Medical Spa Advertising 101: Strategies to Reach Your Target Audience

Fueled by increased video-based communication and rising demand for cosmetic surgery services, medical spa businesses have the benefit of high consumer interest today, and strong growth projections for the future. Already an $8 billion category in the United States, demand for medical spa services is expected to grow by more than 13 percent year-over-year until at least 2025.

Targeted ad campaigns are regarded as the most effective way to attract new customers and expand a company’s customer base, and research suggests those ad campaigns are well worth the investment: while the average ad budget for a medical spa weighs in at around $5,000 per month, many businesses report high ROI for these ad expenditures.

This advertising ROI is essential when looking to increase market share in an extremely competitive industry. Many medical spas are small, local businesses whose business model depends on attracting new patients and expanding the company’s presence within their local market.

If you’re a medical spa eager to optimize your advertising to achieve these business goals, read on for some actionable tips to improve your ad performance and ROI.

Define the Ideal Medical Spa Consumer

The core consumer groups seeking medical spa services tend to fit neatly into targeting based on demographics and behavioral data. Research suggests that one-third of all consumers ages 35 to 44 are interested in cosmetic services, regardless of gender.

Consumers interested in cosmetic surgery and other services tend to go online to conduct research, creating a data trail across search, social media and other online advertising channels—which in turn generates more user data to inform your targeted ad campaigns.

Between these demographic tendencies, online behaviors and the ability to geotarget campaigns to relevant consumers within your service area, your business can concentrate its spending on a highly relevant, local audience, maximizing your potential ad ROI.

Harness the Outsized Influence of Social Media Advertising

Among digital channels used to deliver medical spa campaigns, social media might be the most influential in terms of meeting top-of-funnel consumers early in their consideration phase. Consumer surveys have found that 80 percent of all cosmetic surgery patients took action to seek out cosmetic services after seeing an ad on social media, or on a mobile app.

This is an extremely high figure for these digital campaigns, and it underscores both the effectiveness of social media advertising in general, as well as the strong social element at play when consumers decide to seek out cosmetic services.

For this reason, social media campaigns—including both paid social ads and a stronger overall social presence—should be a core component of any medical spa advertising strategy.

Target Rival Brands Through Paid Search Marketing

One recurring theme among consumers seeking cosmetic services? When they start their search, they often have a brand in mind. A little more than one-third of consumers start their search for cosmetic services with a provider in mind, according to audience surveys.

This may be due to other ads they’ve seen from rival medical spas, or it could be the result of word-of-mouth recommendations they’ve received from friends. Regardless, your business hasn’t missed out on prospects even if they’re already focused on a single company. Through paid search advertising targeted to keywords including these brand names, your company can cut to the head of the line and promote your search ads above the organic search results focused on that business.

Buying up rival keywords offers multiple benefits to your business. First, it reaches a consumer audience who is actively engaged in a search for the med spa services you offer. These prospects are also already qualified to varying extents, thanks to the advertising they may have seen in the past.

And, by bidding on keywords involving the brand names of your competitors, you’re also increasing their cost if they attempt to outbid you—which can create a competitive advantage in your respective advertising ROIs.

Tap Into Consumer Frustrations With Their On-Screen Appearance

As the pandemic has increased adoption of Zoom and other video conferencing technologies, a stunning trend has developed: professionals are increasingly fixated on their physical appearance, and are far more eager to seek out med spa services to change how they look. One-third of consumers have reported being frustrated with their appearance and considering cosmetic procedures as a result.

In the United Kingdom, plastic surgeons have reported a 70 percent increase in consultation requests since the pandemic began. Adoption rates among men are growing even faster than females: the rate of men seeking injectables as part of their cosmetic services has increased by 99 percent over the past decade.

This trend is something to consider not only in your ad targeting, but also through your messaging. You may want to consider emphasizing promotion of procedures that will make a visible difference on video calls, and it might be beneficial to specially position certain products as rejuvenating a person’s appearance on Zoom.

With several consumer trends and environmental factors driving demand for medical spa services, now is the time to invest in advertising that engages and converts your target local audience. Cox Media’s in-house experts can help you develop campaigns that will resonate with your audience and generate more revenue for your business.

Contact us today to see how we can help.