How to stand out as an expert among other providers in the aesthetics space

The number of med spas in the United States has doubled over the past 10 years.

With new practices popping up every day, it’s important to differentiate yourself from the competition. You want your practice to be the obvious choice for patients seeking aesthetics treatments in your area.

One way to earn a reputation as the best practice around is to be a genuine expert and communicate your expertise in the right way.

People naturally seek out experts because they trust they will deliver the value they are looking for.

Here are some ways to position yourself as the expert you are so patients pick you over the competition.

You can even try one or two of these strategies today with the next patient on your schedule.

Educate patients at every appointment 

Taking the time to educate your patients not only leads to better treatment outcomes, it demonstrates your clinical expertise and increases patient satisfaction.

When your patients feel confident in your knowledge and skills, they feel good and trust that you will help them achieve their health and aesthetic goals. 

To provide top-notch education, clearly and transparently explain the following at every appointment:

• What the treatment involves: how it works, how long it takes, how many sessions are required to achieve their desired result, recovery and expected downtime, pre- and post-treatment care.

• The benefits: how they can expect to look and feel once the treatment achieves its desired effect.

• The potential risks: what to watch out for and how to reduce complications and manage them if they occur.

You might also consider sending them home with digital or physical educational and post-care materials.

The more value you provide your patients, the more they will seek you out and spread the word to friends and family that you are the only one they trust with their tox or body sculpting. 

Showcase your expertise with online educational content

Making your educational content highly visible online can help you quickly establish your expertise with your audience.

Getting into the habit of regularly publishing educational content to your Instagram or TikTok is a great place to start.

When you openly share your knowledge and insights on social media without trying to sell anything, you deliver value and build credibility with your patients and others in your target audience.

Some examples of educational content formats that works well in the aesthetics space are:

• How it works – Explain what filler is and how it adds volume to lips, or how microneedling works to resurface skin.

• Tutorials – Show your audience how to apply sunblock properly or how to care for their skin after tox treatment.

• Product reviews – Review the latest exosome technology, the new laser you just purchased, or a new skincare line that just hit the market.

• Before and afters – In addition to sharing typical transformation photos and videos, explain some of the science behind the treatments or why they were right for the patient.

• Answer commonly asked questions – Answer questions like how to get rid of acne scars, how to prevent blackheads, or how often to get tox to stay wrinkle-free.

Before you post, read through your content to make sure it checks these boxes: 

• Relevant: Solve real challenges your target audience faces.

• Accessible: Speak your audiences’ language by using terms they understand and relate to rather than jargon they may not know. Use images that a wide range of patients can relate to. For example, for before and after photos, showcase a diverse set of patients that many different people can identify with.

• Authentic: Always be yourself–there’s no better way to be relatable.

When you regularly share relevant, accessible, and authentic content on social media, you’ll organically educate your patients and prospective patients, catch their attention, and build visibility over time. Other practices may not be as strategic about adding value to their followers, which puts you ahead of the pack. 

If the treatment isn’t right for them, tell them

Sometimes patients express interest in a treatment that isn’t a good fit for them or won’t help them achieve their goals. Perhaps the treatment they want doesn't work well with their skin type or isn’t suitable for someone with an underlying medical condition they have. For example, if a patient comes in asking for lip filler, politely explain that a lip flip would suit their face better.

Rather than performing the treatment anyway, clearly explain why it isn’t right for them and propose an alternative. Doing so demonstrates that you are the expert and prioritize the results and experience over volume or profits. 

You want every patient to be satisfied and every treatment you perform to reflect your best work for the sake of your own integrity and so they will want to come back.

Focusing on patient education and honestly communicating with patients when a treatment isn’t right can help you establish a reputation as a specialized expert and set you apart in a class of your own. No matter how many med spas there are in your area, yours will stand out as one of the best and most trusted.