How Plastic Surgeons Should Approach Facebook Marketing

Facebook is the number one social media platform used by plastic surgeons. For plastic surgeons, Facebook marketing brings numerous benefits. Read on to learn why plastic surgeons need to advertise their practice on Facebook, and the specific approaches you should use to get the most new plastic surgery patients using this social media platform.

Plastic Surgery Facebook Marketing Benefits

According to this 2015 study published in the medical journal “Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery,” the majority of plastic surgeons polled said their Facebook presence had a positive or very positive impact on their business.

Plastic surgeons reported that the main advantages of Facebook included:

Indeed, Facebook marketing helps plastic surgeons communicate positive information about their brand and increase their online exposure. As follows is the four-pronged approach plastic surgeons should use to achieve their Facebook marketing goals.

1. Turn your Facebook into a review portal

Online reviews are a major driver of business for plastic surgeons, and you should approach Facebook as a place to generate and share reviews for your plastic surgery practice. Consider the following statistics, from our blog post Online Marketing for Plastic Surgeons: 5 Reasons Why You Need It:

2. Communicate with content

Potential plastic surgery patients are researching surgeons and procedures online, and Facebook is the perfect place for plastic surgeons to share the content these prospects are looking for. Facebook content marketing communicates information about your procedures and business so patients can “get to know you” online.

Here are some examples of Facebook content marketing ideas for plastic surgeons:

Videos and reviews are two key things to include on your plastic surgery Facebook page.

A good example of content marketing for plastic surgeons is Dr. David B. Reath, who wrote an eBook called “A Girlfriend’s Guide to Breast Augmentation,” which users can download for free and read on their iPad or other device, in exchange for entering their email address. When you produce intriguing, useful content like this and promote it on Facebook, you not only communicate with users on social media, but you also get prospects to visit your website and provide their contact information.

3. Target plastic surgery patients with Facebook ads

Facebook ads are another way that plastic surgeons can use Facebook to get new patients. Unlike Google Ads, Facebook ads let you include images to capture users’ attention. These ads are also highly targeted, which means they will appear on the newsfeed of people likely to be interested in your services.

Facebook ads offer visual appeal and options to target a particular type of user.

Be sure to follow Facebook Health and Fitness Ad guidelines so that your Facebook plastic surgery ad is not rejected.

4. Track your metrics

Facebook marketing is great and all, but if you don’t approach it strategically, you won’t be able to make the most of it, or even figure out what kind of returns you’re getting from your Facebook campaign. According to the above-mentioned “Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery” study, many plastic surgeons who use Facebook fail to track key metrics like site hits, new referrals, or conversion-to-surgery rates for Facebook marketing.

It’s important for plastic surgeons to follow the direct impact of Facebook on their practices so you can see what’s working and what’s not, and then revise your strategy accordingly. So much of online marketing is trial by error, and if you don’t monitor your stats, you may end up with more errors than new patients.

Part III of our post on how to convert Facebook “likes” into new patients talks more about how doctors can analyze the success of their Facebook marketing campaign and the important Facebook Analytics to pay attention to.

Conclusion — Don’t Neglect Facebook Marketing for Plastic Surgeons

Facebook is an essential tool for online plastic surgery marketing but you can’t just approach it willy-nilly. Plastic surgeons need to take the time to adjust and perfect their Facebook marketing approach in order to make it work. If you need further help with your online marketing strategy, go ahead and schedule a consultation and we'll discuss what you're doing now and how it can be improved.