Med Spa Success Strategies Podcast
Episode: Quick Med Spa Marketing Wins for Growth in 2026
Host: Ricky Shockley
Guest/Co-host: Lauren
Date: December 29, 2025
Overview
This episode zeroes in on the highest-impact, quick-action marketing strategies med spa owners can implement to drive real growth as 2025 turns to 2026. Ricky and Lauren break down actionable “quick wins,” share insights on treating marketing as an investment rather than an expense, and revisit creative remarketing tactics to deepen existing relationships and bolster local market presence. Their advice is packed with practical examples and a direct, enthusiastic tone designed to spark momentum heading into the new year.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Quick Marketing Wins for Immediate Impact (00:00–22:29)
A. SMS/Text Blasts to Existing Clients (01:15)
- Action: Use SMS blasts to reach your existing client list with special promotions, focusing on popular or high-margin services (like neurotoxins).
- Effective Offers: Simple, direct savings work best—think "$2 off per unit of tox" or "Save $75 on your next treatment" rather than less relevant freebies.
- Add-On Caution: If you’re including a “plus” element (e.g., free service), ensure it’s genuinely desirable and relevant to the original offer.
- Quote (Lauren, 02:30): “Unless the freebie is something people really, really want... don’t. That’s a waste of your time. They want the deal on what they want, really.”
B. Surprise Boxes & In-Office Incentives (04:04)
- Idea: Offer clients a ‘surprise box’ with random prizes for scheduling services—ranging from product credits to high-value treatments.
- Quote (Lauren, 04:04): “Around the end of the year... people are loving just getting a little gift when they come in for that service.”
C. On-Page SEO: Easy Wins (05:57)
- Tactics:
- Update web page titles and headers to include “Service in City, State – Med Spa Name.”
- Create dedicated service pages (e.g., Botox, fillers, Sculptra) with embedded simple videos for authenticity and engagement.
- Clarify Calls-to-Action (CTAs): Go beyond ‘Schedule Now’—consider consult offers or virtual coupons, and use lead-capture forms for hesitant browsers.
- Quote (Lauren, 05:57): “Simply change your page titles to Botox in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, Botox in Raleigh, North Carolina... Super, super easy across the board.”
D. Retention Promotions and Client Segmentation (09:05)
- Strategy: Use EMR or practice management systems to segment and reach out to clients who haven’t visited recently with targeted, relevant offers.
- Examples: $100 off for filler clients absent 9+ months, “mini lip” promos, tailored weight loss program follow-ups.
- Quote (Lauren, 09:05): “You can always do list segments... offering specific promos to them through those tools as well.”
E. Relationship Building During Downtime (10:17)
- Task: Handwrite notes, call, or text top spenders or lapsed clients to check in, surprise, and delight, strengthening the ‘know, like, trust’ factor.
F. Educational Video Content for Trust & Differentiation (11:38)
- Tip: Use slow periods (e.g., holidays) to batch-record simple, educational, personality-driven videos with your phone (use a lapel mic for better audio).
- Show unique provider perspectives, treatment walkthroughs, or before/after cases.
- Uniqueness and authenticity trump generic explanations.
- Quote (Ricky, 12:39): “Don’t be afraid to give your unique perspective... those are the things that are going to make you stand out.”
- Pro Tip: Secret shop competitors to identify your own differentiators.
G. Optimizing Google Business Listings (16:02)
- Best Practices:
- Keep photos fresh and inviting—leading with staff or treatment rooms, not just the logo or exterior (unless it’s stunning).
- Request reviews assertively, ideally while the client is still in the room, and personalize the ask.
- Encourage review updates for longtime customers.
- Complete the Google Business “services” list for improved local search.
- Quote (Lauren, 16:02): “What would you do first? I would Google it near me... I would check their Google listing first—reviews, photos...”
H. Internal Team Alignment (21:31)
- Take time at year’s end to check in with staff, solicit feedback, and build excitement and incentive alignment for the upcoming year.
