Your “brand” is so much more than the logo, colors and fonts you choose to create a certain look, and more than the tone of voice you use to give your practice a personality. Your branding is the touchpoint that invites current and prospective patients to join you on a journey of shared interests and goals—while providing a preview of the experience they can expect when they choose you.
The Do’s
Of course you want the world to know that you offer the latest and greatest treatments the aesthetic world is buzzing about, but you also need to consider how you want to present yourself in the process.
- Make your business look appealing to pique the interest of prospective patients and convert them to active patients. To make this happen, consider all of the available avenues to connect your target audience with the services and products they are looking for.
- Think about how you approach your patient relationships when developing your branding. The same approach you use during real-time consultations with patients should be reflected in your branding.
- Make sure you are mindful of your audience. Of course current and prospective patients are your primary target, but remember that colleagues, industry partners and media are likely to see your online and email marketing efforts as well. Try to cast the widest net possible to get the attention of different audiences while staying true to your brand.
- Your branding also provides an identity that employees can embrace. Staff support is essential for promoting your message and converting first-time patients to life-long patients.
- Remember that creating an impactful brand doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time and a financial investment to create a meaningful impact that helps your practice stand out.
vDo you want to be known for warmth and trust, cutting-edge science or an artistic approach? You may want to promote all of the above, but it’s essential to frame all of your patient-facing communications (via social media, marketing emails, your website, in-office messaging, etc.) with this goal in mind.
The Don’ts
When developing and promoting your brand, there are several pitfalls you should try to avoid.
- Don’t forget to infuse your communications with your brand personality. It’s important to remind current and prospective patients that you’re a trusted advisor, friend and human being.
- Avoid comparing yourself to other aesthetic practitioners in any communications—use them as inspiration instead. If you like something they are doing, find a way to make it your own.
- Don’t overlook the power of a marketing strategy. Once you develop a strong brand, make sure it is consistently conveyed through your PR, social media, email marketing and in-office messaging.
- Don’t get caught up in the analytics. It’s important to have realistic expectations and remember that the worth of your brand is qualitative, not quantitative. You may be able to assess the response to some brand-promoting initiatives, but some will not be immediately measurable.
