Plastics Web Marketing Blog

How Google Places Works For Your Practice

2011-05-06T14:52:00.002-06:00

Google Places is dominating the results when people are searching locally. It’s even beating out organic listings. Whether you know it or not, chances are your practice is already on Google Places. Once your information is out in Internet Land, Google will pull this information from other websites and create your listing on Google Places. Therefore, you’ll want to check that the information is accurate.

So first, you need to claim and verify your spot on this extremely important resource. Start by searching for your practice and if you see a listing, click to the place page. From there, you’ll see a link that asks “Business Owner?” Click on the link and then follow the instructions to claim your free listing. After you claim it, be sure to verify your page so Google knows you’re the owner and it’s a ‘trusted’ page.

So how can Google Places help your business grow? Here are a few ways to optimize your listing:

Customize your page—Personalizing your listing really helps to engage and appeal more to your users. You can add photos, videos, links to your website and social media pages as well as information like a description of your business, hours of operation and directions. (For an example, see Page 1 Solution's listing. Just click on –more info> to the right to see our Google Places page.)
Add reviews—Reviews are very important to Google’s index and helps to rank you higher in the search engine. Besides, people love to read about what others have to say about you and your services first before they contact you. Give your patients a voice and an area where they can praise your practice and give their feedback. (At Page 1, we offer a ratings and review tool that will instantly post to your listing.)
Create a ‘favorites’ map—You can create a map of all your favorite local businesses in the area on Google Maps, which links back to Google Places. By sharing the places you like to go to or do business with, you’re creating a local community and making a connection, which could lead to more relationships with you and other local businesses where you can collaborate and promote each other.

Helpful Tip: You can also help your ranking on Google by listing your business on respected sites, like The Better Business Bureau, The Chamber of Commerce, Yellow Page Directory, National Association Listings, etc. Google loves authority websites like these and will rank you higher when your practice is on them.

If you’re ready to be found, optimize your listing and increase your business, then call us at 800-916-3886, or contact us for a complimentary consultation. You can also find us on our Facebook page, Twitter page, and YouTube videos.

3 Useful Social Media Tips

2011-05-04T16:15:00.002-06:00

So you’re on all the major social media websites, creating accounts and fan pages. Now what?

Here are three helpful tips to keep in mind when you’re using these sites:

Know where your audience is. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube are the top social media websites that attract millions of people every day. Make sure you know where your patients “hang out.” You don’t want to waste your time and energy on a website that they never go to.

Write high-quality content. People get turned off by pushy, commercialized messages through these social channels. You need to write high-quality content and give the information that your patients are seeking. So the big question to ask--do you know what they care about, what interests them? Writing a message that nobody cares about will not attract potential patients or engage current ones. If you’re not sure what to write, just ask. People love to give their feedback.

Be consistent. When you begin posting on these social websites, your fans and followers will expect continual updates and information. Don’t just post once or twice, and then never revisit the site again. You don’t want to alienate your patients. It takes time and commitment but the pay-off will be worth it when you’re increasing your patient base.

By using these tips and interacting with social media, you’re creating a community for your patients. By doing so, you’re enabling and allowing people to express themselves, have a voice and interact with your practice and each other. Ultimately, you’re giving them superior customer service that will keep them loyal and coming back for more, and referring your services.

If you have any questions regarding social media strategies or would like assistance, please call us at 800-916-3886, or contact us for a complimentary consultation. You can also stay informed by following our Facebook page, Twitter page, and YouTube videos.

Why Cosmetic Surgeons Need Video on Their Websites

2011-05-03T12:54:00.003-06:00

The online world now goes beyond text and flash animation. Video has become a major player on the Internet and for organizations to increase their business. YouTube has become a worldwide phenomenon with billions of videos being uploaded every month and millions of viewers watching them.

So in this “Video Age,” are you using videos on your website? If not, you’re probably losing out on business. You need something to set your practice apart from other cosmetic surgeons. Moving images and sound creates more personality for your practice than just plain boring text. A 1-2 minute video on your home page can make a world of difference against your competitors, and most likely your visitors will get their basic questions answered during this time.

By incorporating video with your practice, you are connecting more with your viewers and engaging them. Use emotions to help with this connection and people will be moved. Emotions also help spread your message. People like to spread emotion and are more likely to share your videos with others. Be sure to allow people to share your video links with other community sites, like Facebook and Twitter, with a sharing functionality button.

In addition your videos shouldn’t focus so much on your practice as it should on the benefits of your services and how it can help your patients. Never commercialize your business but make the video about them—your viewers.

In the following heat map, you will see a darkened website with small bright bluish-white dots scattered throughout the page. These blue-white dots show where most users click and what information they are interested in. You will see that most of the clicks (the extremely blue-white areas) are from the video area on the left side of the page. Bottom line: People watch videos; People like videos.

At Page 1 Solutions, we can create and customize videos for your website and help you figure out what content to choose, how long the video should be and how often you should update your site with videos.

To discuss using video for your website, call us at 800-916-3886, or contact us for a complimentary consultation. To learn more, check out our C3 video tutorial. You can also keep up-to-date with us by following our Facebook page, Twitter page, and YouTube videos.

How Sharing Links on Facebook Gives You Better Search Rankings

2011-04-27T17:42:00.004-06:00

All Internet pages are connected by linking. You have links throughout your website so current and potential patients can navigate their way around. You may have your website linked to other sites that are helpful to your visitors, and hopefully, you have links coming to your website. All of these links impact your search engine results, which helps your website show up online. But does social media links have an impact on SE listings? According to SEOMoz, they do.

Recently, they conducted a study that showed that there is a strong correlation between link sharing on Facebook and higher rankings on Google’s result pages. However, the number of tweets on Twitter and likes and comments on Facebook didn’t show as much influence. Apparently, Google’s algorithms like when people share links on this social media website. Google usually gives more authority to websites with more inbound links anyway.

So what does this mean for your practice? You should focus more of your time, energy and marketing strategies towards sharing quality links on Facebook that will attract more clicks. You will not only drive more traffic to your website, but you’ll increase the chances of your content ranking higher on Google (Source: SEOMoz Study).

To help increase your audience and spread your content around Facebook, you should:

Allow people to share your content by adding a sharing functionality for Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn on your blogs, articles, etc.
Blog more, blog often and write quality content.
Increase your social interaction by creating group or fan pages, and then invite fans, friends and followers to join. This will start conversations and your content will spread faster.

To find out more about search engine optimization and how to utilize social media, call us at 800-916-3886, or contact us for a complimentary consultation. You can also keep up-to-date with us by following our Facebook page, Twitter page, and YouTube videos.

Get Your Practice on Google Places & Maps

2011-04-22T18:56:00.004-06:00

More people search for medical practices online than anywhere else, so it’s important to make sure your organization’s listing is easily found. To help your patients find you, you need to optimize your website for the major search engines, like Google, Yahoo and Bing, as wells as Google Places and Google Maps—and yes, there is a difference.

Google Places is a local listing where you can update and manage your physical location information. This information is also used to update your practice listing so that it appears correctly within Google Maps and other search and display network sites. Most likely your practice already shows up on Google Places but you need to verify your listing and review the details to make sure they are accurate. You can also customize your listing with photos, videos, a link to your website, descriptions of your service areas, directions and more.

