Part 2: Opening a Medical Spa—Marketing & Social Media Before and After Launch Day

In the first part of this series, we covered what comes after nurse injector training, as well as things to keep in mind before opening a medical spa.

As you know, running an aesthetic clinic isn’t only about making people look and feel great. As an entrepreneur, you’re going to need to make some big decisions, including long-term business planning, budgeting, finding the right space, partnering with the right medical director and figuring out how you’re going to pay for it all. 

No need to panic—with this multi-part guide, you’ll be well-equipped to face challenges that come along with opening your own aesthetic clinic.

Read on as we walk you through how to open a med spa as a nurse with a successful launch day! We’ll offer marketing tips, dissect how to start building a loyal clientele, and share where to turn when you need a helping hand (trust us, you will). 

5 Key Ways to Market your Medical Spa

Opening an aesthetic clinic is one thing. Opening a successful medical spa is something else entirely. The marketing tactics you employ can make or break your business. 

The way consumers find information about medical practices is changing with the majority researching medical procedures online before seeking out a doctor. Your online presence and digital marketing efforts are fundamental to the success of your med spa. This is how potential clients will seek you out. 

After all, your website and social pages are like a 24/7 storefront. What your potential customers read and see will shape their impressions of your med spa. 

Here’s a to-do list of the fundamentals of marketing 101 for your new aesthetics business:

1. Build a Website that You’d Want to Buy From 

In the digital era, your website is quite literally your calling card. It’s the center of your online presence, and sets the tone for your marketing efforts across all other channels. Website builders like Squarespace make it easy to get started on your own with no developer experience necessary! 

Using websites like GoDaddy or NameCheap, you should be able to find a domain for less than $20/per year. If your perfect URL is already taken? No worries. Try adding “the” or “get” at the start, or “medspa,” “aesthetics,” or “clinic” to the end of it to make it more unique.

Make sure your website represents you and your new med spa brand. Colorful and fun imagery, or simple and sleek—whatever you choose, just keep the same look across your channels. 

Include the following content (at minimum) on your website:

• Homepage—Keep it simple with big images, a call-to-action, and the who, what, when, where, why & how. 
• About / Our Story—Tell a bit about yourself and don’t be afraid to add a little personality. Make sure to include all of your credentials!
• Services (Botox / Dysport, Fillers, any other services)—Detail out what your med spa is offering. The customer likes to see pricing, but use your discretion if this isn’t yet set in stone. 
• Before and Afters Photos / Results—Show off some of your first results with impressive photos (see below for tips on capturing great pics). 
• Reviews—Naturally, you may not have many reviews yet. Add this page in as a placeholder, but “hide” it until you have a solid 3 or more reviews to highlight.
• Contact—Include your phone number, email, mailing address with a Google map link.
• Links to FB and IG—Social handles add legitimacy to your business, and let potential customers explore your med spa more.

For more detailed marketing tips and website building, check out our popular med spa marketing checklist. 

2. Create a Visual Portfolio—Before and After the Day Away!

Put your best foot forward by showcasing the work you’re most proud of, and making it easy for future clients to find! A selection of before and after photos highlighting your skills is essential to attracting potential clients and establishing trust. 

Whether you’re opening a botox clinic or want to focus your efforts on other aspects of aesthetic nursing, nothing sells your services like photographic evidence of your satisfied customers. 

Pro tip: To get started, you might consider offering family and friends free or at-cost treatments in exchange for their photos and testimonials of your skills. 

Speaking of portfolios, one of the main features of yours should be some great before and after shots.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and that’s certainly true when it comes to before and after photos! The right photos can really show off the quality of your work and persuade potential clients to take the plunge and book that consultation. 

Not to mention, posts with photos get considerably more attention across social channels—as much as 53% more likes and 104% more comments than text-only posts. 

There are a few things you can do to make the before and after photos from your aesthetic clinic stand out in a sea of attention-seeking posts:

• Start with a soft launch: Offer free treatments to friends and family you trust in exchange for the right to use their before and after pictures (have them sign a photo waiver) for promotional purposes.
• Be selective with your models: Make sure you’re choosing good candidates for the procedures you’re performing so you can proudly show off their results on social media. 
• Prioritize quality: Not only are good quality photos more pleasing to the eye, they more accurately depict the quality of your work. Luckily, nowadays it’s possible to take professional quality photos with a smartphone.
• Good lighting: You’re proud of your work, and with good reason! Show it off in the best light possible to ensure prospective clients get a detailed view of your work.
• Simple background: You don’t want the background of the photo distracting from the work—white or another neutral color is ideal.
• Filters: While filters might be fun to play around with on your personal account, it’s better to avoid them for professional photos. 
• Composition: Try to set both of the before and after photos up in the same way to highlight the visual transformation.
• Take  before and after photos: During their appointment, have your client agree to come back two weeks later for after photos. After two weeks, the treatment area should be recovered, presenting a prime photo op! 

