Med Spa MarketingStrategy and Planning

Most medspa marketing plans aren't plans.

They're a list of random tactics. A facial special when the schedule looks light. A Facebook boost when a new device shows up. A holiday sale that gets thrown together two days before the holiday.

Then the owner wonders why revenue swings up and down every month.

I've been building medspa marketing plans for 12 years. I've done it as a CMO, as a COO, as a clinic owner, and now for the clinics we work with at Marketing Party.

And I can tell you this: the medspas that consistently break revenue records don't market harder. They market on a calendar.

I'm not going to give you fluff in this post.

I'm going to give you the exact framework I've used for over a decade, including:

• The two categories every medspa marketing plan needs
• The 7 pillars of new patient acquisition
• The lead nurture sequence we build for every service
• A month-by-month retention calendar you can copy
• Why Q4 should be the biggest quarter of your year

Let's dive in.

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Quick Answer: What Should a Medspa Marketing Plan Include?

A medspa marketing plan should cover a full 12 months and be split into two categories: new patient acquisition and retention. Acquisition includes your website, CRM, Google Ads, Meta ads, Google Business Profile, community events, and referrals. Retention uses a calendar of SMS and email campaigns tied to holidays and seasonal sales.

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The Two Categories of Every Medspa Marketing Plan

Before you spend a dollar on ads, you need to understand this.

Every medspa marketing plan is built on two categories:

Category 1: New patient acquisition. Bringing people who have never visited your clinic through the door.

Category 2: Retention. Getting the patients you already have to come back, buy again, and spend more.

Most clinics put 100% of their energy into Category 1.

That's a mistake. You're paying to generate leads every single month. If you're not marketing to those people after they come in, you're leaving your easiest revenue on the table.

The best plans run both categories at the same time, all year long.

Let's start with acquisition.

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Category 1: New Patient Acquisition

New patient acquisition is built on seven pillars.

Each one supports the others. Skip one, and the whole system gets weaker.

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Pillar 1: Your Website

Your website is the foundation of your entire marketing plan.

Every ad you run, every Google search, and every social media post eventually sends people to your site. If your website doesn't convert, you're paying for traffic that leaves.

Here's what a medspa website needs.

Build It to Convert, Not Just Look Pretty

A beautiful website that doesn't generate leads is an expensive brochure.

Your site should make it obvious what you offer, why patients should choose you, and how to take the next step.

Put a Lead Form With an Intro Offer on Every Service Page

This is one of the biggest mistakes I see.

A patient lands on your Emsculpt Neo page, reads about it, gets excited, and has no clear way to act except "Call us."

Every service page should have a lead form with an intro offer specific to that service.

Someone reading about body contouring should see a body contouring offer. Someone reading about facials should see a facial offer.

Redirect Leads Straight to a Booking Page

Once someone fills out the intro offer form, don't send them to a generic "Thank you" page.

Send them directly to a booking page.

They're at their highest point of interest right now. Give them the chance to lock in a time before life gets in the way.

Build an SEO and AEO Plan

Your service pages should rank at the top of Google for two types of searches:

• [Service] near me (example: "Emsculpt Neo near me")
• [Service] in [city] (example: "Emsculpt Neo in Houston")

That means building a dedicated, fully optimized page for every service you offer, not cramming everything onto one "Services" page.

It also means optimizing for AEO, or answer engine optimization. More patients are asking ChatGPT, Gemini, and Google's AI Overviews which clinic to choose. Clear, direct answers on your service pages help you show up there, too.

For the full breakdown, read my guide to SEO and AEO for medspas.

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Pillar 2: Your CRM

Your website captures the lead.

Your CRM decides whether that lead turns into a patient.

At Marketing Party, GoHighLevel is our preferred CRM. There are other great CRMs out there, but whatever you use, it needs to do three things well.

Build a Lead Nurture Workflow for Every Service Form

Every service form on your website should trigger its own nurture sequence.

A patient interested in hyperbaric oxygen therapy has completely different questions than a patient interested in NeoGen. Your follow-up should reflect that.