Google Maps is a service that offers user-friendly mapping technology and local business information, including locations, contact information and driving directions. Potential patients can map where you are located and view other information like hours of operations, driving directions, reviews and your phone number. They can even view your building from a street level, zoom in and out, pan left and right and navigate around the area.

Your local listings also will appear in more “authority” websites, such as The Better Business Bureau, The Chamber of Commerce, Yellow Page Directory, National Association Listings, etc.

At Page 1 Solutions, we guarantee that your website will show up on the first page listings of all the major search engines. Our SEO specialists will also optimize your website for Google Places and Google Maps, using the exact geographical keywords and phrases people are searching for. When people are searching local, we want them to find you.

Another way to boost your ranking on search engines is by reviews. Page 1 also offers a rating and review tool where your loyal patients can easily write a review for your practice. It will immediately be posted to your website as well as other review websites, like Yelp and City Search, social media websites, like Facebook and Twitter, and Google Places and Google Maps. The more reviews you have, the higher you rank in these Google syndications.

If you’re ready to be in the right location, get your website fully optimized and utilize the rating and review tool to obtain more reviews, then call us at 800-916-3886, or contact us for a complimentary consultation.

You can also learn more about us by following our Facebook page, Twitter page, and YouTube videos.

3 Ways to Get Your Patients to Write a Review

2011-04-20T17:05:00.003-06:00

With all the buzz about online reputation management these days, obtaining patient reviews has become vital to cosmetic surgery practices. Before potential patients contact your office, they are trying to find you online to see what others are saying about you. Good or bad experiences, they will find numerous websites with testimonials from your previous and current patients. So if people are going to write about your services anyway, why not have them write it on your website?

The more reviews you have, the higher ranking you achieve by the major search engines, such as Google, Yahoo and Bing, and the more likely people will find you. Therefore, you’ll want to acquire a strong presence on review sites as well as your own website.

So how do you get your patients to write a review for your practice? Here are three simple steps to take:

· Just ask. The easiest way to get reviews is by asking your patients to write one for you when they are finished with your services. Let them know how it helps assist others in finding you online. However, be sure to briefly explain how it works, what they need to do and how long it takes. If they agree, then email them detailed instructions.

· Send an email blast. If you feel uncomfortable asking a patient in-person or on the phone to write a review, send out an email blast thanking them for their business and ask for a review. Be sure to provide a link on where they can write one and give instructions on how they can give their input.

· Make it easy and simple. Many times people won’t write reviews if they have to create an account or figure out complicated instructions. So make it easy on them by adopting a ratings and review tool where they don’t have to sign-up for anything and can just write what they have to say. Patients just click the bottom right-hand corner tab. They can also share their thoughts with other major websites, which will boost your ranking on the search engines.

When you allow your patients to give their feedback, this shows them that you care about their opinion and them as a customer. It’s also something unexpected and shows that you take pride in your customer service. This will get those patients coming back and referring your services again and again.

To find out how you can start using reviews to boost your practice’s reputation, give us a call us at 800-916-3886 or contact us for a complimentary consultation.

Check us out and then connect with us by following our Facebook page, Twitter page, and YouTube videos.

What Are People Saying About You?

2011-04-15T17:06:00.005-06:00

Now is the time to take control of your online reputation. Do you know what people are saying about you and your practice? Is it good or bad? Do you allow your patients to comment on their positive experiences or make suggestions to help your practice?

Online reputation management has been sweeping the business world recently as more practices are being taken online. A better company reputation leads to an increase in new patients and more satisfied current patrons. Even before initial visits, patients are looking up physicians to see what people are saying about them. Be sure you are captured in the light you want people to see you in.

For just $3 a day, you can start managing your online reputation and protect your business. Page 1 Solutions is offering a program to help you efficiently manage your online reviews. With this new tool, you’ll be found on Google local listings, be able to automatically share your ratings and reviews with rating/review websites, like Yelp, CitySearch and Insider Pages, as well as instantly post to social websites, like Facebook and Twitter.

To learn more about adopting the rates and reviews tool, click here to watch a video demonstration, and then call us at 800-916-3886 or contact us for a complimentary consultation.

Why Online Reputation Management is so Important for Your Plastic Surgery Practice

2011-03-11T13:05:00.002-07:00

Are you managing your reputation online? Do you collect testimonials and reviews from your satisfied patients? The search engines are consistently changing and reviews are becoming an important part of search engine optimization.

Page 1 Solutions just rolled out a new program to help you efficiently manage your online reviews. To learn more, check out this post on Page 1 Solutions' blog.

Video Web Marketing: Why and How

2011-01-20T23:42:00.002-07:00

It's no secret that online users are watching and wanting more videos. It is becoming essential for you to consider video on your website and on video-related websites, like YouTube. The following are some reasons why and strategies on how.

Why

1. More often than not, your website is becoming the first impression people have of you and your practice. Video allows you to immediately engage your website visitors and keep them on your website.

2. Relationship is everything in people choosing you. Video can allow you to communicate on a much more personal and emotional level than text and still photos ever will. Today's social media-focused consumers dictate how you need to market online.

3. Video can also impact your visibility on the search engines, particularly Google. Many search engine optimization experts agree that Google gives extra value to websites that have video content, since consumers like it.

4. Consumers prefer online information be presented in video rather than text only. The key is to provide information and relationship-building materials in the form your visitors desire, not just what is easy for you.

How

1. Like effective website copy, keep your video content concise, and to the point. Videos longer than 60 seconds will start to lose attention, impact and visitors.

2. Use testimonials (if available and allowable). Effectively done, they can be your most important asset.

3. Professional post-production projects a more credible image – include b-roll footage, music, graphic animation and transitions.

4. Focus more of your video message on credibility and information, and less on selling. Your visitors want to buy; they just don't want to be "sold".

5. Creating more focused videos (to be used on target pages and throughout your marketing) is more valuable than just one longer, more comprehensive video. Also, don't expect visitors to simply stumble on these important pages, drive them there through inks in web pages and emails.

6. Produce videos on a steady, ongoing basis. Create a YouTube channel and post them there and on other video distribution websites.

7. Don't limit the power of videos to your website. Use ongoing video production also for use on Social Media sites/Facebook, e-newsletters, blogs, even email campaigns.

Effective video marketing combines quality and quantity. Creating one video alone will not take your marketing to the next level. Developing a strategy to continually produce more compelling and informative messages are keys to effective online video marketing.

Another key is to start taking action. Producing custom, high-quality video with professional graphics, music, etc. can be inexpensive (under $300 per video) and convenient. If you would like to consider video options, feel free to call us at 800-916-3886 for more immediate assistance. We're happy to share ideas and opportunities to help you take your online video marketing to the next level.

Sincerely,

Bill Fukui
Page 1 Solutions
800.916.3886

Important Web Marketing Updates

2010-12-06T08:50:00.003-07:00

Google Update – Over a month has passed since Google rolled out its blended results (combining local map listings with the traditional organic listings). Many thought this would turn the SEO world upside down, but as it turns out, credible SEO and well organized/written websites continue to dominate the majority of 1st-page results. Although local or “Places” listings has a bigger impact on occasional searches, our analytics data for 100s of clients has not shown that it has made a major changes in their traffic. In some cases it has even helped on some of their highest priority keyword phrases. Again, the key is a solid SEO foundation and a good website.

