Maximising lead generation campaigns

Gilly Dickons and Richard Gibbons explain why it’s all about process

In the rapidly expanding and competitive field of aesthetics, clinics often find themselves working harder than ever to attract and retain clients. At the core of this challenge lies the crucial balance between generating high-quality leads and converting them effectively. While acquiring new leads is fundamental to potential growth, converting these opportunities into tangible results through appointments is equally essential.

To excel in today’s market, where competing clinics are implementing similar strategies, it’s imperative to have a comprehensive approach from the outset. Both lead generation and conversion processes must seamlessly integrate to ensure success. Simply generating leads without a robust conversion strategy can result in missed opportunities and wasted resources. Conversely, effective conversion efforts rely on a consistent influx of well-targeted leads.

That’s why working with specialists who understand both sides of this equation is so valuable. Boost My Customers, who co-wrote this article alongside Aesthetic Response, brings focused expertise in paid lead generation for aesthetic clinics – ensuring campaigns don’t just deliver leads, but the right kind of patients for clinics.

INFORMATION GAPS AND RECOMMENDATIONS:

1. Start by teaching, not selling

Most people scrolling through Facebook don’t wake up thinking, “I want to buy a skin treatment today.” But they might be thinking about how tired they look, or how their skin has changed recently, or how they don’t feel quite like themselves anymore.

That’s your starting point. Use your ad space to answer the questions they haven’t asked out loud yet:

• Who is this treatment right for?

• What kind of changes can they expect?

• What will it feel like?

• Will it look natural?

By giving them helpful, honest information, you’re already building trust. You’re also setting your clinic apart from all the others that just shout “50% OFF” without saying what it actually does.

2. Don’t just sell the treatment – show the result

People don’t book a treatment because of the brand of filler or the laser settings. They book because they want to feel more confident in their own skin. That’s the message that needs to come across in your ads and landing pages.

Ask yourself: what does this treatment actually do for someone?

• Makes them look fresher?

• Helps with breakouts?

• Balances facial features?

• Boosts confidence in photos? Speak to that. Be specific, be honest, and don’t try to sell everything at once. Pick one treatment, show the transformation it offers, and focus the message around that outcome.

Real images of your team or actual results (with consent) go a long way. Stock photos don’t create the same connection.

3. Help people qualify themselves

Not every lead is a good lead – and that’s okay. You want to attract the ones who are a good fit, not waste time chasing the rest. Here’s how to help filter them before they even get in touch:

• Use clear language that signals commitment, like “Ready to get started?” instead of “Learn more”

• Mention a ballpark price range or let them know that payment plans are available

• Keep your enquiry form simple but intentional. A question like, “Are you looking to book in the next few weeks?” can give you a sense of how serious they are.

It’s better to get 10 good leads than 100 who never reply to your messages.

4. Keep it consistent after they enquire

The tone of your ad and landing page shouldn’t stop once they fill in the form. Whether your own team follows up or a service like Aesthetic Response does it for you, the next step is still about helping, not pushing.

Ask what they’re hoping to achieve. Share a bit about the process. Reassure them if they’re unsure. The goal is to continue building trust so they feel confident booking in.

5. Trained staff offering a professional response

Enquiries need handling with care. From answering questions about treatments and pricing to addressing potential concerns, the response should go beyond merely providing information. It’s necessary to create trust, address doubts, and make callers feel valued - all of which contribute to successful conversions.

When it comes to lead generation campaigns, quick response times and expert communication are key, ensuring that no lead is left unattended – the aim should be to get to a new lead within 10 minutes during business hours, and as soon as possible for leads that come in outside of opening times. Ask yourself, do you confidently have this covered?

Further to this it’s essential to implement consistent follow-up strategies, ensuring that the most is made of every campaign. A single attempt to reach a lead often fails to net a result - persistence is key. We advocate for three call attempts and text / WhatsApp follow ups to maximise contact opportunities.

Even with a consistent, planned approach our combined, extensive experience in both lead generation and response across many leads and enquiries shows that almost 48% of leads are not contactable. This is across leads from social media campaigns and online enquiries.

The ability to nurture relationships and maintain meaningful interactions is key to bridging the gap between enquiry and commitment – once contact is made the next step of the journey begins, hopefully resulting in a new client booking. Again, sharing our experience we would expect conversions of good quality leads and online enquiries where contact is made to sit at around 37-40%.

Actionable insights: To achieve sustainable growth, assess your current lead generation and conversion strategies. Here are some tips to help optimise your approach:

1. Evaluate lead quality: Not all leads are genuinely good quality. Focus on attracting individuals who are genuinely interested and aligned with your services.

2. Invest in training: Ensure that your team is well-versed in your clinic’s offerings and equipped with excellent customer service skills. If you want to further help in this area Aesthetic Response offer an online Front-Of-House training course.

3. Partner with specialists: Consider collaborating with reputable marketing and lead generation companies, ensuring they have a proven track record in this sector! If you don’t have the right staffing support look for a virtual service that offers experience in aesthetics, who can help to support your call, lead and enquiry response.

4. Track metrics: It’s vitally important to regularly analyse data related to enquiries, conversions, and marketing efforts to identify any gaps and improve efficiency, in turn leading to better outcomes.

5. Emphasise first impressions: Train your staff to create positive and lasting impressions during every interaction. If you are struggling to do this in house because of a lack of time or resources again look for virtual support or external training for your staff.

6. Implement a follow-up process: Ensure that no lead falls through the cracks by establishing a robust follow up system.

CONCLUSION

The relationship between lead generation and conversion is symbiotic. Don’t fall into the trap of excelling in one area while neglecting the other – it will simply lead to wasted resources, both in terms of the money invested and valuable staff time. By combining high-quality lead generation with proficiency in converting them, you can achieve sustainable growth and success. If you don’t have the means to do this in-house or are finding that what you are currently doing isn’t working, it’s maybe time to change your approach!

To thrive in today’s competitive aesthetics market, take a proactive approach to your enquiry, lead management processes. Partnering with specialists, such as Boost My Customers and Aesthetic Response, who understand the nuances of both lead generation and conversion can be the key to unlocking long-term success. Take the first step today by evaluating your clinic’s approach and identifying areas for improvement. With the right strategies in place, growth and success are within reach.