Use a 7-Day Impulse Nurture, Then a 120-Day Long-Term Nurture

Here's the structure we recommend:

Days 1–7: Impulse nurture. This is a short, focused sequence that answers common questions and creates urgency to book. The lead just raised their hand, so this is when they're most likely to act.

Days 8–120: Long-term nurture. If they haven't booked after seven days, they move into a longer sequence. This keeps your clinic top of mind with education, results, and offers until they're ready.

Not everyone books right away. Some patients think about a treatment for months. The 120-day sequence makes sure you're the clinic they remember when they finally decide.

Call Every Lead Within 5 Minutes

This is non-negotiable.

Any lead that comes in needs a phone call within five minutes, while your clinic is still top of mind.

Research published in the Harvard Business Review found that companies that contacted online leads within an hour were nearly seven times more likely to qualify them than companies that waited even one hour longer.

In the medspa world, I've found the window is even shorter. Patients often submit forms from their phones late at night or on a lunch break. If you wait until tomorrow, someone else gets the booking.

If you want to see how we automate this, read GoHighLevel for medspas.

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Pillar 3: Google Ads

If I had to pick one paid channel for most medspas, it would be Google Ads.

Here's why.

Google Ads Capture High-Intent Traffic

When someone searches "IV therapy near me," they aren't casually scrolling. They're actively looking for a clinic.

That's why Google Ads is especially powerful for multi-service medspas and wellness centers. You can drive leads for every single service you offer based on what people are already searching for.

In my experience, Google Ads is the paid channel with the highest return on ad spend for medspas.

Build a Keyword Strategy for Each Service

Don't lump all your services into one campaign.

Build a keyword strategy for each service. The most popular keywords typically follow the "[service] near me" format, like:

• Emsculpt Neo near me
• Hyperbaric oxygen therapy near me
• IV therapy near me
• Red light therapy near me

Prioritize Search Campaigns First

To get the most out of your budget, prioritize search campaigns.

Search puts your clinic in front of people at the exact moment they're looking for your services.

If you have a YouTube channel and video content, it's also worth putting part of your budget toward YouTube advertising. It builds familiarity with your brand and supports your other campaigns.

Track the Right Conversions

This is where a lot of clinics waste money.

If Google doesn't know which clicks turn into leads, it can't optimize your campaigns. Make sure you're tracking three conversions on your website:

• Lead form submissions
• Booked appointments
• Phone calls

Phone calls are especially easy to miss. Google's guide to phone call conversion tracking walks through the options.

Keep Your Radius Tight

Depending on the service and your competition, we recommend targeting a 6–8 mile radius around your clinic.

Patients rarely drive 30 minutes for a facial when there's a medspa down the street.

The exception is rural markets. If you're outside a major metro, you can expand your geo-targeting because patients are used to driving farther.

For the full playbook, read Google Ads for medspas.

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Pillar 4: Meta Ads (Facebook and Instagram)

Google captures people who are already searching.

Meta helps you reach people who aren't searching yet.

Facebook and Instagram ads are a great way to drive colder traffic and reach new audiences. Many patients don't know a treatment like Emsculpt Neo or NeoGen exists until they see it in their feed.

Use at Least 4 Videos and 2 Graphics per Service Campaign

Creative is what makes or breaks Meta ads.

Every campaign for every service should have a minimum of:

• 4 video ads
• 2 graphic ads

Different patients respond to different creative. One person stops scrolling for a provider explaining the treatment. Another stops for a before-and-after. Another stops for a simple offer graphic.

More creative gives Meta more options to find what works, and it keeps your ads from getting stale.

For creative examples and targeting strategy, read Facebook and Instagram ads for medspas.

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Pillar 5: Google Business Profile

Your Google Business Profile is one of the most important marketing assets your medspa owns.

It's often the first thing a patient sees when they search for your clinic.

Make Reviews a Weekly Priority

Google reviews are one of the top drivers of local rankings.

Google says local results are based on relevance, distance, and prominence, and its Business Profile guidelines note that more reviews and positive ratings can help your local ranking.

In my experience, review velocity, or how consistently you earn new reviews, is one of the biggest factors in how well a medspa ranks.

Your goal should be a minimum of 3–5 new Google reviews every week.

Ask for Reviews After the First Visit

The best time to ask for a review is right after a patient's first visit.

