SNAPCHAT CAN BE A SNAP

Facebook is so yesterday. Snapchat is the new ‘it’ platform, especially if you want to reach people under age 30 (aka millennials). Need proof? Look at the rising number of Instagram and Twitter profiles that cite their Snapchat ID.

Growing numbers of aesthetic doctors are snapchatting away in attempts to reach this important demographic. They are increasingly documenting Brazilian butt lifts, breast augmentations, tummy tucks and other procedures that may whet this age group’s appetite for all things plastic.

Snapchat is a mobile app that allows you to share pictures and videos on your phone. You can control who gets to see and receive your images. Once someone receives your snap, it will be deleted after the timer runs out which is set from 1 to 10 seconds only. On a positive note, snaps are not buried in a busy time-line, allowing followers to view videos and photos easily. But Snapchatter beware: anything you post on social media can and will come back to haunt you and SnapChat is no exception. Even though it is technically deleted, snaps can get saved as keepsakes.

Unlike Instagram, Snapchat users tend to be less interested in prettiness and more interested in emotions and ideas. The key is to be authentic, personal, and transparent. However, Snapchat does offer handy filters and editing features for the novice to get comfortable with this unique platform.

So what makes for good snapchat fodder among aesthetic doctors?

From a quick analysis of a top snapchatting doctors’ posts, the more graphic, may produce the desired burst of interest faster. If 15 minutes of fame is what you are after, gross is your go to. If you want to use snapchat to build your brand, grow a practice and attract paying patients, there needs to be some balance and quality. To paraphrase FLOTUS Michelle Obama’s recent speech at the Democratic National Committee: ‘Where they go low, you should go high.’

Try educational snaps with your target audience in mind. Facelifts don’t make sense for Generation Yers … yet, but millennials are interested in body contouring, Brazilian butt lifts, breast enhancements, fillers, lasers, lip enhancement, tattoo removal, and pretty much anything that the Kardashian’s have had (or are rumored to have had). Snapchat is also a good way to illustrate the atmosphere in your aesthetic practice, team spirit, and happy patients.

Our advice: before you snap any patients, get a written sign off from them to stay HIPAA compliant. (My father was an attorney so I was trained to think about potential liability from an early age).

Now snap to it.