less trustingSure, marketing generates a lot of customers. But that’s only one part of the equation.
It is equally important to keep those customers.
Why?
The short answer is they generate more profit and are more loyal.
Repeat customers spend 67% more than new ones. They also will refer more customers and bring in more business.
Ultimately, there are a lot of marketing options out there, but not all are designed in a way that makes them likely to become repeat customers. The ones on this list, however, are.
1. Start a Referral Program
If you want to simultaneously generate new customers and go on to keep them, you need to start a referral program today.
In simplest terms, referral marketing, also called word-of-mouth marketing, is all about incentivizing customers to refer your product or service to others.
Referral marketing has been responsible for building some of the biggest companies out there today, with one of the most well-known examples being Dropbox.
Today, 35% of all of Dropbox’s signups come from referrals. At the time of this writing, Dropbox is valued at over 10 billion.
But, why is referral marketing better than other types of marketing when it comes to creating loyal customers?
Referred customers generate more profit and are simply more loyal. According to the Wharton School of Business, referred customers are 18% less likely to churn than other customers (their lifetime value is also 16% higher than that of other customers as well).
The reason that referral marketing is powerful because it is based on opinions of family and friends, who people trust most. Referral marketing is also very targeted.
The reality is that people are becoming less and less trusting of traditional forms of advertising and marketing.
When it comes to keeping customers, referral marketing is one of the most effective options for this precise reason.
Many businesses think that if they provide great customer service, their customers will naturally tell others about it. But, the results show that while 83% of people are happy to provide referrals, only about 29% of people actually do. This comes straight from a Texas Tech University study.
2. ‘How To’ Content
Any marketer out there will tell you that content marketing is an essential marketing strategy for any business looking to bring in new leads.
What many of them overlook is content marketing’s ability to generate loyal customers if done right.
If you not only want to bring in new business but also retain those customers, you need to create content that targets those at different stages of the buyer journey.
Your content marketing strategy shouldn’t just be used as a channel to generate brand awareness; your content should also target your existing clients as well, therein creating loyalty.
One way to do this is by creating ‘how to’ content. A great example of a company doing just this is outdoor-gear retailer REI, who has an entire library of how-to content available.
For medical spas, this can be done on your blog, certainly, but another great option is to do video marketing. YouTube, for example, is the second biggest search engine in the world.
3. Get Schedule Software
If the investment in schedule software is what’s holding you back, don’t let it. Some of the best schedule software out there is entirely free. That’s right.
Now, here’s why schedule software is critical for your medical spa. Not only does it keep your spa open 24/7, but it also connects you to things like Reserve with Google, which is the equivalent of putting your business on Hotels.com.
Keep in mind that not all schedule software out there has partnered with Google to offer Reserve with Google, so ensure that your choice of software offers it.
If you’re a Yocale user, the ‘Book Online’ button will have already been added to your Google My Business listing, but if you’re not a Yocale user, you can sign up for free.
The best schedule software out there will also come with a client management system, which allows businesses to keep track of personalized details, such as their favourite essential oils, their particular skin problems and other relevant information.
When you combine the fact that schedule software rapidly increases online appointment bookings but also has features in place to keep those very customers coming back, it is clear that schedule software needs to be in your marketing strategy.
Remember: today’s’ customers want personalized service. This is how businesses can set themselves apart.
The Bottom Line
Small businesses shouldn’t waste their time with just any type of marketing strategy; with limited resources, they need to invest in the marketing strategies that not only generate more clients but are also designed to keep those same clients at the same time.
For medical spas, three great options include referral programs, how-to content and getting schedule software.
Do you have any other marketing ideas for medical spas? Let us know.
You might also be interested in our other blog posts about medical spa marketing ideas:
- Medical Spa Marketing to Boost Your Profits
- 3 Wellness and Laser Clinic Marketing Strategies You Can Offer Today
- 3 Tips for Starting and Running a Thriving Medical Spa Business
Yocale is a leading schedule software on the market today. The best part? It’s free and super easy to set up. We also offer a free suite of business management and marketing tools. You can book a free demo here. For more information, click here.
We also blog about digital marketing tips and tricks (and more medical spa marketing tips) on the Yocale blog every single week-day.