Social Media Tips and Best Practices for Med Spas

Do you own a medical spa? Besides just offering great services and products, you’ll also need to market it. Social media is a free way to reach your target audience, both to acquire new clients and keep existing clients engaged.

Most businesses these days utilize at least one of these social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram, and to a lesser extent, TikTok, Snapchat and Pinterest. As these social media platforms are visually-oriented, they are especially effective for med spas to display before/after photos and showcase treatment results. Therefore, applying social media marketing best practices could help you reach your marketing goals and put your med spa on the map.

However, it is not enough to post a video or an image and call it a day. You have to put in the work and build a social media presence for your business. We have gathered the best social media tips and practices for each social media platform. So let’s begin!  

Social Media Marketing on Facebook

Although some people might consider Facebook to be ”outdated” compared to the increasingly more popular channels such as Instagram and TikTok, it would be a mistake to ignore the power of Facebook for social media marketing. The user base for Facebook skews older than the other platforms, so if this fits your client profile, you should definitely promote on Facebook. Even if you have a younger audience overall, Facebook has more users than the other social media platforms and owns Instagram, allowing you to easily post on Facebook and Instagram at the same time. Here are some best practices and tips to help you master Facebook marketing:

Optimize your Facebook business page

Every med spa needs a Facebook business page. This feature has evolved over the years, and now you can create a place that allows you to connect with your customers, both current and new.

Facebook enables you to create different sections on the page, so use them to introduce your med spa services, events, and promotions to your followers. The top buttons will make the page look neat and organized, which can help when a potential customer is learning about your business. Remember not to rush this process and add as much social media content as possible.

At the bare minimum, make sure to complete the “About” section of your business, letting customers know your address, website, and hours.

Here is an example of Cherry’s Facebook page. See the various tabs and the “About” section.

Quality is everything

Content is crucial regardless of the social media platform you use. For instance, you can share images of your med spa and treatment results, introduce yourself and the team, post updates, announce special offers and promos, share links to blog posts, and so on. Even if you don’t have original content, find it elsewhere and repost it (be sure to credit!). Also look at what other med spas are posting for ideas.

The trick is to learn what type of content is the most engaging. Facebook users will likely spend more time on a social media post featuring images than just a plain wall of text. Make sure the photos are high quality and promote the specialties of your practice. Visually tell users why they should come to you. Posting video content is even better, with short-form video (2 min or less) being more effective than long-form.

Try to post at least once every 1 – 2 days. You can set up Facebook posts in advance using Facebook’s native scheduler.

Try Facebook Ads

If you want to reach more people and tell them about your med spa, harvest the power of Facebook Ads. But before you invest in an ad, keep posting quality content and updating the business page regularly. Keep in mind that Facebook Ads could be overwhelming because of the number of options, especially if you haven’t used this feature before.

So start small, such as spending $10 – 30 a day to boost a post on your Facebook page that’s already getting a lot of ”likes” and ”shares”. Then you can experiment with more sophisticated ad formats and even create ads from scratch. Facebook Ads can target a specific demographic of your choice and help you optimize for your campaign goals, such as getting more website visits, leads, sales, etc.

Example of a Cherry Facebook ad:

Use other available tools

Facebook offers a plethora of resources and products to help businesses promote themselves. As soon as you grasp all the features on the business page, you can start exploring other options for even better engagement.

You could create a Facebook group for anyone interested in your med spa. Here you can share special offers and discounts that are just for the members of the group. It is an easy way to build a relationship with your customers, increase loyalty and retention, and create brand awareness.

Then there is the chatbot. Customers will have plenty of questions about the available treatments, products you use, and more. But you can’t be online all the time, can you? Therefore, Facebook created chatbots that deliver automated responses to direct messages. You will have to set it up first, but once you do, the chatbot will be there for your customers 24/7.

Social Media Marketing on Instagram

Instagram is a visual social media platform, so to stand out in the feed, your content needs to be eye-catching. Instagram’s audience skews younger than Facebook; the platform allows images, videos, and videos that disappear after 24 hours (called Instagram Stories). Here is how to get started on Instagram:

Create a professional-looking profile

Instagram might offer fewer options than Facebook in terms of customizing your profile, but the available tools are exceptional. Once you create a profile, you should introduce your med spa in 150 characters. That may seem difficult, but focus on the essential things. And don’t forget to add keywords and hashtags to help users discover your page.

Switch to a business profile and add a category in your bio. Your potential customers should be able to reach you quickly, so include your email address, business location, phone number, and website.

Chances are you might be using multiple social media networks to grow your business, and it is sometimes beneficial to share them all. Although Instagram only allows you to post one link in your bio, tools like Linktree enables you to create a single page (and therefore a single URL) that lists all of your other URLs. Use this page to share your social media profiles, links to important blog posts, and your official website.

Click on the link in Cherry‘s Instagram bio to see how a Linktree setup looks like.

User-generated content

Do you want to pique someone’s interest in your med spa? Then user-generated content is the solution. We all like to see before and after photos of happy clients. So why not share those images on your Instagram page? Of course, don’t forget to ask your clients for their consent before posting their photos. Furthermore, you can always create a custom hashtag for your business and encourage your patients to use it.

