Med Spa CEO Podcast — Episode Summary

Podcast: Med Spa CEO
Host: Heather Terveen
Episode: 5 Marketing Non-Negotiables for Med Spas to Scale in 2026 (Without Chasing Trends)
Date: December 17, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Heather Terveen dives into the five essential, “non-negotiable” marketing channels and systems that every med spa and aesthetic practice owner needs in place to scale successfully in 2026—without falling into the trap of endlessly chasing new marketing trends. Heather’s approach centers on “trust stacking” and building an intentional marketing ecosystem that increases local visibility, attracts high-quality clients, and sets up your practice for sustained, profitable growth.

She emphasizes the importance of systematized marketing that brings in consistent demand and premium patients, so you can not only grow profits but also enjoy more control over your business and personal time. This episode is high-level; the next episode promises to break down actionable “marketing assets” within these five core areas.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Understanding the Modern Marketing Landscape (03:10–06:20)

• Trust Recession: Consumers are more discerning and savvy than ever. Simply relying on word-of-mouth or past strategies isn’t sufficient as competition and client expectations have evolved.

• "Trust stacking" is the antidote—deliberate, layered marketing elements that build credibility, authority, and patient confidence at every step.

  • “There is this trust recession that is happening where consumers and customers—this means your patients—are becoming a lot more savvy. They're becoming a lot more discerning.” (05:22)

2. The Five Non-Negotiable Marketing Ecosystem Channels

Heather’s “must-have” channels for 2026 are:

1. Paid Advertising (08:44–15:42)

• Vital for consistent visibility and demand.

• Local med spas must invest—even modestly—in paid ads (Meta/Facebook/Instagram, Google, YouTube, etc.).

• Paid ads make you “locally famous” by keeping your brand omnipresent to ideal clients.

• Campaigns always require ongoing experimentation and adaptation; don’t expect “set it and forget it.”

• Integrate Paid with a Strong Backend: Ads work best when paired with reliable backend systems that nurture leads and maximize ROI.

  • “Paid works if you work it, and it's incredibly confidence-building to know you have that coming in the background as well.” (15:31)

2. Organic Marketing Strategy (15:42–18:31)

• Choose 1–2 organic channels to master (e.g., Instagram, TikTok, PR, YouTube).

• Focus on where you and your team naturally like to create content and where your potential patients spend time.

• Organic content enhances paid efforts—many leads from ads will vet your brand organically before becoming clients.

• Don’t stretch yourself thin—better to “put your blinders on” and double down on what you do best.

  • “I really recommend not overextending yourself... Where can you show up consistently? Where do you and your team innately know how to show up?” (16:48)

3. Content Hub (18:33–22:20)

• Blogs, podcasts, or YouTube channels function as authority-building "home bases."

• Present yourself as an expert; develop a unique POV in the industry.

• Content hubs fuel SEO and can now even generate leads via AI tools like ChatGPT.

• Consistency trumps frequency: Even monthly content suffices if it's consistent.

  • “I would really challenge you to have a consistent—even if it's once a month—place that you are producing content of some kind... developing your authority, developing your expertise.” (19:01)
  • “Clients have told me they've found me through ChatGPT... That would not happen if I did not have a content hub happening in the background.” (20:58)

4. Internal Marketing (Email, SMS, Events) (22:22–25:38)

• Automated email/text remarketing, segmented by client stage and history, is the key to maximizing front-end investments.

• Internal marketing ensures you nurture relationships with existing clients, increasing retention and lifetime value.

• Backend automations work in the background to upsell and resell as clients move through your ecosystem.

  • “Those backend email sequences... are happening automated in the background for me, ensuring that every single person that I spend money on to opt in... maximizes automatically.” (23:03)

5. On-Demand Conversion Triggers (25:44–30:25)

• Micro-commitment assets like lead magnets, guides, DM automations, and premium consult scripts.

• These trust-building touchpoints move prospects seamlessly toward booking high-ticket services.

• Also includes in-person triggers like annual consults, ensuring continual engagement and preventing “leaky buckets” in your marketing.

  • “These are the trust building assets and intentional micro commitments... that actually helps folks get pre-sold into your stuff and have other ways to micro-commit into your world.” (25:49)
  • “The retention mechanism happening on the back—where everybody gets an annual consult every single year—that's mapping your marketing ecosystem to maximize any of your investment on the front end.” (28:55)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Commitment to Paid Ads:
  “You are never done figuring out meta advertising, my friend. It is like, Oh, last month was really good, this month took a dip. We gotta switch it up.” (14:30)

• On Organic Strategy Focus:
  “I have to put my blinders on sometimes and remember, okay, what is my focus organically for my organic strategy.” (17:27)

• On Content Hubs and AI:
  “Clients have told me they've found me through ChatGPT. They put in all these parameters, and ChatGPT spits out me... That would not happen if I did not have a content hub happening in the background.” (20:58)

• The Biggest Gap in Med Spa Marketing:
  “This is the part that most medspa and aesthetic practices skip. If you know anything about the authority funnel... I am really bullish on you having guides... designed to thread back to your signature offers.” (26:33)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Topic | Timestamp | |---------|-------|-----------| | 1 | What is “Trust Stacking” and Why it Matters | 03:00–06:20 | | 2 | Non-Negotiable #1: Paid Ads | 08:44–15:42 | | 3 | Non-Negotiable #2: Organic Strategy | 15:42–18:31 | | 4 | Non-Negotiable #3: Content Hub | 18:33–22:20 | | 5 | Non-Negotiable #4: Internal Marketing | 22:22–25:38 | | 6 | Non-Negotiable #5: On-Demand Conversion Triggers | 25:44–30:25 | | 7 | Recap and Next Episode Preview | 30:28–32:04 |

Heather’s Final Takeaway

To win and scale in the med spa industry in 2026, you need more than referrals, reputation, or one-off tactics. Intentional, layered marketing ecosystems—built on these five non-negotiables—are the new standard for creating both authority and demand. This approach, according to Heather, is your ticket to “rocket launch” growth, higher profits, and more freedom without the stress of constantly hustling for business.

“What this does at the same time is also help you build that engine that will help create that fame and visibility and authority that you want to have so that you can attract patients that are all in on your recommendations... and actually build the demand and the revenue that you want with these five non-negotiable channels, if you will.” (29:20)

Next Episode Preview:
Heather promises to break down the concrete “marketing assets” to build within these channels — going from high-level ecosystem to actionable steps for immediate implementation.

For More:
Tune in to the next episode for actionable details, and consider checking out “Ask Heather AI” for frameworks on messaging, consults, and signature offers tailored to med spa growth.