2. Marketing as an Investment, Not an Expense (22:30–24:39)
- Key Principle: Effective marketing (where ROI is clear) should be viewed as a growth-driving investment, not a ‘cost to cut’—reducing spend likely slashes returns and future growth.
- Quote (Ricky, 23:28): “If your marketing is producing ROI, resist the urge to think of it as an expense... scaling that back means you’re also peeling back the returns.”
- Check: If you don’t have data confidence that your spend yields results, seek expert help to analyze or restructure your efforts first.
- Quote (Lauren, 24:13): “As soon as you stop putting money into the system, that means less new patients and less incoming revenue.”
3. Remarketing for Deepened Local Impact (24:39–29:50)
- Concept: Beyond acquisition, focus on “deposits in the know, like, and trust bucket” through varied, boosted content aimed at your warm audience (website visitors, Facebook/IG engagers, lapsed clients, etc.)
- Boosted posts can be effective even at $3–$5/day.
- Diversify creative: reviews, testimonials, videos, staff spotlights, before/after, event snapshots, personal touches.
- Quote (Ricky, 26:08): “I want to keep getting those people excited about scheduling an appointment with me... those things pay off tenfold... massive improvements to your program in the long term.”
- Easy Win: Screenshot and share real Google reviews—authenticity resonates more than ‘overbranded’ graphics.
- Quote (Ricky, 28:46): “I think it’s kind of powerful if you just screenshotted the Google review and ran like a post or a boosted post... snapshot that and run that.”
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On freebies:
- (Lauren, 02:30) “Don’t. That’s a waste of your time. Really. Nobody cares that much about getting that.”
- On surprise boxes:
- (Lauren, 04:04) “People are loving just getting a little gift when they come in for that service.”
- On the power of little details:
- (Ricky, 17:31) “It’s the smallest little details piled on top of each other ... All these things matter.”
- On review requests:
- (Lauren, 19:49) “When I’m still in the room, before I even leave... they’re doing an internal competition for the most comments. I’ve probably left them three reviews now.”
- On investment thinking:
- (Ricky, 23:28) “...understand, if your marketing is an investment, by scaling that back, you’re also pulling back the returns.”
- On underused remarketing:
- (Ricky, 26:08) “Those things pay off, I would say tenfold... massive improvements to your overall marketing program in the long term.”
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 00:00: Episode overview and agenda
- 01:15: Quick wins—SMS/text blasts for promos
- 04:04: Surprise boxes and in-office incentives
- 05:57: SEO quick wins—page titles/headings, local keywords
- 09:05: Retention marketing via list segmentation
- 10:17: Personal client outreach during downtime
- 11:38: Batch filming educational content
- 14:10: Differentiation—secret shopping competitors
- 16:02: Google Business optimizations (photos, reviews, services)
- 21:31: Internal team alignment recommendations
- 22:30: Shifting mindset—Marketing as investment, not expense
- 24:39: High-leverage remarketing for know, like, trust
- 28:46: Formatting for authenticity in review sharing
- 29:50: Episode wrap-up
Practical Takeaways
- Focus on existing clients: It’s faster and cheaper to fill gaps (on the schedule and in revenue) via segmented, relevant offers.
- Update your web presence: SEO tweaks and simple video add-ons can quickly improve discoverability and conversion.
- Prioritize reviews and trust markers: Authentic prompt requests for reviews (preferably in-person) significantly boost local credibility; keep visuals appealing.
- Maximize every touchpoint: Use slow periods for relationship-building and batch-content creation—these moves pay compounding dividends.
- Budget proactively: Don’t slash a working marketing budget in lean months; cut what’s underperforming and double down where ROI is clear.
- Boost, retarget, repeat: Layer boosted posts of trust-building content (reviews, testimonials, staff, education) to stay visible and build preference in your area.
Closing Tone
Ricky and Lauren keep the discussion highly actionable, pragmatic, and energized—emphasizing consistent execution on foundational tactics over searching for “silver bullets.” Their direct examples and proven frameworks make this a value-packed listen for any med spa owner planning strategic growth as 2026 approaches.