Of all the factors that go into plastic surgery marketing success, though, brand development is most often overlooked. And it has tremendous power to differentiate you from the competition.
What is Brand Development for Plastic Surgeons?
Your brand is more than your logos, colors, and typeface. It’s the entire brand story around who you are, what you do, and why. It helps your future patients understand the values that drive you.
And values matter. When people can’t tell the difference between two businesses based on their price or features, they turn to values. Millennials, in particular, want brands that help them live their values. And with the eldest Millennials now facing 40, they will soon be your customers.
Brand development is a comprehensive process. It means finding ways to express your unique personality with creative visual, design, and content choices that are truly your own. When your brand captures your essence, you offer value not just as a transaction, but as an experience.
Your brand is how you stand apart from your peers. That’s crucial in crowded markets.
Why Does A Strong Plastic Surgeon Brand Matter?
A good brand does many things. For plastic surgeons, two are critical:
- It positions you to ask a premium price for superior services
- It enables you to build trust and lasting patient relationships
Many first-time patients are stressed about the decision to see a plastic surgeon. They wonder if it’s the right choice for them. They worry about their results and what others might think. To guide them through their concerns, they need to feel like they know you.
A clear, consistent, authoritative brand allows you to join that conversation with your leads. It runs through every piece of communication your practice posts: From emails to blog posts to video and beyond, a good brand is as reassuring as a face to face chat.
As plastic surgeons grow their business, repeat customers become crucial. Your brand will do a lot of the heavy lifting in cultivating those long-term relationships. Between visits to your office, your brand and its voice is what people will be immersed in.
It’s no replacement for you. But it can be the next best thing.
What Are the Crucial Elements of a Good Plastic Surgery Brand?
Breaking down a brand into its components is hard. Something essential – a spark – is bound to be lost. That’s because no matter how hard you strive to define your brand, there’s a social and collaborative element nobody can plan for. It’s like capturing lightning in a bottle.
Your brand is not only you and what you say. It’s also the sum total of all experiences people have had with you, everything that’s ever been said about you, and what people know about you. Everyone in an organization who interacts with the public contributes to its brand.
Still, we can distill it to a few essentials. Every great idea starts somewhere: When the New York Ave team sits down to discuss plastic surgeon branding with a client, we always consider these:
1. Your Story And Personal Journey
Who are you? What motivated you to get through four years of college, four years of med school, a residency, and more? At a time when many people feel disconnected from their healthcare providers, they yearn for a personal connection with their future plastic surgeon. Everything starts with your own story in your own words. Then, we help you polish the narrative.
2. Your Values
What gets you out of bed every day? Your story gives a hint to your values, but it’s always best to express them clearly. Being upfront with your values helps leads and customers to trust you. Values can also fuel creative thought in other areas of your business, like customer service. How are you living your values through the business you’ve created?
3. Your Promised Experience
When you think of a brand you truly love – not just one that “wants a relationship” with you – you don’t usually think in words. The emotions associated with a brand like Disney, Apple, or McDonald’s are immediate. Those strong emotional associations come from the core two or three things your brand strives to deliver in every interaction. What are they?
4. The Norms Of Your Industry
It’s as true in branding as in writing: You have to know the rules before you can break them. Luckily, our team has insight honed through years of crafting dozens of plastic surgery brands from the ground up. We put in overtime to learn important lessons from industry leaders and competitors, too. What works for others may work for you – with your own spin, of course.
5. Your Website Design
Most of your future patients will find you online. For them, your website is your brand, at least until they get to know you. New York Ave brings unparalleled expertise to communicating your brand with a convenient, yet compelling website. Yes, this is where logos, colors, and typeface come in: But those little details make a difference within a singular, sophisticated package.
6. Your Other Marketing Collateral
At New York Ave, we love websites. We want to help our clients love them, too. But that doesn’t mean your plastic surgery website does all the work. From digital advertising on search and social media to your good old-fashioned business card, your brand suffuses everything. We help your orchestrate it and ensure everything is on key.
A well-crafted brand speaks volumes about your business. We can help you find your brand’s unique voice. It’s worthwhile, effective … and yes, it can even be fun. To find out more or get started, contact New York Ave today.
