Is Groupon Hurting Your Medical Spa?

Groupon is the new trend for customers who are hunting down the best deals. Are you thinking of using Groupon on your med spa’s next marketing campaign? It's a good strategy, because according to a Rice University study done on the popular group-buying site, salons and med spas reaped the most benefits with Groupon deals (versus restaurants, who fared the worst). However, there is still a chance that your grand scheme will end up a bust if you’re not careful with your planning. A great Groupon marketing campaign, like all marketing campaigns, should result in acquiring repeat customers. Don’t let it become a simple freebie-party. Here are a few tips your med spa should follow before unleashing your Groupon plan:‍

Prepare Your Staff

‍Groupon is all about groups of people converging to take advantage of deals, which means groups of people will be converging in your med spa. Ask yourself: Is my staff ready to handle the surge of clients? If the answer is yes, great!  However, the next question should be "can my staff maintain an excellent quality of service handling a larger number of clients?" The answer should also be a resounding "yes!"  if you're going to use Groupon. While this surge is temporary, the staff should not let their guard down and offer sub-par services, even temporarily. Doing so will turn these potential repeat customers into one-time advantage takers. ‍

The Bigger Picture‍

As effective as Groupon can be with your med spa’s marketing, don’t make it the only trick up your marketing sleeve. As with any business, a healthy marketing plan utilizes a number of strategies.  Promotional tools such as Facebook, Twitter, and Google AdWords should all play a part in your overall marketing scheme.  Relying on just one avenue, even if it’s very effective, will soon prove to be the wrong path taken. And if you didn't know already, it's very easy to share posts on social media. So after you create your Groupon deal, post it on one of your social media accounts, and just "share" it with your other social media accounts! Posts on Instagram, for example, can be easily shared on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Foursquare, and Flickr.‍

Money Talks‍

Your Groupon promotion should highlight your med spa, not just a particular service.  Many med spas make the mistake of featuring a service, like a massage, and then end up watching people come in for the massage and leave. Instead, focus on a dollar amount. Utpal Dholakia, professor and author of the Rice University study, suggests using Groupon deals "for building relationships instead of creating one-time transactions."  Doing something like "$100 worth spa services for just $50" will entice your client to try other things in your med spa, giving you a better chance of creating a relationship with them and, hopefully, turning a Groupon client into a first-name-basis regular. When you follow these simple tips, your med spa should reap even more benefits from your next Groupon promotion. Keep Calm And Groupon!