Web Video – More video is uploaded to YouTube than all the 3 US networks created in 60 years! The average person spends about 15 minutes per day on YouTube. YouTube exceeds 2 billion views a day! The time has come for dominant practices to develop an Internet video marketing strategy – Even one-time video production is not enough. Today it is becoming essential to continually produce effective video on an ongoing basis. And with technology, you can have a system to produce custom videos each month for as little as $250/video, or less.

Generate More Quality Leads/Get More Phone Calls – Your website’s calls to action need to reflect the changes in today’s online consumer. Years ago, the Internet was a much more voyeuristic medium. Today, it is an interactive medium. People want to engage and get things NOW. They are more destination-focused and no longer “surf”. The good news for you is that these trends point to consumers’ willingness to pick up the phone and call you; and phone calls are much more valuable to our clients than emails. Make sure your website has strategic design and layout elements that get visitors to pick up the phone and call you. (**However, this does not mean abandon email calls-to-action and mini-forms!)

Feel free to call us (800-916-3886) or email us, if you would like to discuss these or any other website marketing strategies. We welcome an open dialog to share our insights, perspective and strategies.

Why Should I have a call tracking number on my site?

2010-08-17T12:15:00.000-06:00

Many times while speaking with a new client they will ask “How will I know how well the website is performing.” To get a complete understanding on how successful you online marketing strategy is you must track everything you do. At Page 1 we use many tracking systems but the one that seems to be left out or not thought of by many practices is call tracking. I have found that recently people are calling practices as much as they are emailing them. By placing a unique 800 number on all your marketing efforts you are running, when the phone rings, you’ll know whether the caller found you through the website, and if so, the caller’s exact source, for example, Google natural listings, Google pay per click, a print ad, etc. Armed with this knowledge, you can cut the fat from your marketing efforts and maximize ROI. All phone tracking numbers work with your present office number.

By tracking both on and offline ads, you can easily evaluate ALL of your marketing efforts to see which are performing best. Call Tracking has become an increasingly valuable tool for any Internet Marketing strategy. Call Tracking can save you time by capturing important caller information such as name, location and phone number. This will further develop your Internet Marketing strategy.

New Website For La Jolla Cosmetic Laser Clinic

2010-07-29T13:49:00.003-06:00

We recently launched the brand new website for La Jolla Cosmetic Laser Clinic. This practice provides non-surgical skin rejuvenation treatments to the residents of La Jolla, CA, and surrounding areas. This award winning practice is home to Dr. Nasrin Mani, a Board Certified Ophthalmologist, whose training and expertise expands beyond ophthalmology.

The website is designed in Drupal, a platform used to build content management system (CMS) websites. CMS websites are a great option for clients who want to have greater flexibility and control over their websites. This website is just one of the examples of the versatility of the Drupal platform.

Be sure to visit the website and see for yourself!

Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon Retains Page 1 Solutions

2010-07-25T06:56:00.003-06:00

Dr. Eugene Kim recently retained Page 1 Solutions to partner with him to develop a comprehensive, and interactive plastic surgery website.

"We are very excited about working with Dr. Kim," says Chief Operating Officer, Bill Fukui. "Not only is he a highly trained plastic surgeon with unique training, he also has the ability to accommodate Korean-speaking patients."

The website is going to include thorough information for online consumers, including:

Breast Augmentation Surgery
Liposuction
Facelifts
Rhinoplasty / Nose Surgery
Eyelid Surgery
Injectable Cosmetic Products, like Botox and Juvederm
Reconstructive Plastic Surgery
and various ancillary surgical services

Dr. Kim is a Los Angeles plastic surgeon with offices in Beverly Hills and Glendale, California.

Cosmetic Surgeon Trouble in the Suburbs

2010-07-16T14:29:00.002-06:00

I live in Arvada, Colorado, and work in Golden, Colorado.

But at a recent national conference, I told people “I’m from Denver, Colorado”.

Why?? It’s easier for people to associate with a large city versus a suburb.

But how does this relate with your website on the Internet?

If your Cosmetic Surgery practice resides in a suburb, your website should be optimized for the metro area you reside in, more so than your suburb location?

Example: If your practice is located in Fullerton, CA, would people search for “Los Angeles Cosmetic Surgery” or “Fullerton Cosmetic Surgery”?

Most people would search for “Los Angeles Cosmetic Surgery”, so unless people search specifically for "Fullerton Cosmetic Surgery", your website won’t be found.

Do you show up easily on Internet Searches within the larger market or just the town your practice is located in?

If you aren’t found in the big market (or the suburbs), you’re missing out on a lot of business.

If you’d like help with this or don’t know how well you rank, please contact Page 1 Solutions and we’ll perform a free assessment.

It doesn’t hurt to check, but it probably hurts more not to check.

Musical Websites

2010-06-21T09:35:00.003-06:00

I was recently on the phone with a with a potential client and as we talked about her practice. We were trying to determine what she really wants to focus on and where she wants to be. In order to get a better understanding of her and her practice, I asked to look at her current website. As soon as I typed in the website address, it popped up and started playing music. I immediately went to turn the music off, but as I clicked on other pages it would start playing again. I got a little frustrated with it and asked her “Why do you like music on your site.” She gave me a real simple answer “I think it adds class.”

She is not alone in that thought. Many people feel that music on their site adds class. For some, it might be welcoming or soothing, but there are statistics that show a far greater number of Internet users who find music on websites annoying.

One main reason people find it annoying is because a lot of research for various services or products are done at work. Maybe on break or even while consumers work. Now, if you are working (or supposed to be working) and you land on a website where music starts to play, you immediately do what I did. You ask the question, “how do I turn this off?” If I was simply surfing the web, I would just hit the back button and move on to a different (and quiet) website.

The most important thing to remember is that when you are surfing the web, you are just doing that, surfing. You are not looking to get serenaded and chances are, you might have music playing on your computer already. The primary focus of your searching is to get information about something so that you can make an educated decision.

Adding Facebook "Like" it to Blogs

2010-06-14T15:49:00.006-06:00

A recent study of TypePad bloggers indicates that adding a Facebook "Like" widget on your blog sidebar may increase your referral traffic from Facebook by as much as a 50 percent.

(Image Credit: TypePad)

Last April, Facebook unveiled the “Like” feature where readers can click the “Like” button on a blog or article and share it with their Facebook community. All this can happen without leaving the blog.

TypePad indicated that approximately 1,500 bloggers installed the “Like” buttons on their blogs since early May of 2009.

Not too long after, TypePad released another feature, which enables bloggers to attach a Facebook “Like” button in the footer of every blog entry they post. Some 2,400 bloggers updated their blogs with this new feature. Since that time, TypePad indicates that they have seen a 200% growth in Facebook-referred traffic overall.

For practices committed to blogging as part of their marketing strategy, you may want to consider implementing "Like" it features.

Keep on Blogging.