That's when the experience is fresh, and they're most excited about choosing your clinic.

Build the review request into your CRM so it goes out automatically. Don't rely on your front desk remembering to ask.

List Every Service, and Match Your Website

Make sure every service you offer is listed on your Google Business Profile with a title and description.

Here's the important part: those titles and descriptions should exactly match what's on your website.

When your profile and your site say the same thing, Google has a much clearer picture of what you offer.

For the full walkthrough, read how to get more Google reviews for your medspa.

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Pillar 6: Community Networking

This is the pillar most medspas ignore.

And it's one of the most powerful ways to build a local brand that digital ads can't replicate.

Build a Pop-Up Event Calendar 60 Days in Advance

Plan your community events at least 60 days ahead.

Great opportunities include:

• Local 10K runs and marathons
• Fall festivals
• Farmers markets
• High school events
• Local sporting events

When events are planned in advance, you have time to secure your spot, prep your materials, and promote your appearance.

Partner With Local Businesses

Some of the best pop-ups happen inside other businesses that share your ideal patient.

The best partners include:

• Gyms
• Pilates studios
• Chiropractors
• Coffee shops
• Meal prep companies

These businesses already have your ideal patients walking through their doors every day.

Make Everything Branded

When you show up to an event, look like a brand people will remember.

That means a branded tent, a branded tablecloth, and printed marketing materials people can take home with them.

Add a QR code to your printed materials that leads to an intro offer form. That way, your event leads flow straight into your CRM nurture sequence.

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Pillar 7: Referrals

Your happiest patients and your community partners are a referral engine waiting to be turned on.

Leverage Your Community Partners

The same gyms, Pilates studios, and chiropractors you partner with for pop-ups can also send you referrals.

Give them a reason to do it. Offer their members a special deal, or reward the partner when they send patients your way.

Always Promote Referrals to Loyal Patients

Identify your most loyal patients and make referral promotion a constant part of your marketing.

These patients already love your clinic. Most of them would happily send friends your way if you simply asked and made it worth their while.

For program ideas, read medspa referral programs that work.

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Category 2: Retention Marketing

Now let's talk about the category that separates good medspas from record-breaking ones.

Retention.

Every month, you're generating leads and new patients. It's your job to keep marketing to them, every single month, whether they've bought once, bought ten times, or haven't bought at all yet.

Your two main retention tools are SMS campaigns and email campaigns.

The key is building a calendar that tells you exactly when every campaign goes out.

Quick note before you start texting: SMS marketing falls under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, so make sure you have clear consent from every contact. The FCC's guide on robocalls and texts is a good starting point.

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How to Run a Holiday Sale Campaign (Labor Day Example)

Before we get to the full calendar, here's exactly how to structure a holiday sale.

Let's use Labor Day weekend as an example. The sale runs Thursday through Monday (Labor Day).

Send	Day	Message
SMS + Email #1	Monday before Labor Day	Announce the upcoming sale
SMS + Email #2	Wednesday	"The sale goes live tomorrow!"
SMS + Email #3	Thursday	"The sale is live! Call [phone number] or walk in to purchase."
SMS + Email #4	Saturday	"Only available this weekend."
SMS + Email #5	Labor Day (Monday)	"Last day to claim. We close at [time]."

That's five touchpoints across one week.

It might feel like a lot. It isn't. Your patients are getting dozens of holiday sale messages from other brands, and a single announcement gets buried.

Why You Should Be Open on Labor Day and Memorial Day

I always recommend staying open on Labor Day and Memorial Day.

Here's why: people aren't working. They're home, they're bored, and they're ready to do something and buy something.

If your clinic is closed, that money goes somewhere else.

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The 12-Month Medspa Marketing Calendar

Here's the retention calendar I've used for years. Copy it, plug in your offers, and schedule your SMS and email campaigns in advance.

