If you’re ready to implement more efficient & effective marketing strategies for your practice, book your FREE strategy session & marketing plan: https://go.medspamagicmarketing.com/schedule
By Ricky Shockley
Med Spa Magic Marketing | Med Spa Success Strategies Podcast
Introduction
Hey everyone — Ricky Shockley here, back with another Wednesday Thought. It has been a little while since we’ve done one of these shorter-form conversations where I share something that’s been top-of-mind or a trend we’re noticing across the practices we work with. Today, I want to talk about something important that surfaced over the summer months, because it reflects a larger shift happening in the aesthetic industry.
Across our client roster, July was an unusually slow month in terms of performance and conversion rates. We still had many clients performing extremely well — more than half of our med spa clients were still acquiring new Botox patients for under $150 per new customer, which is strong. But on the other end of the spectrum, we also had practices where numbers dipped. Lead flow remained stable, but lead-to-consult conversions lagged, or consult-to-treatment conversions fell lower than expected.
At first, this looked like a typical seasonal dip. Summer can naturally bring fluctuations depending on travel patterns and region. But this time, something felt different. So I started digging into broader market data.
That’s when I came across something many med spa owners are not aware of.
Botox and Filler Sales Are Down Year-Over-Year
In AbbVie’s April 2025 earnings report, their CEO shared that compared to the prior year:
• Botox sales were down 11% globally
• Juvéderm sales were down 20% globally
This is significant. For years, the aesthetics industry has been described as steadily increasing. Demand has been normalized socially, younger patient populations have entered earlier, and patient volume has grown consistently. So hearing that two core treatment categories in aesthetics are down year-over-year indicates a real shift.
This does not mean aesthetics is going away. Consumer desire for aesthetics is still strong. What it means is that the post-pandemic surge has ended, and the industry is transitioning into a more competitive, more selective environment where execution and differentiation matter more than ever.
Stop Over-Analyzing Month-to-Month and Year-to-Year Numbers
From 2009 to 2020, industry performance followed predictable and gradual growth patterns. Year-over-year comparisons were a reliable way to evaluate progress.
But the COVID disruption broke that pattern. We experienced:
- A shutdown decline
- A reopening demand surge
- A long “pandemic boom” fueled by Zoom, self-image awareness, and spending shifts
- A return to stabilization
So comparing July to June, or this year to last year, can give a misleading impression.
Instead of reacting emotionally to short-term slowdowns, focus on evaluating strategic fundamentals:
• Is your positioning clear?
• Is your offer compelling?
• Is follow-up consistent and timely?
• Is your consultation structured and confidence-building?
• Are you communicating your differentiation clearly and repeatedly?
Data fluctuations are not the problem. Strategic execution is what matters.
There Is Now a Smaller Pie — With More People Trying to Eat From It
If Botox and filler sales are down while the number of med spas continues to increase, then naturally:
• There is less total spending in the market
• There is more competition for that spending
This means you cannot rely on:
• Inertia
• Passive loyalty
• Brand familiarity
• Patients “just coming back”
Patients now have more options, more awareness, and higher expectations.
To win, you must be clearer, sharper, and more intentional than ever before.
There Is Less Margin for Error
During boom cycles — such as the explosive rise of semaglutide weight loss programs — even sloppy marketing and messy operations can perform well. Demand masks operational weaknesses.
When demand cools:
• Messaging must be precise
• Pricing must be intentional
• Consultation must lead confidently
• Team training must be proactive
• Retention must be system-driven
• Patient experience must feel personalized and high-touch
This is not about discounting or lowering your value. This is about:
• Showing your value
• Communicating your expertise
• Delivering consistency you can prove
This is the difference between practices that grow in tightening markets and those that decline.
Down Markets Are Where Market Share Changes Hands
When the market tightens:
• Weak practices pull back
• Strong practices lean in
This creates a significant strategic opportunity.
If other practices reduce their marketing — your visibility increases.
If they reduce client education — your authority grows.
If their follow-up weakens — you win their leads.
If their experience becomes generic — you stand out.
Demand has not disappeared. It is simply concentrating around practices that operate professionally, consistently, and intentionally.
The practices that maintain brand storytelling, patient experience refinement, offer clarity, retention systems, and confident consultations will not only hold their ground — they will grow faster once market conditions rebound.
Now Is the Time to Get Sharper
This moment is not about fear.
It is about refinement and intentional leadership.
Use this period to:
• Strengthen your brand positioning
• Train your team on structured consultation and communication
• Reinforce follow-up accountability
• Improve patient retention and rebooking workflows
• Clarify your clinical philosophy and communicate it publicly and repeatedly
Demand is still here.
The standards to win that demand have simply risen.
If You Want Support Refining Your Strategy
This episode is brought to you by Med Spa Magic Marketing.
If you want help evaluating and adjusting your strategy, I offer a free 90-minute planning session for qualified practices ($50K+ monthly revenue).
This is not a sales call. It is a full strategic review session where we:
• Analyze your current positioning
• Identify where performance is breaking down
• Build a tailored strategy you can execute immediately
You can implement the plan in-house, with another partner, or with us — your choice.
Schedule at:
medspamagicmarketing.com
Thanks for reading — see you in the next Wednesday Thought.
