Patient testimonials, third-party reviews and endorsements, media coverage these can all differentiate your medical spa, plastic surgery, or cosmetic dermatology practice and convince potential patients to give your clinic a shot.

Medical spa marketing along with search engine optimization (SEO), pay per click (ppc) and even select direct mail can put your cosmetic practice in front of more potential patients, but real patient testimonials can provide the base level of ‘trust’ that initiates a first phone call.

The three types of third party validation for medical spas, plastic surgeons, and cosmetic dermatologists:

Existing Real Patient Testimonials: (You’ve seen this if you’re not already doing it.) Prominent display of your patients saying nice things about you. Most of these are either not real, or they’re anonymous, diminishing their effectiveness.

Trust Through Association: The reason that you’ll put your FACS, ASAPS, AAD, or ASDS logo on your site is to build patient trust. It works. Of course, these associations are completely restricted and very protective of their turf, leading to less restrictive medical associations who want to gain credibility. The reason MAPA was formed was to add some legitimacy to a group of non-core physicians. These associations are always pay to play.

Third Party Endorsements and Validations: Botox ‘premier providers’ is an example of third party endorsement as are others that are run by medical service companies. (If Medical Spa MD links to your site it’s a third party endorsement.) Interestingly, third party endorsements actually have a more favorable impact than association endorsements since the third party is often more ‘relevant’ to the initiation of a financial transaction.

When you receive these kinds of accolades or promotions from prominent third-party players, it validates what you’re doing and provides the potential patient you’re marketing to a level of instant comfort that you’ve already been checked out and are the ‘real deal’.

Changes in the way you’re utilizing patient testimonials and third party endorsements can produce dramatic effects for your medical spa or cosmetic practice, over time, especially online where the vast majority of patients are searching for information before first contacting you.

Medical Spa MD: Quick strategies for piling up and using patient endorsements

Seek out the places your patients are, starting with your existing medical spa or cosmetic practice. Smart thinking with your marketing tactics can reach far out into the community and gain the endorsements of prominent businesses and individuals.

Identify and select third-party recognition programs from high profile physician-respected sites like MedicalSpaMD.com or medical associations you may qualify to join

Create good write-ups to be used at any time: Uncover the ways you need to build these kinds of marketing materials so that you can use them on your own site and turn them into patient traffic.

Create ready-made strong cosmetic medical and human interest content with strong visuals: Everyone loves photos. If your Thermage or breast augmentation before and after pictures look amateurish, you’re losing both traffic and potential paying patients. Learn how to upgrade your photos and make them consistent and attractive.

Make sure patient testimonials receive prominent placement: Have your patients smiling photo, real name, and a stellar testimonial. Beg, borrow or steal to get these. (Many patients won’t want to be identified but some won’t care. These are NOT in the before and after section.) Learn how to get patient testimonials that are truthful, candid, and impressive.

Testimonials produce long-lasting, latent patient traffic increases, not temporary spikes: Effective third party endorsements and real patient testimonials work and drive patient flow, but not overnight.

If you’re practice is not using real patient testimonials and prominent third party endorsements to drive patient flow, start, your medial spa, cosmetic dermatology clinic, or plastic surgery practice will benefit.

Download your Free Report on Marketing Real Patient Testimonials For Cosmetic Dermatologists at Medical Spa MD a growing association forum of Plastic Surgeons, Dermatologists and Aesthetic Physicians with more than 2,000 Physician Members worldwide.

Tags: Cosmetic Dermatologists, marketing, Medical Marketing, Medical Spa Marketing, medical spas, Medicine, plastic surgeons, sales, seo