Become a Multi-Generational Practice and Increase Your Revenue

By Robin Ntoh, Nextech VP of Aesthetics for THE 5 GENERATIONS OF AESTHETICS PATIENT PERSONAS – BECOME A MULTI-GENERATIONAL PRACTICE AND INCREASE YOUR REVENUE

Recognize and Adapt to Each Generation’s Behavior

Let’s say your practice is reviewing patient feedback. Some patients love your telephone confirmation system, while others would prefer an online booking method. One patient found the virtual payment portal easy, and another took two hours to figure it out.

Aesthetic practices across the United States are dealing with contradictory feedback, because there are five generations coming to their office—and each generation is visiting in greater numbers.

Over 83% of plastic surgery practices say interest in aesthetic treatments is increasing, even in tough economic times. And the American Society of Plastic Surgeons reports the volume of cosmetic surgery procedures has grown 19% in three years. Globally, total surgical and non-surgical procedures increased 11.2% from 2021 to 2022, according to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. Yet, a huge obstacle for all providers in the aesthetics industry is accommodating the variety of generational preferences.

Becoming a multi-generational practice is not always an easy task, but it leads to a larger patient pool and increased revenue and impact. If you’re ready to reap the rewards of serving five generations, this white paper provides the most effective and easiest ways to become multi-generational.

Becoming Multi-Generational

The first step to becoming a multi-generational office is to understand each generation. Before we discuss their approach to aesthetics, here are some characteristics of the generations walking into your practice.

Silent Generation. Born between 1928 and 1945, this stoic, conformist generation is known for their valiance in World War II and the decades that followed. In a medical practice, they are likely to follow the advice of their doctor, though they may be reluctant to ask questions.
Baby Boomer Generation. Also known as the “Boomers,” this generation started a cultural revolution during the 1960s and 1970s. Born between 1946 and 1964, Boomers are getting older, though most own cell phones and expect a modern experience with opportunities to ask questions.
Generation X. Born between 1965 and 1980, Generation X (Gen X) is at the height of their careers. They prefer efficient and direct medical appointments and are usually up to date with the latest technological trends.
Millennials. The largest population alive today, these digital natives were born between 1981 and 1996. Millennials live in fast mode and expect quick medical appointments using state-of-the-art technology.
Generation Z. The TikTok generation is more entrepreneurial, technological, and depressed than previous generations. Also called “zoomers” or Gen Z, these young adults were born between 1996 and 2012 and have the highest expectations with regard to technology at a healthcare appointment.

It’s All in the Generation

These five generations tend to view the world differently and have varied expectations when they show up at your aesthetic practice. Failure to recognize these differences and adapt how you deliver care could have a negative impact on the patient experience.

More specifically, these generations differ in five ways before and after they walk into your practice:

How they respond to different marketing and advertising styles
What aesthetic treatments they are seeking
Their expectations for retention and loyalty
What provider qualifications they value most
Their communication preferences

With the right technology and strategies, you can create a multi-generational practice that satisfies patients from all five generations, leading to repeat patients and referrals.

Popular Treatments by Generation

Across all generations, 59% of patients are spending more on plastic surgery procedures and 43% are seeking combination procedures with longer lasting results. This is great news for your practice, but it’s important to know the procedures preferred by each generation.

Silent Generation

For the Silent Generation, there’s still a negative stigma around plastic surgery. As a result, they receive aesthetic treatments less often than other generations.

Even so, there are some surgeries that are more popular among these patients—and their preferences are highly influenced based on the results of similar procedures by their Boomer children.

Preferred nonsurgical procedures:

Botox
Fillers

Favorite surgical procedures:

Liposuction
Hair transplantation

Boomers

A quarter of all plastic surgery procedures are performed on Baby Boomers. Following the lead of celebrities such as Jane Fonda, this generation seeks out procedures to age gracefully.

Preferred nonsurgical procedures:

Botox
Fillers

Favorite surgical procedures:

Liposuction
Hair transplantation
Breast augmentation

Gen X

Forty-three percent of cosmetic surgeries are performed on Gen X or Millennial patients. Compared to older generations, Gen X feels more personal and professional pressure to look better.

Preferred nonsurgical procedures:

Botox
Juvederm

Favorite surgical procedures:

Facial rejuvenation
Eyelid lifts
Brow lifts

Millennials

While Gen X receives the most surgical procedures, Millennials aren’t far behind, thanks to their favorite influencers and celebrities destigmatizing plastic surgery. Millennials get plastic surgery at a younger age and are often concerned with how they look now, as well as fending off signs of aging.