Page 1 Solutions Wins Three Videographer Awards

2010-06-10T09:05:00.002-06:00

Here is a link to a press release this week that announces Page 1's win of three Videographer Awards. One of the awards was won for the video we did for Denver plastic surgeon, Dr. Nick Slenkovich.

http://www.24-7pressrelease.com/press-release/page-1-solutions-wins-three-videographer-awards-155418.php

This is a prestigious award within the video industry and it's a great honor to have received it! Go Page 1!

Are competitors taking your lunch money?

2010-06-02T10:13:00.007-06:00

Recently, Page 1 Solutions delivered an email message on how one can check where their website ranks in comparison to their competitors on Internet Searches for "Cosmetic Surgery", "Plastic Surgery".

We included this link http://www.mysearchspy.com/ which you should try for yourself.

Unfortunately, the point, which was missed by some, was to see just how easy or difficult it is for shoppers to find their website those of their competitors.

The responses were an interesting mix of confidence and fierceness.

A number of Cosmetic Surgeons responding by saying "let our competitors take their best shot at doing better work than us" or "competitors don't bother me" or "I eat my competitors for lunch", etc. I really enjoyed the conviction these people had.

However, while one might "eat their competitors for lunch", I think someone just took their lunch money. Which side are you on?

When a shopper is on the web looking for the perfect Cosmetic Surgeon and they don't find your website, those same competitors whose lunch you'd eat, just stole your lunch money by stealing away your client.

You may be the ideal surgeon, but if they never find your website, you have no chance of performing your best work.

Try this for yourself and see how you compare with the rest of the kids in the lunchroom even if you think you're bigger and better than them. Chances are, their website and Internet rankings are stealing your clients.

http://www.mysearchspy.com/

You just might be surprised at who's working who.

Get A Step On Your Competition

2010-05-11T12:58:00.001-06:00

My Search Spy is a new free tool to help you with your Web marketing

Have you ever heard that "knowledge is half the battle?" You can get detailed information on not just how your website ranks on the search engines, but also how your competitors' websites are ranked on the search engines. How does your website measure up? You need to know where your website is winning and where it's losing out to your competitors. You can't fix a problem if you don't know it exists. Check it out now. It's totally free. Run as many reports as you would like.

http://www.mysearchspy.com

Remember the importance of links

2010-04-30T15:38:00.002-06:00

Link building is one of the fundamental parts of a great search engine optimization strategy. At Page 1, our SEO and Link Building departments work hard to get your website on the first page of the top search engines and obtaining quality links is a great way to help achieve this. While our in-house experts can obtain great links for you, there are some ways you could help as well.

As a plastic surgeon there are a few ways that you could obtain quality links back to your website. These are opportunities that we, as your SEO provider, may not know about or we might not have the permission to ask for the links.

1. As a practicing doctor, you are most likely involved an a variety of local and national medical associations. These are great places to obtain a link back to your site because of the relevancy and quality that the link has. Make sure to ask these associations if there is a way their website can link back to you.

2. Are you involved in any local organizations or charities? This is also another great opportunity to obtain a quality link back to your site. All you have to do is ask and many times the organization is willing to help you out.

3. The schools that you attended might also be willing to help you with linking. Contact your former Alma mater and ask them if they would be willing to link to your website.

These are just a few of the link building opportunities that are potentially available to you. To learn more about link building and how it can help your website achieve higher listings, contact us today!

This blog has moved

2010-04-28T11:29:00.001-06:00

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5 Tips for Plastic Surgeons on Twitter

2010-03-30T14:42:00.002-06:00

It can be very difficult to be a success on Twitter, especially when you're advertising services that do not have heavy local branding. That being said, you can still reap the rewards from Twitter if you know what you're after. Here are five tips for cosmetic surgeons on Twitter!

Know your audience. Twitter is a great way to get to know your audience over time, but it's good to have a preliminary idea of who you're talking to before you start tweeting. Consider this: most of the active profiles on Twitter are business professionals of some sort or another, ages 25-45. You probably don't want to target soccer moms on this network; they're too busy to be tweeting! However, Twitter can be a great place to advertise things like lunchtime cosmetic surgery procedures.
Find your audience. There are lots of great ways to find your audience. Twitter is beginning to advertise itself more like a search engine, so use it like one! Do searches like "I want a facelift" or "cheap botox" to find people interested in your services. Lists is a new feature on Twitter that is really helpful for finding groups of people to follow in certain locations. For example, Dr. Adrian Lo in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania might use lists of tweeps in Philadelphia to find interested followers.
Ask yourself, "What makes me interesting?" People aren't going to follow you just because you ask real nice-like. Do something special or unique that makes your Twitter account interesting. Post about local events in your area, talk about interesting things you find on the web, etc. It is especially nice if you can offer things like free Botox for contests on Twitter, as in real life, free things always get peoples' interest! Above all, be a real person. Nobody likes automatically generated content.
Bring them back to your website. It's great to have a bunch of interested followers, but that's only the first major step. The next one is getting people to go where you want them to go. Many people pair their website's blog with their Twitter account for an active campaign: by posting links to your blog on Twitter, you bring people to your website. There are other ways of going about this too, for example, if you do that contest for free Botox, you can have a landing page on your site with information about the contest to drive people to.
Close the sale! You might not convert visitors to customers right away, but if you make a good impression with tweeps in your area you're going the right direction. It is important to be a good salesman in this process; be available for questions when people have them, be innovative and unique, and always make it about them, not you. For example, don't post something like: "Hey! I just published a new blog entry! Check it out!". Not everyone is your mom - they don't want to read your blog entry unless they care about you. But people innately care about themselves, so posting something like: "Blog Entry on Thermage, for those of you out there who are curious!" will probably have a much better response.

If you're looking for cosmetic surgery in the Philadelpha, Pennsylvania area, contact Dr. Adrian Lo for more information.

Cosmetic Surgery Websites: 5 Design Must-Dos

2010-03-19T10:40:00.003-06:00

If you're a cosmetic surgeon and you're having a new website made, there are some elements of the website's design to consider in relation to your potential future patients. The choices that you make in terms of color, layout and images can have a huge impact on the impression your visitors get about your plastic surgery office. Here are five good things to consider when designing your plastic surgery website! We'll use one of our client's websites, Desai Plastics in Jacksonville, Florida, to showcase these design must-dos!

Color scheme. Your visitors want to feel like they're going somewhere luxurious, relaxing and sanitary. Your color scheme can give them this impression. Choose soft hues to give a calm, spa-like feel to your website. Well-balanced tones and colors can give your website an elegant feel. Sticking to cool tones (green, blue, off-whites, purples) can help to make your website give a very clean feeling, allowing visitors to assume that your practice is very safe and hygenic, stay away from having too many earth tones for this reason. The image to the right from Desai Plastics' main page captures these ideas perfectly.

Images. It's tempting to cover your website with images of pretty women, but as with everything else, moderation is key. You want your images to appeal to a wide variety of potential patients, so the images of people that you use on your site need to be aesthetic, but tasteful. Desai Plastics cleverly incorporates stock photos of attractive men and women into their side navigation. I especially like that they changed all the clothes to white, to help keep the color scheme cohesive. Some of the images even tie-in to the images used on the landing pages, such as the Breast Augmentation page.

