It is a PERCEIVED fear of loss (scarcity) that businesses implement as a tactic to get us to make a purchase decision. And it works wonderfully well!
However, in the business of aesthetics, your marketing must not encourage consumers to fast-track that decision process. Patients and prospective patients must be given enough time and information before they decide whether to have a cosmetic intervention, however minor.
The existence of cooling-off periods, long lead times between purchase and treatment or long periods of offer validity after purchase do not absolve you of the requirement to make sure the initial marketing is responsible and ethical. Particular care needs to be taken when offering discounts for packages, procedures or incentives for e.g. referring a friend.
The solution?
1. Only make time limited offers, not quantity limited
2. Plan your marketing campaigns carefully, to allow sufficient decision time. For example:
Week 1: Campaign goes live. Make sure your adverts clearly specify the date and time when the offer will end (e.g. week 12). Make sure all your advertising is direct response, in other words they have a clear call to action (e.g. “quote promo code…” or “enter your name and e-mail address to receive further information”)
Week 4: Cease all advertising. Send all respondents (e.g. by e-mail) further educational content about the product, package or treatment on offer.
Week 5: Send all respondents (e.g. by e-mail) further educational content about the product, package or treatment on offer. Vary the format by using videos as well as static content.
Week 6: Send all respondents (e.g. by e-mail) further educational content about the product, package or treatment on offer. Remind them about the validity of the offer, and inform them that is the last communication they will receive about the offer.
DO NOT SEND ANY FURTHER REMINDERS OR CALLS TO ACTION!
Week 12: Inform all respondents that the offer has now expired.
This blog is the final installment of an exclusive series called ‘6 Ways to Ethically Influence Your Patients’. Click on the button below to read part one…