Preferred nonsurgical procedures:

Non-invasive fat reduction
Non-surgical skin tightening
Fillers

Favorite surgical procedures:

Liposuction
Breast augmentation
Rhinoplasty

Gen Z

We’ve referenced Gen Z’s reputation as digital natives, but thanks to their love affair with aesthetics, some media outlets also refer to them as aesthetics natives. Due to their constant screen time, zoomers crave the same procedures as their favorite content creators.

Preferred nonsurgical procedures:

Botox
Lip fillers
Chemical peels

Favorite surgical procedures:

Rhinoplasty
Liposuction
Breast implants

With this knowledge, you can design customized marketing blasts for each generation’s preferred procedures. Simply create groups in your EHR system by patients’ birthdates and build out automated marketing campaigns for each generational segment.

From Billboard to #Ad

When you are generating leads for your practice, it’s important to understand where each generation “hangs out” online—or if they’re online at all—to determine how responsive they’ll be to different marketing methods. Filming a TikTok to get more Boomers into your office might not be as beneficial as a Facebook ad, but that same Facebook ad probably won’t reach Millennials.

Silent Generation: Breaking News

The Silent Generation is the most traditional and conformist generation alive. This means they’re more likely to respond to traditional advertisements in offline places, such as newspapers, billboards, direct mail, and TV commercials.

When you market your services to them, here are a few key principles to keep in mind:

Use simple marketing language and visuals.
Since they respond well to authority, highlight your credentials.
To collect leads, include a way they can contact your office via telephone instead of through email or a digital channel.

This group often makes medical decisions with the help of their Boomer offspring, so it might be useful to market to their children as well.

Baby Boomers: I Saw It on Facebook

“OK Boomer,” is a common insult by younger generations, who perceive Boomers as out of touch with technology. In reality, over two-thirds of Boomers have a smartphone and six in 10 are on social media. Their preferred platform is often Facebook, though they’re no strangers to Google searches and email.

When you market your services to them, consider these strategies:

Use Facebook ads and make sure you have a Facebook page where Boomer patients can enter reviews after their appointment.
Since they make decisions from online research and word-of-mouth recommendations, it’s important to have both a digital marketing strategy and a referral strategy targeting this generation.
While they are technologically adept, many prefer to speak to someone on a telephone before making an appointment. Be sure to keep the human touch in your lead generation process.

Gen X: This Could Have Been an Email

Gen X is busy. They’re raising children, managing entire departments at work, and caring for aging parents. As a result, direct marketing channels, such as email marketing, is a rad way to reach them.

When marketing to Gen X, consider:

How can you make your messaging direct and quick? Gen X is often more responsive to quick messages and an even faster way to make an appointment online.
Use rewards programs and discounts. Since they grew up during a recession, they are frugal and may choose an aesthetics practice with a discount or loyalty program over one without.
While this generation likes things to be quick, they are also hesitant to change. It’s best to have two lead collection methods: the online patient portal and a way for them to call, in case they’re looking for a more traditional option to schedule an appointment.

Marketing to Gen X is a balancing act. They are not the intuitive digital natives that Millennials and Gen Z are, but they prefer online communication. When you strike the right balance, you’ll get more Gen X patients in your office.

Millennials: #Marketing

As the first generation to grow up amid the rise of digital technology, social media and email marketing is often seen as on fleek (that’s a good thing) to this generation.

Here are a few Millennial marketing principles to keep in mind:

Millennials spend a larger portion of their time online, and as a result, they are inundated with information. A multichannel marketing campaign where they view ads multiple times before booking an appointment may be effective.
As the first generation with influencers, user-generated content and virtual word-of-mouth marketing play a big role in where they decide to book medical appointments.
This generation has grown up with everything at their fingertips. An EHR with online, 24/7 access will generate more Millennial leads for your practice.

Gen Z: Getting on the For You Page

As the most diverse and technologically savvy generation, any marketing campaign to Gen Z should be digital. These youngsters prefer TikTok to Facebook and expect modern, culturally informed marketing campaigns.

When marketing to Gen Z, here are some marketing principles that will hype them up:

Social justice and technology are highly valued by this generation. Digital marketing campaigns should be culturally inclusive and designed for modern platforms, such as Instagram and TikTok.
Gen Z has the highest rate of depression and anxiety, with many zoomers worrying about debt and finances. Discounts and affordable pricing structures can sell them on your treatments.
As digital natives, Gen Z expects an online patient portal where they can schedule appointments. They are the least likely to book an appointment if they must schedule by phone.

How Provider Qualifications Are Valued

Good news: Your qualifications matter to each generation. But the exact features of your MD that are important differ among generations.