A good before and after gallery. As a cosmetic surgeon, one of the best things you can showcase about yourself on your website are your results. Like with the other images on your site, it is important to be tasteful. Make sure that your visitors aren't seeing your liposuction before and after images unless they want to see your lipo before and afters! Desai Plastics has an excellent, easy to navigate gallery. I especially like how they used a slideshow element to make their galleries (like the arm lift gallery, to the right) seem very streamlined and professional.

Easy to find contact info. Make sure that your website design carefully incorporates contact information like your official business name, address, phone number, and fax number. Desai Plastics has this information all over their website, and they even have a mini contact form (to the left) on every page, so that there is always an opportunity for a web visitor to convert to a patient. They also have a larger contact form that you can use to contact Dr. Desai. Having your address all over your website can also help to improve your Google Local Listing results.
Navigation, navigation, navigation. Your designer may not be able to control how good your content is, but he or she can absolutely control how easy it is to find the necessary information. Dr. Desai's website features clear navigation on all pages of his site, and a great navigational system on Desai Plastics' home page. A three-year-old could find what they were looking for on this site! It's a great way to ensure that your visitors are able to know everything they need to know about you before they contact your office and make an appointment.

Event Tracking with Google Analytics for Plastic Surgeons

2010-02-08T15:46:00.003-07:00

Google Analytics is a great, free tool for tracking your online visitors! Plastic surgeons can really take advantage of this free service from Google to help track and guide web visitors through their website! Here are some potential examples of how some of our favorite cosmetic surgeons might be able to use this tool.

Event Tracking is a great tool that lets you specifically track certain clicks on your website. Event Tracking can be used on design elements, such as images, buttons, links, and even flash video. Once Event Tracking is set up, data will begin to appear in the "Content" section of Google Analytics, in the "Event Tracking" report.

Dr. James Barber in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania could use Event Tracking on his cosmetic surgery procedures page to track which procedures are clicked on more than others. This could help to determine which procedures are more interesting to his visitors. In Google Analytics, you can also look at which keywords were used by people who clicked on an Event Tracking element: this means that Dr. Barber could determine whether people who clicked on "Breast Augmentation" were looking for financing, implant size, or other related information!

Dr. Michael Ciaravino of Houston, Texas could also use Event Tracking to track clicks on his many different plastic surgery videos (which look absolutely lovely, by the way). This would let him know, in a glance, which video titles are being played more often than others from his website! Video production can be an expensive process, so knowing which topics to invest in is very helpful data to have.

The Bougainvillea Clinique in Orlando, Florida can use Event Tracking to track different social media buttons on their website. They have buttons for their Facebook page, Twitter profile, and YouTube channel that can all be tracked via Event Tracking! This way, they could get an idea of not only which social media sites their visitors are more interested in, but how those visitors got to the site in the first place, which pages they landed on, etc. What a great way to track your social media efforts!

Why Bother With a Facebook Fan Page?

2010-01-27T11:34:00.006-07:00

Plastic surgery practices are creating Facebook Fan Pages left and right, but few actually understand how the Pages can benefit their web marketing efforts. And without understand why they are so valuable, it is unlikely that practices will use the Pages to their full potential.

For most cosmetic surgeons, a Fan Page can be looked at as a micro-site (complimenting your website). It should be an extension; a place where both existing and potential patients can go to learn more about the practice. If done well, a Fan Page will:

Allow your practice to show a lighter side. You can put casual photos, videos, etc. that you would not be able to showcase on your website. Letting down your guard doesn't have to mean that you lose all professionalism, but it can make the practice less intimating and more approachable for new patients.
Create a sense of community among your patients. As patients begin to comment and contribute to discussions on your Page, the stronger community will become. And other people will appreciate and want to be a part of the community. It's contagious! This type of interaction on your Page is clearly good for word-of-mouth advertising. Furthermore, when a Facebook user becomes a fan or comments on your Page, all of their friends will see that interaction, which expands your reach even further.
Along with building community among your patients and your practice, a Fan Page also offers a very accessible (and low maintenance) form of communications. You can announce events, specials, news, etc., as well as get feedback from your patients.
Help you SEO efforts! Search engines, such as Google, regard Facebook as reputable, and it shows in their ranking. For example, if you Google "Page 1 Solutions," you will find the link to the firm's Fan Page 4th or 5th on the first page. Links on your Page can also help with link-building efforts.
Be great for branding.
Increase traffic to your website. People who find you through friends on Facebook or who stumble across your Fan Page will likely check out your website, too.

And lastly:

It's free. And it doesn't take nearly the amount of time that people think it does. Learning how to use Facebook, and the initial set-up can be a little time consuming, but once your Fan Page is up and running, you can spend as little as 10 minutes a week maintaining your page.

Understanding why Facebook Fan Pages are valuable helps practices understand how to best utilize the social marketing platform. While you don't have to be an expert on social media marketing to use it (and use it well), you should at least understand the benefits of it.

Great Blog Entries in Recent Plastic Surgery News!

2010-01-14T16:20:00.002-07:00

With the ever-changing world of plastic surgery, how are you as a surgeon supposed to stay on top of it all? Blogs are a great way to not only brush up on the latest in cosmetic surgery news, but demonstrate your ability to stay on top! Here's some blog entries from cosmetic surgeons who know how to stay ahead of the game.

More Women Choosing to Benefit from Tummy Tucks by Otto J. Placik, MD, of Chicago, Illinois. Why are more and more women turning to this procedure to reduce the size of their waist? Dr. Placik explains in this detailed blog entry!
Size Matters - Choosing the Right Breast Implant Size by David M. Bottger, MD, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. So you know you want a breast augmentation, but you're not sure what size implant you'll want. This blog entry helps you make one of the most important decisions of this procedure.
Fillers to Cushion the Feet? by the Dr. Vasdev Rai Cosmetic Surgical Center in Dallas, Texas. Women are asking more and more frequently for filler injections in their feet to make wearing high heels, a style back in vogue, more comfortable.
What is Rectus Diastasis? by Aesthetic Plastic Surgery of Indiana in Carmel, Indiana. This is a condition that happens in all women who have had children, to some degree or another. Excersize cannot correct it, but one cosmetic surgery procedure can!
Requirements for Gastric Bypass Surgery by Dr. Carson Liu in Los Angeles, California. There are a lot of factors a surgeon needs to consider in order to perform gastric bypass surgery safely. Are you a good candidate for this procedure? Find out in this blog entry!

Great Blog Entries in Recent Plastic Surgery News!

2009-12-21T09:47:00.003-07:00

Plastic surgery has provided the world with quite a few interesting topics over the past couple of weeks. Here are some of our favorite blog entries from recent plastic surgery blogs.

G-Shot Procedure by Dr. Otto J. Placik in Chicago, Illinois. Read about this controversial cosmetic surgery procedure designed to give women a heightened sexual experience.
Freedom in the USA by Coastal Plastic Surgery Center in Providence, Rhode Island. In this blog entry, Dr. Goldstein responds to a woman who feels that plastic surgery should be illegal.
Zerona Non-Invasive Fat Reduction Laser by Dr. Michael Peña in Naples, Florida. A new way to reduce body fat has been introduced into the market!
Breast Implants and the FDA by Aesthetic Plastic Surgery of Indiana in Indianapolis, Indiana. An issue that is still misunderstood by many Americans is discussed in this recent blog entry.
Fractional CO2 Skin Resurfacing by Summit Plastic Surgery & Med Spa in Lee's Summit, Missouri. Dr. Chhatre describes this skin resurfacing technique and how it is used in his medical facility.