Keep these tips in mind when taking your photos and you’re sure to put together a gallery that accurately depicts the quality of your work.

3. Who Said Print Was Dead? Create Printables.

When it comes to marketing your services, it’s not just about what you say, but how you say it. While most of your marketing will probably take place online via your website, Google reviews, and social media, you may want to branch out with some extras. 

Printable flyers or pamphlets may be beneficial for in-person events or for your med spa clinic. While a bit old school, printed materials, mailers, and business cards can help to get the word out in your community.

Pro tip: Canva will be your best friend in creating these marketing materials - it’s a free and very easy-to-use graphic design website with lots of great templates you can work from.

4. Social Media Your Way to the Top!

Promoting your services on social media is key to gaining exposure in the aesthetic medical industry. Here are some of our top tips to get you started:

• Be selective with your platforms: We recommend sticking with one or two to start. Platforms like Instagram and TikTok are great for visual content, so those are probably your best bet

• Post regularly: Be sure to upload photos and videos of your work on a regular basis. 

• Be yourself: While your work speaks for itself, customers are looking for the right professional for them, so don’t be afraid to show a little personality in the content you produce. Knowing that you and your team are friendly and approachable will set potential clients at ease, making them more likely to book that procedure after all. This will help you to build your med spa’s online presence, and lay the foundation for a trusting and loyal relationship with your clientele.

Check out our blog post to learn more about how to build your med spa’s social media presence.

5. Host a Launch Day! Promote with Cause.

What better way to generate a little buzz than to host a launch party for your aesthetic clinic? This is an opportunity for you to interact with your community, fellow business owners and potential clients. 

The idea of a launch party is to generate some buzz both online and IRL; making some new contacts while gaining some new followers.

The following are some ideas to get people excited about your launch party:

Checklist for your med spa launch party

• Promote your grand opening across your social networks
• Get it catered and provide a healthy spread for your guests to enjoy
• Offer free samples of products or services
• Provide a live demonstration of one of your offered services
• Extend a discount to your guests for their first service at your spa
• Incentivize repeat business by offering a discount on membership 
• Promote a giveaway or raffle 
• Reach out to local businesses to introduce yourself and tell them about event 
• Post flyers and business cards or postcards advertising the launch event 
• Post on local community boards (Patch, Nextdoor, etc)
• Post in local Facebook groups 
• Post on business social and ask friends and family to like and share 
• Create a FB event for your launch event / launch week and “boost” it 
• Network! Don’t forget to put in some face time with each of your guests

After Launch Day: Continue to Grow Your Aesthetic Clinic Clientele

One of the most crucial aspects of any successful business is a steady stream of clients. Opening a medical spa is no different; in order to win the loyalty of your clients, you’ll first need to demonstrate that you have the skills and know-how to deliver the results they’re looking for. 

Word of mouth: Good work speaks for itself, but a little enthusiasm from your client never hurts! When friends and family inevitably comment on their “refreshed” appearance, be sure to have them name drop you and your new business. 

Paid digital marketing: Paid ads via Google, Display, and Social Media like Facebook and Instagram (Meta) or Linkedin, can drive high lead volumes. An optimized digital program should nurture leads and funnel prospective clients towards booking appointments. When paid marketing targets the customer base with customized messaging or exclusive offers, and pairs with ongoing iteration and nurturing, we’ve seen med spa partners enjoy exponential growth. In fact, some of our med spa partners report paid digital as driving half of their business!

Social promotion: Social media is one of the most powerful promotional tools in your arsenal, so make sure to use it well! Share photos of the treatments you’ve done, and also be sure to interact with others in the aesthetic medical community to network and build your online community.

Get good reviews: Online reviews are instrumental to building your business and your clientele. Ask happy clients to leave both a Google and a Facebook review after their service. The review should be positive and provide some detail without being overly familiar.

Pro tip: If they do leave a review and you would like to respond (which is totally up to you), it’s considered HIPAA best practice not to confirm they are a patient. 

Partner with a Seasoned Pro

Venturing out on your own can be scary! With all of the ups and downs that come with starting a business, sometimes it’s nice to know that someone has your back.

We know what it takes to launch a successful med spa, from the first steps of securing a location and getting insured, to building a business forecast and managing technology, we’ve done it before so we’re the best people to guide you through it. 

Moxie supports nurses through the entire process of opening a medical spa, offering you the type of expertise and technology that’s usually reserved for large chains. 

Stay tuned for the third part in our Opening a Med Spa: From $0 to $100,000. We’ll share ongoing med spa business tips for success, building a loyal customer base, and overcoming common year one pitfalls.

Get in touch with the team at Moxie today to learn more about how to opening a med spa as a nurse.