When marketing your treatments or talking to patients in your office, here are the qualifications to keep in mind for each generation:

Silent Generation. This generation already sees you as the qualified expert and will follow treatment plans without hesitation. While this can be a good thing, it also means this generation is less likely to ask questions, which can lead to confusion. You and your team can use the patient teach-back technique, where you ask them to summarize important information back to you to avoid confusion.
Boomers. While they value your medical qualifications, rebellion is in their blood. Boomers are likely to research treatment options before coming to an appointment and prefer an open dialogue style where they can discuss options candidly with you and your staff.
Gen X. Like Boomers, Gen X is more likely to do research before coming into the office. They typically see appointments as a place to discuss options and are more open to alternative healthcare than older generations.
Millennials. For Millennials, great healthcare technology matters as much as your medical qualifications. Because of their passion for authenticity and mental health, they also place value on the doctor-patient relationship.
Gen Z. Efficient healthcare matters to these digital natives. You’ll also want to make sure your treatment options are inclusive and mentally healthy, as this generation values these two elements.

Communication Preferences by Generation

To a Boomer, words like “bet,” “no cap,” and “stan” might sound like a foreign language. Similarly, “wet rag,” “headbanger,” and “the bee’s knees” might be mad cringe to younger generations.

And using the right slang isn’t the only communication difference—and it’s the least important by far.

When communicating with each generation, keep these guidelines in mind:

Phone calls, direct mail, and a personalized touch go a long way with the Silent Generation. Keep your communication with this group old school and easy to understand.
For Boomers, a mixture of some technology, such as email or text reminders about appointments, and traditional communication methods, like a phone call, will go a long way.
Gen X is often short on time, so keep your communication direct and over email or quick phone calls as much as possible.
Gen Z and Millennials prefer email communication. Text message reminders may also be effective with the younger generations, but phone calls are more likely to go unanswered.

To accommodate the variety of communication preferences, you need a versatile EHR and practice management (PM) software that works with telephone, email, and text reminders. A patient portal that’s easy for your staff and younger patients to access is also an asset when it comes to communication.

Expectations for Retention and Loyalty

For many aesthetic practices, patient loyalty is the best marketing strategy. It leads to repeat appointments for procedures such as Botox and more referrals. However, each generation has a different mindset toward brand loyalty:

Silent Generation. Perhaps the most loyal generation alive, these cool cats can become repeat customers if they experience good service and a knowledgeable treatment process. However, true to the generation’s name, they are less likely to refer friends, since they can be silent about their likes and dislikes.
Boomers. When they have a good experience in an aesthetics practice, they are likely to return and refer friends. Boomers value loyalty and will give it in return.
Gen X. When they find a provider they like, Gen X will be loyal for life, especially if you offer a loyalty or rewards program. However, their fast-paced lifestyle makes them less likely to have the time to refer friends.
Millennials. As the most likely generation to post a negative review online, Millennials are important to keep happy. However, they are less loyal than older generations, especially if they don’t feel an authentic connection with the care provider. To retain Millennials, cultivate a strong patient-doctor connection.
Gen Z. Like Millennials, Gen Z prefers a strong patient-doctor connection. However, an efficient and technologically savvy experience is equally important to them. With an efficient patient portal and an integrated EHR and PM system, you can boost the chances of a zoomer returning.

Looking Ahead at the Next Generation

Gen Alpha, those born after 2012, are not yet in the aesthetics game. Even so, it’s likely they will be interested in aesthetics, given that many of their role models and influencers have had plastic surgery, and aesthetic treatments are normalized in their day-to-day life.

Like Gen Z, any healthcare appointments should be integrated with technology. An EHR and patient portal may be even more important to Gen Alpha than any other generation, as research indicates they seldom take action without an easy, technological path.

You’re ready to become a multi-generational practice.

There are clear differences among the five generations, and you don’t want your practice to be square, lame, or cheugy. By accommodating a variety of communication, technological, and treatment preferences, your practice can enjoy the benefits of a multi-generational patient pool.

Fortunately, catering to generational preferences can be simple with the right EHR and PM system. For years, Nextech has helped aesthetic practices become multi-generational, and your practice could be the next to benefit from our versatile and adaptable EHR and PM systems.

Sources

Inaugural ASPS Insights and Trends Report: Cosmetic Surgery 2022

2022 ASPS Procedural Statistics Release

ISAPS International Survey on Aesthetic/Cosmetic Procedures 2022

Millennials Overtake Baby Boomers as America’s largest generation

More Baby Boomers Seek Cosmetic Procedures as They Re-Enter Dating Scene

Plastic Surgery Rockets As Baby Boomers Search for Youth and Beauty

Generation X Leads Boomers in Cosmetic Surgery Procedures

How Millennials Getting Plastic Surgery Is Testing the Hands of Time

Millennials and Cosmetic Procedures: A Rising Trend

A Deep Dive Into Gen Z’s Relationship With Cosmetic Procedures

GenZ Plastic Surgery Craze