If clients share images and videos of your med spa, ask them to tag you. You will get an alert in your inbox and can use those same images for Instagram Stories, resulting in an even higher engagement rate. Last but not least, post reviews and testimonials by your customers. You can use custom templates that match your brand colors.

Be active

Since Instagram is about building a community, remember to keep your profile updated. Come up with a content calendar and stick to it. While Instagram Stories are still relevant, the platform is currently promoting Reels. These are short, TikTok-like videos that can increase your page views. It would be best to post at least three reels a week, so include them in your marketing strategy.

Another helpful tip is to reply to comments and direct messages. Use a friendly tone and answer all questions politely. You can even react to the content your followers are posting. It will build interest and appreciation, which could bring more people to your page and, ultimately, to your med spa.

Use your brand look and feel

Having a consistent and aesthetically pleasing Instagram page helps you look professional and legitimate. It’s highly recommended to use your logo as your profile picture. When posting images, try to make them clear and bright. Besides Instagram’s native filters and editing tools, you can also use free third party photo editing apps such as Lightroom or Canva.

Even though Instagram is a visual social platform, you can’t forget about captions. They could be lengthy (2,2000 character limit), but only the first two lines will be visible in the feed right away. Tell your viewers everything they need to know about the post upfront so they would tap on ‘more’ and continue reading the caption. Consider including hashtags in the caption itself too.

Social Media Marketing on TikTok

TikTok is not for pre-teens doing dance challenges anymore. Now, it is an increasingly relevant social media platform that can make a small business go viral overnight. Following the TikTok trends can boost your metrics when promoting your med spa. The casual nature of this platform also allows you to show your personality and quirkiness. So let’s dive into the fun world of TikTok:

Master the content game

TikTok as a platform might seem intimidating due to its video nature and popularity among younger users. As of April 2022, about 30% of TikTok users in the U.S. are between the ages of 20 – 29, and 16% between 30 – 39. As a med spa, you may want to use TikTok to feature services that are more popular for younger clients, or just to build brand awareness so that they think of you when they’re ready to have their first med spa treatment.

If you’re unfamiliar with TikTok, the first thing you should is download the app and see what other people are posting, before creating an official social media account for your med spa.

Look at the videos that are trending at the moment. Which songs are used in them? How about filters? You could also check out other med spas on TikTok and see what they are posting. It is perfectly okay to find inspiration that way because it will give you more original ideas for your social media channels. See what type of med spa videos have the most views and create a content calendar using that information.

Structure your videos

Even though there is no guaranteed formula for TikTok success (the algorithm is still a mystery), you should continue making video content regularly. That is the best way to reach the For You page and help viewers discover you. But first, you should master the video format. As you might have guessed, TikTok videos should be vertical. High resolution is desirable but not necessary.

Aim to deliver the content and grab your viewer’s attention simultaneously. While TikTok does allow longer videos up to 3 minutes now, it’s better to post clips no longer than 30 seconds. However, if you are creating educational content, try to stay under 2 minutes. Be sure to have a call-to-action at the end if your goal is to have your viewer do something (like go to your website).

Be relatable

TikTok users love genuine brands and businesses that are not constantly pushing their products or services. So explore the latest trends and participate in them with your team. These could be dance routines, lip-syncing, or anything viral at the moment. Take your followers behind the scenes and introduce them to your med spa in a fun way.

Since Gen Z is the majority on TikTok, consider posting informational content in an entertaining way. Hacks are super popular on this platform, and you can give your spin on it. As a med spa, you could provide tips on skin care, debunk cosmetic beauty myths, show how treatments work, etc. The choices are endless, and these types of videos are often liked and shared on this platform.

Collaborate with influencers

Influencers are the trendsetters of TikTok, so partnering with them could do wonders for your business. Even if they only mention your med spa or the services you offer, your profile can grow overnight. But picking the right people to collaborate with could be challenging. You will need a budget for influencer collaborations, so be ready for that.

If you are just starting and want a more local reach, find micro-influencers from your area. They have less than 10K followers, but associating with them is beneficial because their audience is usually very loyal and genuinely interested in the recommendations. Find at least ten influencers that could promote your med spa, send them a direct message with all the necessary information about the med spa, and ask them about the rate.

Summary

Creating a social media presence takes time and effort, but this is arguably the best way to attract new clients for free and keep your existing clients engaged. Regardless of which social media platform you choose, remember that posting quality content frequently and providing basic information about your business in the profile are fundamental to success. To summarize social media best practices:

• In your profile, provide your website and contact information
• Use your logo as your profile image
• Post once every 1 – 2 days. If you can‘t, then try to aim for once a week.
• Use Facebook‘s native scheduler to save yourself time and schedule your Facebook and Instagram posts in advance.
• Upload clear, bright images
• Convey through images and videos what services you offer and why people should go to you. Content ideas include customer testimonials, before/after photos, behind-the-scenes procedures, etc. Show why you’re the expert in your field!

Did you know? Cherry offers free social media templates and web implementation help for our merchant partners. Learn more below!