Misconceptions Regarding Facebook's New Privacy Settings

2009-12-18T11:14:00.003-07:00

The Internet is buzzing about Facebook's new privacy settings and many people are having difficulties distinguishing between rumors and reality. Users are concerned that their information is being indexed by the search engines, and have been rushing into panic mode.

Bottom line: Facebook is only allowing search engines to index information that you are already making available to "everyone." It will not be invading your personal information, status updates, photos, etc. without your permission. If you don't want ANY information indexed, then you can easily adjust your settings so that Google can't access any of your info (in case you're worried about accidentally sharing your life with the world).

But I can't help but be confused by people who want to protect their fan page information. From a marketing and SEO perspective, Google indexing your information from Facebook is just another way to get to the top of the rankings. After all, Internet exposure is one of the main reasons that we set up fan pages for ourselves and our clients.

On a personal level, I understand the concerns. But by simply adjusting your privacy settings to "only friends" you are protecting yourself from the search engines. And if you decide that you want to share something with "everyone" you can do so with each individual status update. But if you are one of the hundreds of practices that is using Facebook as a plastic surgery web marketing tool, then the more exposure the merrier!

Don't be afraid of Google indexing your Facebook fan page. They already index your Twitter, your website, and more.

Click here to become a fan of Page 1 Solutions on Facebook!

Social Media Campaigns for Cosmetic Surgeons

2009-12-06T16:24:00.004-07:00

A social media campaign is a great way to spread awareness of your clinic and facilities as well as a great way to get a feel for your target audience. Here are some examples of great social media campaigns by various cosmetic surgeons!

Otto J. Placik, MD

Facebook - Otto J. Placik's Facebook Group is a great place for him to get feedback from patients! His former patients use his Facebook Group wall to leave testimonials and answer questions from people interested in his procedures. Check it out!
You Tube - Placik's YouTube Channel is a great way for him to share patient experiences. He uses the channel in a really unique way, showing slideshows of patient before and after photos as well as videos on exercises you can do to promote healthy breasts after surgery. Here's one of his videos, a slideshow of before and afters for Upper Lip Lift of Bull's Horn correction surgery.

Paul Angelchik, MD

Wordpress - Dr. Angelchik's Wordpress Blog is a great place for them to tell their success stories and express their knowledge in their field. Their blog entries are always insightful and informative, and they include a photo as a part of each post to catch the reader's attention. Extra touches like photos can make the difference between a good blog and a great blog!
Facebook - Dr. Angelchik's Facebook Page serves as a platform for them to promote their blog on. Their blog automatically feeds into their Facebook page, where users can like or comment on blog entries. What a great way to get feedback from your target audience!
YouTube - Dr. Angelchik's YouTube Channel is a place where potential patients can come face-to-face with the doctor himself, without even having to schedule an appointment! Dr. Angelchik posts himself addressing important issues in cosmetic surgery, like what type of liposuction you should get based on your concerns and body type. Here is that video for you to enjoy:

Interesting Stories in Recent Plastic Surgery News

2009-11-28T15:10:00.002-07:00

It's that time again! There are some really interesting stories coming from plastic surgery blogs over the holidays. Here are some of our favorite recent blog entries:

Rhinoplasty Enhances the Balance of Your Face by Bray Plastic Surgery Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. The improvements that a simple rhinoplasty procedure can lend to your face is amazing. This blog entry details why a rhinoplasty is so important to your facial appearance.
What is the Inframammary Fold? by Aesthetic Plastic Surgery of Indiana in Indainapolis, Indiana. You hear cosmetic surgeons talking about IMFs all the time, but what exactly are they? This blog entry lets you know what they are and why they matter for breast augmentation surgery.
The Keller Breast Funnel by Dr. Broadway's Exceptional Breast Augmentation in Denver, Colorado. This funnel is a device that a patient can ask their surgeon to use during breast augmentation procedures. Learn how it works, and why you might want to use it!
Facial Surgery Candidacy by Otto J. Placik, MD, in Chicago, Illinois. If you're human, odds are pretty good that there's something about your face you don't like. But should you have plastic surgery? This blog entry might help you decide.
Weight Loss Surgery Options by Dr. Carson Liu, Bariatric Surgeon in Los Angeles, California. If you're considering weight loss surgery, make sure you know what all your options are.

Bill Fukui on Social Media Marketing

2009-11-13T15:29:00.001-07:00

Great Posts in Recent Plastic Surgery Blogs!

2009-11-13T09:14:00.002-07:00

There are a lot of interesting topics circulating plastic surgery blogs. We hope you enjoy some of our favorites, from plastic surgeons across the nation!

Rhinoplasty and the Correction of Breathing Problems or Sinus Obstruction by Bray Plastic Surgery Medical Center, Inc. in Los Angeles, California. If you have problems with your breathing, rhinoplasty might be the solution you need!
What is the Best Age for Breast Augmentation? by David Bottger, MD, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This answers the question that is asked time-and-again by women considering plastic surgery.
Surgical Weight Control by Dr. Carson Liu in Los Angeles, California. If you have issues with your weight and can't find a solution in diet and exercise, you might want to consult a bariatric surgeon to see if surgical weight control is the right option for you.
Choosing a Cosmetic Surgeon by Manuel Pena, MD, in Naples, Florida. Choosing a cosmetic surgeon is a very personal and important decision. This guide might help guide you towards the right surgeon for you.
Facelift Benefits by Otto J. Placik, MD, in Chicago, Illinois. Read the details of how a facelift can improve the shape and surface of your face!

Great Posts in Recent Cosmetic Surgery News!

2009-11-06T17:38:00.002-07:00

It has been a great week for blogs in cosmetic surgery! Here are some of our favorite blog entries from cosmetic surgeons across the nation!

Implant Revision and Replacement by Otto J. Placik, MD, in Chicago, Illinois. Have you ever wondered if you could have your implants revised or replaced? This blog entry explains the procedure.
Everybody on the Bus! by Dr. Leon Goldstein of Providence, Rhode Island. Dr. Goldstein comments on the decisions made by cosmetic surgeons in a time of economic turmoil.
Implant Size and Cup Size by Dr. Paul Angelchik, MD, of Glendale, Arizona. Dr. Angelchik discusses the relationship between cup size and implant size, and how it informs the cosmetic surgeon's decision.
Evaluating Your Surgeon's Experience by the Virginia Center for Plastic Surgery in Alexandria, Virginia. Evaluating your surgeon's experience is an important part of choosing who performs your cosmetic surgery procedure.
Fat Transfer Surgeries by Broadway Center for Plastic Surgery in Denver, Colorado. A great example of a successful fat transfer procedure, complete with before and after photos!

Recent Breakthrough in Pediatiric Plastic Surgery: Stem cells help grow new cheekbones for Cincinnati teen

2009-10-12T11:34:00.003-06:00

The Cincinnati Enquirer reported today that Cincinnati Children’s Hospital has successfully reconstructed a 15-year-old boy’s face who was born without cheekbones with the help of stem cells. The procedure, which has never been performed, used a combination of the boy’s own stem cells, growth hormone and donor bone. CT scans have shown that in the short few months since the boy’s surgery, new living bone has grown in place. Undoubtedly, the success of this procedure will lead to a new option for people of all ages that are in need of bone tissue for reconstructive surgery.