Month	Campaign	Timing
January	New Year, New Me (or New Year, New Skin for aesthetic clinics)	All month
February	Valentine's Day	February 1–14
March	Spring Break Super Sale	Third or last week of the month
April	Spring Refresh	Mid-to-late April
May	Memorial Day Weekend Sale	Week of Memorial Day
June	Summer Sale and Father's Day	Throughout June
July	Christmas in July	Throughout July
August	Back to School	Throughout August
September	Labor Day Weekend Sale	Week of Labor Day
October	Spooky Specials	Last week of October
November	Black Friday Week	Monday before through the Sunday after Black Friday
December	12 Days of Christmas	The 12 days leading up to December 23

Let's break down the most important ones.

January: New Year, New Me

January is when people are motivated to make a change.

Run this campaign the entire month. If you're an aesthetic-focused clinic, "New Year, New Skin" is a great twist.

February: Valentine's Day

Run your Valentine's campaign from February 1 through February 14.

Gift cards, couples treatments, and "treat yourself" offers all perform well here.

March: Spring Break Super Sale

March is a huge month.

This is where momentum really starts to kick in for medspas. Patients start thinking about summer, vacations, and looking their best.

I've always run a Spring Break Super Sale during the third or last week of March.

May: Memorial Day Weekend Sale

Run your Memorial Day sale the week of Memorial Day, and stay open on the holiday itself.

In my experience, this is the third-largest sales weekend of the year for medspas, behind Labor Day and Black Friday week.

June and July: Summer Sale, Father's Day, and Christmas in July

June is about summer-ready treatments and Father's Day offers.

In July, Christmas in July gives patients a fun reason to buy mid-year when many clinics go quiet.

August and September: Back to School and Labor Day

Back to School is a great time to target parents who finally have time for themselves again.

Then Labor Day weekend follows the exact same structure as Memorial Day, and it's one of your biggest sales weekends of the year.

October: Spooky Specials

Run your Spooky Specials during the last week of October, leading into Halloween.

November: Black Friday Week

This is the biggest sales week of the year.

Start your sale on the Monday before Black Friday and end it on the Sunday after.

December: 12 Days of Christmas

Run a 12 Days of Christmas campaign in the 12 days leading up to December 23.

Feature a different offer each day. It gives patients a reason to open every message.

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Why Q4 Should Be Your Biggest Quarter

Q4 is built for retention marketing.

I've run this strategy for 10 years, and Q4 months have consistently been record-breaking months for the medspas that adopt it.

Think about what happens by October.

You've spent nine months generating leads, booking consults, and bringing in new patients. Your database is bigger than it's been all year.

Now you hit them with Spooky Specials, Black Friday week, and 12 Days of Christmas, back to back.

That's the payoff of running both categories together. The acquisition work you did all year builds the database. Retention marketing turns that database into your best months.

You should always be tapping into your database. Always marketing to new guests. Always marketing to current guests.

Every month.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How far in advance should I plan my medspa marketing?

Plan your marketing calendar for the full year, and prepare each campaign at least 60 days before it launches. That gives you time to create offers, design creative, build SMS and email sequences, and book community events.

What is the best month for medspa sales?

November is typically the strongest month because of Black Friday week, and Q4 overall tends to be the biggest quarter for medspas that run consistent retention campaigns. March is also a key month when spring and summer demand starts building.

Should a medspa use Google Ads or Meta ads?

Most medspas should use both. Google Ads captures patients already searching for your services and often delivers the highest return, while Meta ads reach new audiences who don't know about a treatment yet.

How many Google reviews should a medspa get per week?

Aim for a minimum of 3–5 new Google reviews per week. The easiest way to hit that goal is to automatically request a review after each patient's first visit.

How long should a medspa lead nurture sequence be?

We recommend a 7-day impulse nurture focused on answering questions and booking, followed by a 120-day long-term nurture for leads who don't book right away.

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Conclusion

A great medspa marketing plan isn't a list of random promotions.

It's a 12-month system.

To recap:

• Split your plan into two categories: new patient acquisition and retention
• Build acquisition on seven pillars: your website, CRM, Google Ads, Meta ads, Google Business Profile, community networking, and referrals
• Call every lead within five minutes and nurture them for 120 days
• Run a retention calendar every month using SMS and email
• Stay open on Memorial Day and Labor Day
• Go all-in on Q4, when your database is at its biggest

Start this week by mapping out your next 90 days of campaigns. Once you see your year on a calendar, you'll never go back to last-minute promotions again.

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