When it comes to a visual, aesthetics-based business like a med spa, social media is a powerful tool that can help you build your brand identity and generate leads. Every new person who can see your offerings helps you to carve out space in this competitive market, grow your med spa, and ensure that your business remains sustainable.
Think of your social media presence as an online portfolio showcasing your work; each new follower is a potential client. You'll want to be sure the content you share is impressive and professional while being personable and in line with your brand.
Taking the time to create a social media plan will ensure that you're posting with intention and help you to nurture potential clients through the buying cycle, turning them from Instagram followers to paying customers. Let's consider the key steps to building an effective plan to help you launch your med spa's social media presence.
Setting up your med spa social media accounts
First things first, you'll want to make sure that you have created accounts on all relevant social media platforms. Some of the most popular platforms to consider are:
- Google My Business
TIP: When setting up your accounts, make sure your business handles are as close as possible to the actual name of your business (and ideally consistent across platforms). That will make it easy for potential customers to find you and samples of your work.
What about TikTok/Pinterest?
While it certainly isn't necessary, if you're already familiar with TikTok, you may wish to use it to promote your business. If this is the case, go for it! Use video to your advantage when showcasing the results of your med spa procedures.
Likewise, Pinterest is extremely visual and may be a great place to showcase before & after shots.
TIP: Limit your social media accounts at the beginning and take it slow. Your job is still to build your new business; trust us, social media is only one source of new clients.
First steps of setting up your social media strategy
To maximize social media's benefits, you'll need to do more than just haphazardly post when you feel like it. A social media strategy will act as your blueprint for building your med spa's online presence, consistently posting a variety of content, and keeping track of metrics to ensure you're connecting with the right people in the right way.
Create a content calendar for your med spa
A social media content calendar helps you plan and organize your posting schedule, considering various factors like cadence, type of content, and tone.
Tips and tricks for starting up your creating your med spa's content calendar
Establish a consistent posting cadence
Your followers will want to count on some regularity in your posts.
When you're first starting and building your online following, there's no need to post more than once every few days. Once you're up and running and have at least 200 followers, consider regular posts, such as Instagram stories, to keep your audience engaged.
Batch all of your social media posts
The most efficient way to plan your content calendar is to set aside a fixed time each week to do everything social media-related. By creating your content, writing clever copy, and selecting hashtags in advance, you'll be more likely to see results from your social media posts.
We recommend spending at most 2-3 hours per week creating content for social media.
Repurpose content
You don't have to come up with original content for each post and platform. Cross-posting virtually the same content across multiple platforms is common these days and is an excellent way to boost your output without adding additional work (time you could spend on other aspects of your business).
Use a free social media scheduler
Once you've created your posts, use a free (or low-cost) social media scheduling program (e.g., Combin or Buffer) to automate your posts for the week. This also allows you to consider how often you post and what days and times would work best, depending on your audience's preferences.
Prioritize value-driven content
The design of your posts will also play a role in the level of engagement you receive, especially on more visual platforms such as Instagram. This doesn't mean you need to hire a designer; tools like Canva let you easily create eye-catching social media posts that align with your brand.
How to get your first followers
The best way to gain new followers is to interact with other relevant accounts within your industry. Taking part in the conversation is the best way to have people discover you, so add value with some comments on others' posts. Even following others or liking and sharing their posts can go a long way to building your audience. Don't expect every account you interact with or follow to follow you back automatically. Think of it like networking rather than a transactional relationship.
Following other med spa accounts and local businesses will also help you to pick up on industry trends and serve as helpful inspiration for your future posts.
Using micro-influencers to promote your med spa
Working with influencers increases your brand's visibility while providing you with public endorsements that build trust, which is key when launching a new business.
Micro-influencers (or influencers with a follower count between 10-50K) tend to be more accessible and affordable, which is important when you're first starting. Not to mention that they project a more authentic image than big mega-influencers.
Selecting your micro-influencers:
We recommend seeking out people who live in your area and are not "professional" influencers. Consider people who fit into one of the following categories:
- Beauty and wellness professionals who have an engaged following: Hair stylists, nail artists, personal trainers, makeup artists, microblading, and lash artists. These people work in your industry and tend to interact with the same demographic you are targeting. Additionally, they spend a lot of time chatting with clients, giving them ample opportunity to plug you and your services.
- People who are plugged into the local scene or very into fashion and style: These micro-influencers may not be business owners themselves, but their profiles will indicate they have an apparent influence within the medical aesthetics or fashion spaces and are well-connected within your local community.
How to find micro-influencers for your med spa
- Start by browsing your follower list for people who are already interested in your services
- Search by geotags for photos taken in your neighborhood
- Research hashtags like #[your neighborhood]hair or #[your neighborhood]fashion
- Ask friends and family who they're following that might be an excellent fit
Benefits of enlisting micro-influencers to promote your med spa
Better engagement: while micro-influencers may have fewer followers, a larger percentage of their followers engage with their content than a bigger influencer, meaning you'd get more focused eyes on you and your business.
More availability: micro-influencers are easier to get ahold of and more likely to post (possibly in exchange for treatment) versus a more prominent influencer, making them an ideal choice for your new med spa.
Summary
The right social media strategy can help you get your business off the ground, promote your services, and generate new clientele. Working with micro-influencers will help you network within your community while providing valuable social proof about your services' value, helping you build trust with your followers.
Social media can help you build your brand and show off your skills, and the associated data and analytics can help you understand your audience. As you know your audience, you can use this info to both create tailored content for them and improve your overall service offerings.
For more tips on how to succeed in launching your med spa, contact our team at Moxie. We'd be happy to guide you through this process so you can get started in no time. Learn More About Moxie and How We Can Help You Open Your Own Med Spa >