Click here to read the original article from The Cincinnati Enquirer

Great Posts in Recent Plastic Surgery Blogs!

2009-09-30T21:34:00.002-06:00

There have been lots of fantastic things going on in cosmetic surgery news lately! Here are some of our favorite recent plastic surgery blog posts.

Natural Breast Augmentation Results by Dr. Broadway in Lone Tree, Colorado. This amazing patient story is complete with before and after photos!
Breast Lift Surgery and Exercise by Dr. Hendricks in Newport Beach, California. Some important facts to know if you are considering breast lift surgery.
Facelift Question by Kim Facial Plastic Surgery in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Kun answers a woman's concerns about facelift surgery by explaining various options.
What to do Before Tummy Tuck Surgery by Leo Lapuerta Jr., M.D., in Houston, Texas. Some important facts to know if you are considering a tummy tuck procedure!
Losing Those Last Pounds by Dr. Rai in the Cosmetic Surgery Center in Dallas, Texas. When diet and exercise fail to eliminate stubborn fat cells, liposuction can help.

Great Posts in Recent Plastic Surgery Blogs!

2009-09-24T16:24:00.003-06:00

Wow, there have been a lot of great posts in recent cosmetic surgery news! Here are some of our favorites:

Breast Augmentation for Correction of Asymmetry by Dr. Angelchik of Glendale, Arizona. Breast augmentation is not purely for enhancement. It can also correct asymmetrical breasts!
Radiofrequency Skin Tightening for Arms by Dr. Diane Duncan in Fort Collins, Colorado. Learn about an amazing procedure that non-surgically reduces flabby arms to fabulous arms!
Sculptra Aesthetic Event on October 1st! by Bougainvillea Clinique in Winter Park, Florida. With the recent FDA approval of Sculptra Aesthetic, this Florida-based cosmetic surgery center is hosting an "About Face" event for those interested in the procedure!
What's New and on the Horizon for Plastic Surgery by Dr. Adrian Lo in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A discussion on the modern advancements of cosmetic surgery.

Step-By-Step Guide for Setting Up a Facebook Fan Page

2009-09-15T13:02:00.004-06:00

Interested in setting up a Facebook fan page for your practice? Good! They are easy to maintain (once you get used to it), and are great for reputation management. It’s not only important to have a presence on Facebook, but it’s vital that you set it up correctly from the get-go. Too many doctors make the mistake of setting up their fan pages wrong, thinking that they can just go back and change it later (which you can't). Others make the mistake of using a personal profile instead of setting up a fan page, without knowing that: 1.) They need to have a fan page and 2.) They cannot transfer one page to another. In other words, they have to start all over.

Use this step-by-step guide to get started on the right foot with your fan page. Beyond these steps, it is OK to play around without the fear of making mistakes. Beyond these steps, you have the flexibility to delete or make changes to your content, etc.

First, before you try to set up a fan page for yourself or your practice, be sure that you have a personal profile. You must have a personal profile in order to create a fan page.

1.) Sign in to your account and scroll down to the bottom of the page. Click on the link that says “Advertising,” as seen in the image below:

2.) At the top of the Advertising page, click on the link that says “Pages”:

3.) Look for the green “Create a Page” button and click on it:

4.) Fill out the appropriate information. Be sure that you choose your options and “company name” wisely, as you CANNOT change them later.

Very Important Notes (see image below):

Immediately become a fan of your own page! This makes it easy to find your page later on!
Use the "Edit Info" link and add as much information as you can provide.
Be sure to include your website URL in a visible place! I suggest adding it to the "write something about your company" box on the left hand side of the page.

From here, you can add videos, photos, posts and more! Have fun with it, and don't give up - you'll get the hang of it in no time!

Questions? Comments? Please feel free to leave a comment, and I will respond as quickly as possible.

Check out the Page 1 Solutions on Facebook and Twitter for ideas and tips on how to make the most out of your social media marketing!

Great Posts in Recent Plastic Surgery Blogs!

2009-09-15T10:15:00.000-06:00

Here are some fun blog entries from some of our favorite cosmetic surgeons! Keep the good stuff coming in, friends!

Breast Augmentation Changes in Lifestyle by Leo Lapuerta Jr., M.D., in Houston, Texas. Breast augmentation improves many facets of your life, besides just self esteeem!
Breast Health Before and After Surgery by Dr. Paul Angelchik in Glendale, Arizona. How to protect skin elasticity and keep your breasts healthy before and after your cosmetic procedure!
Immediate Laceration Care by Bray Plastic Surgery Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. Not only is this plastic surgery facility capable of removing old scars, but they can also serve as an emergency room for lacerations and prevent scars from happening.
What Machine is Used for Medical Microdermabrasion Enhanced? by Matt Chhatre, M.D., in Kansas City, Missouri. This Kansas City based plastic surgery center answers this question with an overview of their own Microdermabrasion technology!
Fake BOTOX® Cosmetic Scandal Hits New York by Dr. Lefkovitz in New York City, New York. Read about how some plastic surgery practices have been selling fake BOTOX® to patients, while claiming that it was the real thing!

5 Twitter Users Worth Following

2009-08-17T10:23:00.002-06:00

Here is a quick list of Twitter users (or "tweeple") that I recommend following. They all provide great links and industry insights.

@cosmeticdir - The Cosmetic Surgery Directory

@ASAPSmedia - The American Society for Aesthectic Plastic Surgery

@DrRai - Dr. Vasdev Rai in Dallas, TX

@CSTNOW - Cosmetic Surgery Times

@plasticsmktg - Plastic Surgery Marketing

And of course be sure to follow us for Plastic Surgery Web Marketing news, updates and special offers @PlasticsWebMktg and @Page1Solutions!

Please feel free to leave comments with your favorites!

Would You Like Fries With That Tummy Tuck?

2009-08-14T11:12:00.006-06:00

Recently, I realized that there is an incredible lack of understanding by the general obese population in regards to plastic surgery and weight loss.

Let me explain:

I’m a little overweight. And by a little, I mean a lot. But I’m working to change that - without the help of plastic surgery. I’m not saying that it hasn’t crossed my mind or that I wouldn’t resort to a little help from the pros for some finishing touches, but I’m a firm believer in the old-school approach of simply eating fewer calories than I exert. Yes, this means that my journey from “is she pregnant?” to “I want her abs” will be slow, but I am willing to take the long road to success if it means an even longer, healthier lifestyle.

A friend, who also could use a little push towards “healthy,” doesn’t feel too good about being left alone at McDonald's and yesterday tried to persuade me that “one fry won’t hurt.” One? She knows that there’s no such thing as one! She quickly became defensive of her eating habits, claiming that fast food has no more calories than the dinners I cook at home.

Needless to say, I spent the afternoon arguing with her that the calories she consumes in a single meal at the fast food giant (generally a Big Mac, french fries and an obscenely large coke) are about the same as what I eat in an entire day.

