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Ep.106: Text Marketing for Plastic Surgeons

Texting for the Plastic Surgery Practice

Text Marketing for Plastic Surgeons

Texting has been around for a while and is on the rise as an effective plastic surgery marketing strategy that’s working.

Once users have opted into your list (required), you can send them special promotions, updates, appointments reminders, surveys, and much more.

Need proof that SMS is one of the best digital marketing strategies?

Consider that the average open rate for text message marketing campaigns is 98% – compared to a 20% open rate for email marketing.

Also, SMS response rates are 295% higher than phone call response rates. (source)

Why Text Your Cosmetic Patients

The reality is you have to be where your cosmetic patients are to engage with them and that is on their cell phones.

Texting is the highest engagement rate of any marketing medium by far at 82% open rates and 90% of message are read within three minutes of receipt.

This is exciting because you can reach out to your patients with a push of a button. The response is almost immediate and can be a nice boost to filling up your schedule and bumping up your revenues.

BUT you must put a plan in place, so you don’t end up in hot water since there are rules about texting your patients so use these tips to get started:

Tips to ensure texting success:

 

Get Permission

If you don’t already, start collecting consents from your patients so you have approval to text them.

On your patient in-take forms, ask them. But do it in a compelling way. For example, “Check here if you would like to receive periodic VIP Text Club offers”.

Invite Patients to Opt-in Across All Media


Start a “VIP Text Club” and make a big deal out of it. Mention it everywhere… on your website, in your social media posts, banner ads, newsletter and checkout signage. Add a compelling reason for them to join now such as an automatic gift card towards their next visit or a free skin care product of their choice.

You get your patients’ permission by asking them to send a keyword to your short code cell phone number such as “Text “GIFT” to 12345″.

Know thy Patients

While you are building up your consent list, here’s a way to get started now. Using your CRM (Customer Relationship Management) platform, segment a list of patients you have a great relationship with who would love to hear from you via text.

Be sure they can respond STOP to immediately be removed from the texting list, if they are not interested.

Use a Texting Platform

 

A texting platform automates all of this and keeps you out of trouble since it will automatically delete someone from your list who opts-out because they don’t want to get text messages.

It will also give you reports to track your results so you know how many were sent, opened, opted-out and so on.

Compelling Text Messages – marketing for plastic surgeons

This is not a time to be coy. Be direct and clear. Text a short message that is compelling. I suggest it be of urgency and include a special offer with a tight expiration. For example:

Or, skip the images and just text a simple message like this:

Include Call-to-Action Buttons

 

These buttons increase patient engagement with your texts because you need them to value the message, read it and act on it.

  • “Click Here” – oftentimes, you need more time and space to explain a particular cosmetic procedure such as its benefits, the process and before/after photos. In that case, a “Click Here” will send them to your website landing page for the details.
  • “Text-to-Win” ” if you have a contest
  • “Show this text” – Ask your patients to show the text to your check out staff to earn a promotional discount.

Timing is Everything

 

This is a “just-in-time” marketing strategy. It takes, on average, 3 minutes to open messages so you want to be ready.

Think of this as impulsive shopping. They see it and react.

That means you only send it during practice hours and use a practice cell phone that is monitored all day, so you respond immediately and interact with your interested patients.

Know the Rules

 

The Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA) requires SMS marketers to include “msg & data rates apply” in auto-reply messages. Most text marketing services will add this disclaimer automatically, but it’s on you to ensure its included.

A great texting strategy is one more way to stay in touch with your loyal patients who love hearing from you using this channel. Use it mindfully.

 Click here for all the strategies for Plastic Surgery Marketing: What’s Working Now.

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Catherine Maley

Catherine Maley

Catherine is a business/marketing consultant to plastic surgeons. She speaks at medical conferences all over the world on practice building, marketing and the business side of plastic surgery. Get a Free Copy of her popular book, Your Aesthetic Practice: What Your Patients Are Saying View Author Profile.

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Robert Sigal, MD
Robert Sigal, MD
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Victor Ferrari, MD
Victor Ferrari, MD
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Anthony Corrado, MD
Anthony Corrado, MD
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Evan Sorokin, MD
Evan Sorokin, MD
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Robert Langdon, MD
Robert Langdon, MD
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Edwin Williams, MD
Edwin Williams, MD
“Catherine’s Cosmetic Patient Marketing Service has been a great addition to our practice-building overall plan. While we still invest in our online presence, we also found immense value in the internal marketing efforts. We especially like that all results are tracked so we know we are getting a great return ... last year it was 1,148% and no staff time was used. That’s a much easier way to grow my cosmetic practice.”
Mark Mason, MD
Mark Mason, MD
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Sam Assassa, MD
Sam Assassa, MD
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Andrew Lofman, MD
Andrew Lofman, MD
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Verne Weisberg, MD
Verne Weisberg, MD
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Adam Stein, MD
Adam Stein, MD
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