Ask Alex

“How do I effectively and tactfully promote menopause services?”

Awareness of the menopause and perimenopause is growing. Previously dismissed as ‘women’s troubles’ and one of the last standing taboo topics in medicine and culture, conversation around this time in a woman’s life is now becoming more open.

In medical aesthetics, practitioners are privileged in helping women with their concerns. However, as the menopause can affect mental as well as physical health, those experiencing the menopause are in a vulnerable position. With trends comes misinformation and harmful marketing aimed at exploiting people and parting them with their cash. ‘Capitalism has plans for menopause’ is the title of a 2023 article in The Atlantic, outlining fears. This is why you need to tactfully and ethically promote services, with the right messaging.

TAKE A STAND

You also need to take a stand against dodgy, un-researched treatments and supplements that are shilled to women at what can be a confusing time of their lives.

You probably already offer treatments for the skin, face and body which will alleviate some of the peri- or menopause symptoms. Promoting them ethically starts with how you frame, package and market them effectively. Explore your treatment menu and match concerns to your existing offering (the Aesthetic Consultant, Vanessa Bird, wrote a great piece on this in Consulting Room Q3 2022). Once you’ve framed your services, it will be easier to build marketing messaging and campaigns around them.

SELF REFERRAL

According to the Menopause in Aesthetics 2024 Trends Report, self-referral to practitioners is becoming increasingly popular, as women continue to educate themselves on their symptoms and the treatments which can help to alleviate them. This means that aesthetic practitioners need to be visible when they search for such treatments online, using Search Engine Optimisation. Your Google strategy should include encouraging patients who are willing to leave you a Google review to do so, mentioning that they came to you with menopausal symptoms.

Building out a menopause section on your website, and detailing the different concerns and treatments you offer, is essential. Your website should be a resource centre for patient information and education.

I always suggest putting the patient at the centre of marketing, whatever content you’re producing, allowing them to share their experiences. This could be in written or video format and shared across websites and your social media channels. Menopause is very personal to each patient, but the solidarity that comes from seeing other women’s experiences is empowering.

Never drive to sell a particular treatment to these vulnerable patients - drive enquiries to a consultation, where you can use your expertise to recommend a course of action. What works for one patient won’t necessarily work for another.

EARLY MENOPAUSE

It’s worth noting that perimenopause and menopause don’t just happen to people who are 50+. Early menopause patients are especially vulnerable. What does this mean? You shouldn’t commit all your marketing efforts to Facebook, SEO and email. You should also consider using video marketing in short and long formats (Reels, TikTok, YouTube), and it should become a regular pillar of your social content. Again, education should be the cornerstone of any content creation.

IN-CLINIC MESSAGING

In-clinic messaging should also be considered. Print material in waiting areas might catch the eye of patients who may be otherwise too embarrassed to enquire about these services. If you expand your services, ensure you inform your existing patient base and don’t discriminate by age. You never know who’s looking to read some information and share it with friends or family. You can even give them the choice to discuss this in privacy with you when offering a consultation for another treatment.

It’s worth noting that, if you start offering menopause clinics where you offer hormone replacement therapies, you are subject to the same regulations around advertising as you are with other prescription-only medicines. The ASA is continuing to enforce action on clinics breaking the rules put in place to protect patients.

Ultimately, ethically marketing your menopause treatments requires putting the evidence-based treatments that you offer in a new light, linked to the patient, who we always put at the centre of the marketing. Social proof, such as reviews and case studies invokes a feeling which is better than hard selling treatments to vulnerable patients. Marketing menopause services should be approached as any other treatment, with a blend of digital and traditional marketing platforms and a joined-up strategy.

ALEX BUGG

Alex Bugg works for Web Marketing Clinic, a family-run digital agency, which specialises in medical aesthetics. The business builds websites and delivers marketing campaigns for doctors, nurses, dentists, distributors and brands. Contact her at: alex@webmarketingclinic.co.uk or follow her on Instagram: @webmarketingclinic