During our spat, she sarcastically called me horrible names such as “vegan" and asked me if I thought I was "too good for normal food” or if I have become “'that girl' who only eats organic.” All because I wouldn't eat a french fry? I didn't have the heart to tell her that I wish I could afford to buy only organic foods, and that I admire people that have the will-power to give up meat.

But the most frustrating part of our conversation was when she told me (while chewing a french fry) that she's looking into weight loss options as well. I felt confused, but glad that she seemed to have some kind of plan and proceeded to ask her what those options were. When she answered, I almost threw her cheeseburger at the wall: “Nip/tuck, baby. Maybe some lipo or a tummy tuck. Or both.” She was serious.

I should have told her that most surgeons will probably advise against it; that she's not a good candidate due to the fact that she is not willing to change her lifestyle. But I highly doubt she wanted to hear my opinion.

It will be interesting to see where we both are a year from now. She truly believes that while our paths to weight loss will be different, the size of our future skinny jeans will be the same. For her sake, I hope she’s right - although it would make it pretty hard to swallow my salad while she devours french fries.

Are You LinkedIn?

2009-07-30T15:48:00.002-06:00

LinkedIn is a top site for social networking, yet it is often overlooked by plastic surgeons. I believe that it's an incredibly valuable tool for any professional, especially doctors.

LinkedIn is a great place to establish yourself or your practice. In this economy, it is vital that you become recognized as an industry leader. By posting your accomplishments and contributing group discussions, you can control your own reputation and publicize your qualifications.

Also, by making your profile public, your prospective patients are able to see your impressive credentials—many of which would otherwise go unknown. I know that when I am researching a service-provider, especially a doctor, I check to see if they have a LinkedIn profile. If they do, I am able to see information about their education, work history and even referrals and testimonials.

In fact, an integral part of LinkedIn is the feature that allows people to recommend you or your service. Past patients, other doctors, and friends can write short recommendations that are then posted on to your profile.

Finally, you can post links to your website or blog on your profile, which is great for driving traffic to your website and also helps with your search engine optimization efforts.

Your profile (or lack thereof) on LinkedIn could be a potential patient’s first impression of your practice. Or, it could be a great place to connect with colleagues and share your expertise. Either way, one thing is for sure: It certainly won't hurt.

Recent Highlights in Cosmetic Surgery Blogs

2009-07-20T10:52:00.006-06:00

Over the past couple of weeks, many great blog entries have come out of plastic surgery blogs. Here are some of the ones we've found that we found especially interesting.

Breast Lift Surgery - Bray Plastic Surgery Blog. An overview of the mastopexy procedure. This common procedure is normally paired with breast augmentation.
Fuller Lips With Lip Augmentation - Summit Plastic Surgery & Med Spa Blog. Learn about different injectable fillers and how they are used to make fuller, sexier lips.
Beautiful Skin by Fraxel - Kim Facial Plastic Surgery Blog. Learn about Fraxel and which level of treatment is right for your skin.
Plastic Surgery: The Art of Identity - Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Blog in New York, NY. Read the fascinating story of Orlan, a feminist artist who uses plastic surgery to reinvent herself as a woman.
Can Breast Implants Correct Inverted Nipples? - Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Blog. Not all blog entries have to be lengthy to be good. This entry answers the popular question in a short and sweet paragraph.
How Plastic Surgery Can Help In Your Job Search - Cosmetic Surgery Center, Dallas. Plastic surgery can be another way to look your best for your interview.

Dysport® Better Than Botox?

2009-07-10T15:45:00.001-06:00

The U.S. FDA recently approved Dysport®, a cosmetic injection comparable to Botox® in fighting wrinkles. While Dysport® works similarly to Botox®, they are considered quite different due to dosing, affordability, and longevity of effectiveness.

Dysport® is said to work much more quickly than Botox®, resulting in fewer side effects because the body doesn’t detect or reject it as quickly. Also, a single injection of Dysport® covers a larger area than Botox® and tends to last longer, so patients require fewer doses, which in turn makes the treatments more affordable.

While Dysport® may be one of the only comparable alternatives to Botox®, I’m not quite convinced that it will be a worthy competitor. Botox® is tried and true and has an incredibly loyal following. From a marketing perspective, it will be interesting to see how Dysport® will attempt to penetrate the market that has for so long belonged to Botox®. Will doctors support the product? Or will they stick to what they’re most comfortable with? I don’t know but I think it will be interesting to see what happens.

Weekly Recap: Great Cosmetic Surgery Blog Entries

2009-06-26T21:26:00.002-06:00

There have been some great blog entries in the cosmetic surgery world this week! I'd like to share some of the better ones I've found with you. Enjoy!

Michael Jackson's Legacy by The Cosmetic Surgery Directory. A reflection on the recent death of the King of Pop, and an expressed hope that he may be remembered for his legacy rather than his surgeries.
Less Cash, More Plastic by the Huffington Post. A look at why consumers in a down economy may turn more and more to cosmetic surgery.
Breast Augmentation & Tummy Tuck: A Safe, Effective, and Popular Combination by The Centre, PC. A great look at the risks, which turn out to be minimal, and the benefits of combining cosmetic procedures.
Experts Discuss Effects of Plastic Surgery on a Teen's Self-Esteem by Cosmetic Surgery Today. A discussion on the moral decisions made by cosmetic surgeons regarding teens and others seeking plastic surgery purely for aesthetic reasons, and how plastic surgery may be effecting teenage self esteem.
Follow us Now on Facebook and Twitter! by The Bougainvillea Clinique. Cosmetic Surgeons getting into social media marketing!

A Quick Note on SEO

2009-06-01T12:36:00.001-06:00

A common misconception about SEO is that it is the type of project that you can do once and call good. In actuality, it is an ongoing process that must be tended to often. Search engines, such as Google, have an astounding list of criteria that is taken into consideration for page ranking. These criteria include everything from keyword density to frequency of page updates. Search engines are getting smarter by the day and are evolving to provide more relevant results. So even if your plastic surgery website has achieved a first page ranking, you’ll need to work hard to maintain this status.

It is best to not only optimize your website once, but regularly. Otherwise your hard earned positioning on the search engines’ listings will be short-lived. An SEO specialist can help your practice achieve and maintain high search engine positioning.

Social Media Marketing Continues to Grow

2009-05-08T11:50:00.002-06:00

With the economy struggling, consumers are searching for more affordable and reliable sources of information for the goods and services that they’re interested in. Your future patients are relying heavily on free sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn and DoctorsNLawyers to research you and your procedures.

Whether researching blogs or browsing recommendations, online word-of-mouth is a cheap, yet valuable resource for consumers. And it’s just as valuable for you.

According to The Economist, online reviews are now a top resource for shoppers. People are digging through social networking sites and turning to surgeons that they can relate to. Potential patients are connecting with your competitor, when they could be scheduling a consultation with you. And don’t forget about the happy patient that is dying to publicly thank you for your flawless work.

Look at it this way: Social media is no longer just “social.” It can become an affordable web marketing tool that you should use to establish yourself as an experienced, knowledgeable and skilled surgeon—a surgeon with a plethora of success stories on your Facebook page.

Welcome

2009-04-22T12:54:00.001-06:00

Welcome to Plastic Web Marketing Blog.