after. Regardless of whether you choose to offer BOTOX or its alternatives at your med spa or not, you can still find success if you market your available treatments in the right way by utilizing the proper resources.

Focus on Entry Level Procedures as an Alternative to Drive Patient Acquisition

Your practice must focus on the popular procedures that can act as a great way to introduce new clients to your practice without breaking the bank. These services include dermaplaning, facials, microdermabrasion, chemical peels, and microneedling. These treatments, if marketed correctly, can act as a great way for a new customer to try some of the most minimally invasive treatments that make a client look and feel good. It's easy to forget about these procedures at times, but not all customers are ready to dive into injectables on day one. A reasonably priced facial can drive new customers that convert to lifelong clients. Don't shy away from these procedures just because they aren't high ticket revenue drivers. They can act as great gateway procedures that can build your reputation and trust with clients so that they will eventually pursue more extensive treatments at your med spa.

Educate your Clients Online and at Your Aesthetic Practice

Most patients do not know that there are other brands of neurotoxins like Dysport and Xeomin that provide similar results to BOTOX. That means there's more effort required for aesthetic facilities to market these procedures to new and current clients. Xeomin, Dysport, and dermal fillers can also provide dramatic results. The first thing you should do is make your representatives at Merz and Galderma your best friends. Ideally, you should take advantage of every marketing tool they have to offer. Make sure to interact regularly with your sales representatives to get results. The sales reps can help you plan an event, offer customer incentives, and provide marketing collateral and other marketing tools to get the product moving.

• Ask about rebates & client rewards programs that can be used to incentivize clients to try Xeomin and/or Dysport. Better yet, create your own rewards so you have more control over your marketing efforts.
• Request digital and print marketing assets for in-practice and digital marketing. Your waiting room, storefront, digital displays, website and social media channels are at your disposal. Make the most of them!
• Offer patients a complimentary facial for trying Xeomin or Dysport.

Showcase Your Favorite Treatments on Social Media

Do you prefer Xeomin over BOTOX? Start broadcasting why on social media. It's up to the aesthetic facilities in each local market to educate and promote these products to local consumers. Social platforms like Instagram have become a crucial part of aesthetics marketing. Before many patients choose a new practice, they will often look at the provider's social media accounts to see before and after photos. By showcasing your best work, posting informational posts about new and popular treatments, and engaging with patients on a regular basis, you can ensure that you will be driving patient growth and brand awareness. Furthermore, new features like Facebook Live, Facebook Watch, IGTV and Instagram stories allow aesthetic professionals to interact with their potential patients and current clientele in a direct, personal way. Posts, short videos and going live on Instagram are all great ways to educate your local Instagram followers. Followers love to read posts and watch videos about aesthetics, so make sure you elaborate and educate about costs, treatment time, results and pain of your treatments of focus. Implementing a great social media strategy that utilizes quality content and follower engagement can showcase alternative treatments your practice offers in a powerful way.

Groupon: Everybody Loves an Offer

We all believe Groupon has its pros and cons within the aesthetics industry. However, know that any person, including yourself, loves a good offer. People like to feel that they scored an offer or have saved on a valuable service or item. Groupon, when used in a strategic way, can be a great way to build your new med spa, increase patient acquisition, and bring patients back.

• Bundle Entry Level Procedures: A bundle of entry level procedures and treatments can offer a significant value to a new client. Try bundling some of your most popular treatments such as laser hair removal treatments, chemical peels, or facials.
• Use Groupon to Gain New Patients: Groupon can be a great way to offer deals to first time patients to get them in the door of your practice. Once you have new patients, you can introduce them to the other treatments your spa offers. In fact, in one sample, Groupon found that their average consumer spent more than they paid for a given deal on other services or products.

Groupon can be a great tool to use if you need to see an immediate rise in bookings for your med spa or if you want to see a quick increase in new patients. However, it is extremely important that you use Groupon in a strategic manner so that patients don't take advantage of your practice and specials.

Market Your Practice through Every Channel

Regardless of whether or not your practice chooses to offer BOTOX or its alternatives, you can find success if you strategically market your med spa and the services you offer. However, a great marketing strategy doesn't happen overnight. To reach a broad audience, you must market your med spa and your services across all channels, including your website, social media, email, and texting. Furthermore, by implementing a pay-per-click campaign that advertises your top minimally invasive treatments on Google and other platforms, you can start gaining patients right away. Whether you are just starting a med spa or have owned a practice for years, the thought of running a full-scale marketing campaign can be overwhelming. That's why at Med Aesthetics Group, we do the work for you! We are different from other marketing companies, as our expert staff is dedicated to the aesthetics industry and shares your passion for your practice. Our mission is to see your med spa or office reach its ultimate potential. To learn more about our unique marketing services, book a demo with us today!