Distinguishing Yourself as a Practitioner

Distinguishing oneself successfully, as an aesthetic practitioner, may come naturally to some but for those of us where it doesn’t, there is a method that can be replicated to near certainty: put simply, divide and conquer your target audience. Once you have partitioned your audience, these new sects will be looking for leadership–that’s where you come in. Modern day marketing and influence-building really are that simple! By supplementing the knowledge you already possess with an effective, straightforward guide to build influence, you’ll be well on your way. Now, let’s have a look at the four key steps to distinguishing yourself as an aesthetic practitioner:

Finding A Niche. This step is number one for a reason. Remember how I mentioned partitioning your audience earlier? Finding your niche is crucial for identifying the subgroups that you are most likely to attract, with an ultimate goal of shaping the identity of this group and its consumption habits. For example, at some point non-surgical cosmetics existed within the broader cosmetics group, until someone decided that these people needed their own sect. Nowadays we see more of this funnelling happening and even within subgroups–like the lip Kings and Queens of non-surgical cosmetics, or to go another step deeper, those focussed on natural lip results. 

Drilling down to your core niche will help you distinguish yourself in two very important ways. First, it helps define who you are and what your sphere of influence is, just as you’ve done with your audience. A well-defined niche should be self-explanatory, thus making your marketing as organic as possible. Secondly, your niche will attract those who have long been grouped with others similar to them, but who have yearned for a community more focused on their (and your!) specific interest. And by helping to create this space, you will be well-positioned to lead and establish your authority.

Invariably the toughest part of finding this niche is finding it. But the most straightforward way I’ve found to approach it is by listing all the different types of clients you have and analyze some of their distinguishing features: treatment type, presentation or specific demographic are all great starting points. From there, choose one of those subgroups and ask yourself “how can I best serve them?” Oh, and if you’re afraid of alienating other existing clients, consider creating new social media accounts and patient facing platforms that demonstrate your new focus. 

You’ll know that you’ve nailed your niche when your influence in the space begins to expand and your message begins to resonate with those whom you’ve attracted. You also now know where to focus the majority of your attention.

Creating A Pitch. Once you have discovered your niche, you’ll now need to communicate your value and vision to the group. Straightforward right? Actually, no. The challenge here is to succinctly state what you can do for your target audience, but with an eye for what distinguishes you from other practitioners vying for their attention. If you browse the Instagram bios of most aesthetic practitioners, you’ll find nothing that communicates how what they do is any different from the rest. In fact, without the photo, most profiles would come off exactly the same. 

A good pitch combines what + how + who; for example:

What = under-eye enhancement

How = non-surgical

Who = people with puffy eyes

Publishing. Publishing in the world of aesthetics serves the very important purposes of expanding your reach and establishing yourself as a thought leader in your newfound niche. Putting your ideas to paper will boost what I like to call your “trust score,” like a credit score for your professional credibility. And as your trust score grows, so too does your influence and marketability within the space. More often than not, practitioners fail to publish because they have no area of focus; they’re generalists who rarely possess a sub-topic on which they feel like an authority. But if you’ve mastered the previous two steps, you already possess the focus and confidence required to transition from a consumer to a sharer of knowledge. 

These original pieces will further distinguish you from the pack and help to begin turning the tides of competitive market pricing in your favour. Most of us know celebrated aesthetic practitioners; they are often the ones publishing books and articles, because they know just how important thought leadership is for building a brand. And while their service prices are always far-higher than the industry average, their businesses will continue to thrive. 

Creating A Product. The final step in distinguishing yourself as an aesthetic practitioner is to create a product that leverages your knowledge and services a specific need of individuals in your niche. As with the target audience itself, there are boundless possibilities for the size, scope and purpose of your creation; successful products can come in the form of treatment instruments for other practitioners, beauty products sold directly to the consumer and even online courses for colleagues and laypeople alike.

A product speaks directly to your authority and expertise in an area, so make it personal, and if applicable, something you yourself would use. Building a successful line of products will bring you into the coveted realm of multiple income streams, but more importantly, it will further establish your brand and continue to distinguish you amongst your peers.

So to the majority of aesthetic practitioners, those who say they are struggling to stand out: rather than fear growing competition in the industry, see it as the opportunity that I believe it is. If you follow the above steps that I’ve laid out, you will have no problem distinguishing yourself, even as more practitioners enter the field. You see, as an established authority in your space, two sets of clients will begin to emerge: the general public who want to purchase your products and your peers who will be keen to learn from you. And for those who invest in their influence, the possibilities are endless.