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
Welcome to Part Three of our 2025 Med Spa Marketing & Growth Series! I’m Ricky Shockley, owner of Med Spa Magic Marketing, and I’m joined by Lauren Nettles, our lead digital marketing specialist. In our last episode, we covered understanding ROI measurement, a critical aspect of ensuring your marketing efforts translate into profitable growth. If you missed that, I highly recommend going back and reviewing Part Two before diving into today’s discussion.
Today, we’re focusing on marketing automation—specifically, how to automate lead nurture in a way that maximizes appointment bookings while reducing the burden on your team. Many med spa owners struggle with converting leads from online sources like Facebook, Instagram, and Google into actual booked appointments. The challenge lies in the fact that most leads won’t convert right away, and manually following up with every inquiry is time-consuming and inefficient.
By implementing marketing automation, we can ensure timely, consistent, and strategic follow-up that dramatically increases conversion rates while allowing your team to focus on delivering top-tier service.
The Problem: Wasted Time & Missed Opportunities
One of the biggest complaints we hear from med spa owners running online ads is: “The leads are bad.” This perception stems from the fact that many leads from platforms like Facebook and Instagram won’t immediately convert into booked appointments. However, that doesn’t mean the leads are worthless.
On Facebook and Instagram, 80% of leads may not convert—but the 20% that do are often high-value clients. Because these platforms generate leads at a low cost, even a small conversion percentage can yield a strong return on investment. The key is proper follow-up.
The Cost of Poor Lead Nurture
Let’s break down an example:
- Ad Spend: $1,000
- Cost per Lead: $20 (50 leads total)
- Conversion Rate (without effective follow-up): 10% (5 booked appointments)
- Customer Acquisition Cost: $200 per new patient
If we improve follow-up processes and double the conversion rate to 20%, we now get 10 booked appointments for the same ad spend—cutting the customer acquisition cost in half! Over a year, this improvement could mean hundreds of additional patients and tens of thousands in additional revenue.
Key takeaway: Without a structured follow-up process, you’re leaving money on the table.
The Solution: Marketing Automation & Structured Follow-Up
To ensure timely, consistent, and efficient lead follow-up, we leverage marketing automation tools. These tools help streamline the process so that leads receive personalized follow-up without overwhelming your team.
A strong lead nurture process involves:
- Immediate Contact – Leads should be followed up within the first five minutes.
- Consistent Multi-Touch Follow-Up – At least ten follow-ups over 21 days.
- Two-Way Text Messaging – More effective than calls or emails.
- Personalized Messaging – Avoid sounding robotic or automated.
We’ll now go over the best practices for setting up your marketing automation system and lead nurture sequences.
Best Practices for Lead Nurture Sequences
1. Lean on SMS (Text Messaging)
People are more likely to respond to text messages than phone calls or emails. Text messages allow for quick, conversational engagement without the hassle of phone tag. While emails and voicemail drops are useful supplementary touchpoints, SMS should be the core of your follow-up sequence.
Our recommended structure for lead follow-up includes twelve text messages, three voicemail drops, and two emails. This ensures that leads are consistently engaged without overwhelming them.
2. Personalize Your Messages
Automated messages should sound human. Avoid spammy or overly promotional language. Instead, craft messages that feel like they’re coming from an actual staff member.
Example of an effective text:
Hey [First Name], this is [Staff Member] from [Med Spa Name]. We saw you were interested in [Service]. Would you like to schedule a consultation? Let me know what time works for you!
Avoid overusing emojis, exclamation points, or generic marketing language. The goal is to build trust, not to sound like an impersonal ad.
3. Build Excitement About Your Med Spa
Use your follow-up messages to showcase why your med spa is the best choice. Share links to your Instagram page, Google Reviews, before and after photos, and meet-the-provider bios. Patients are more likely to book if they feel a personal connection with your med spa before they even step through the door.
4. Get a Yes or No
Many leads don’t respond right away, but that doesn’t mean they’re not interested. Continue reaching out until you receive a clear yes or no.
If a lead replies “yes” but then goes silent, follow up persistently:
- Day 1: “Would you prefer a morning or afternoon appointment?”
- Day 2: “Just checking in—did you still want to book an appointment?”
- Day 3: “We have limited spots left for this promo! Do you want me to save one for you?”
Many leads respond on the twelfth message—don’t give up too soon!
5. Use a “Show-Up” Sequence to Reduce No-Shows
Your EMR’s default confirmation system may be hurting your booking rates. Avoid asking patients to confirm or cancel their appointment—instead, assume they’re coming.
A better approach:
“We’re so excited to see you for your Botox appointment on Thursday at 2 PM! If you have any questions before your visit, just text us. See you soon!”
You can also send directions, parking info, provider bios, and appointment preparation tips.
6. Long-Term Nurture for Cold Leads
If a lead doesn’t convert immediately, don’t discard them! Many people book months later when the timing is right. Ensure all leads are added to your monthly promo emails, new service announcements, and seasonal SMS campaigns.
We’ve seen leads convert a year after their initial inquiry simply because they remained on a nurture list.
Final Takeaways
- Marketing automation significantly increases booking rates while reducing staff workload.
- Text messaging is the most effective communication method—use it as the foundation of your follow-up.
- Build excitement by sharing social proof, reviews, and provider bios.
- Don’t give up too soon! Follow up persistently until you get a yes or no.
- Assume attendance rather than forcing patients to confirm.
- Continue nurturing leads long-term—many will book months later.
If you’d like help setting up a marketing automation system for your med spa, visit Med Spa Magic Marketing to book a free strategy session!
Stay tuned for Part Four of our 2025 Med Spa Marketing & Growth Series!
