Many plastic surgeons have to compete with their peers directly. With more clients turning to the internet, it's less likely that print and traditional ads would attract customers the same way they did in the past.
Dr. Jonathan Kaplan
Plastic surgery doesn't get as much coverage as it should. Americans have already accepted that they can change the way they look on demand, and many of them have opted to do so. EurekAlert mentions that over 17 million plastic surgery procedures were done in 2018 within the US. With such a large and ready market, it might seem as though plastic surgeons don't have to advertise a lot to get clients.
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However, the field is competitive because of the potential clientele. Many plastic surgeons have to compete with their peers directly. With more clients turning to the internet, it's less likely that print and traditional ads would attract customers the same way they did in the past.
The Internet May Prove a Savior
Dr. Jonathan Kaplan is one of the early adopters of internet marketing, much to his success. Initially based in Louisiana, the doctor moved to San Francisco in 2013 and invested heavily in SEO for his private practice. He also spent a lot of time working on his own Instagram profile, allowing him to show off his procedures in real-time on social media. Cosmetic surgery focuses heavily on looks, and using this knowledge, Dr. Kaplan leveraged a social media platform that thrives on images and selfies. The result is that his practice took off in a way he never even expected.
Dr. Jonathan Kaplan's SEO strategy revolves around using the name of his practice to drive traffic. He renamed his practice to take into account the area in which he operates. The doctor realized that local SEO would significantly impact business marketing online, and he wasn't wrong; Kelly Shelton of Forbes mentions that SEO (local SEO, specifically) is a necessity for small businesses. Through his organic SEO content, he was able to bring people to his practice that otherwise wouldn't have known he existed. However, he still had the problem of keeping those clients once they visited.
A Better System for Customer Relationship Management
Dr. Kaplan started working on a new project that he hoped would help him attract and keep clients. He already knew that AI chatbots were popular in several other industries, and he wanted to bring this innovation to the plastic surgery industry. He also wanted to build customers’ trust in his practice and realized the best way to do so would be through price transparency. The result is a system Dr. Kaplan calls BuildMyBod Health. This software suite hopes to offer plastic surgeons everything they need to develop and maintain customer relationships.
A Powerful Tool if Used Correctly
Dr. Jonathan Kaplan's success is a testament to how powerful the internet can be for small and medium enterprises. These practices don't have thousands of dollars to spend on widespread marketing campaigns, but they can invest their time and effort. Instagram and other social media pages require constant contact and interaction with the client base. SEO demands content to be posted and refreshed every so often. Even so, it's far more effective than sitting and waiting for someone to realize your practice exists.