Patient Acquisition for Florida Plastic Surgery Practices
Multi-channel acquisition tuned for the 60-180 day consideration cycle that defines elective plastic surgery decisions. Google, Meta, Instagram, RealSelf, YouTube, physician referrals — coordinated with long-cycle nurture built in.
How plastic surgery prospects actually decide
Elective plastic surgery decisions are among the longest consideration cycles in healthcare — 60 to 180 days from first search to booked consultation is typical. Prospects touch a practice 5-10 times through various channels before scheduling a consultation. They evaluate before/after galleries obsessively. They research board certification credentials. They compare 3-5 surgeons before booking. They consult with partners, family, or friends. They investigate financing options. They ask about recovery time and time-off requirements. Every one of these decision inputs represents a touchpoint marketing must serve.
Channels we run for plastic surgery
Google Search Ads
High-intent channel for procedure-specific searches. “Rhinoplasty [city],” “breast augmentation surgeon,” “tummy tuck [city].” CPC ranges $15-60 for competitive procedures. Cost per booked consultation typically $150-500. High CPA justified by high per-case value.
Meta Ads and Instagram
Critical for plastic surgery consideration. Instagram dominates the aesthetic surgical consideration phase — prospects follow surgeons for weeks or months before consulting. Meta consideration campaigns with before/after content (compliance-appropriate), procedure education, and surgeon personality content nurture the long consideration cycle.
RealSelf
RealSelf is a major platform for plastic surgery consideration. A well-maintained RealSelf presence with regular Q&A responses, procedure posts, patient reviews, and community engagement drives significant consultation volume. Some practices report RealSelf as their #1 or #2 acquisition channel.
YouTube consideration content
Long consideration cycles favor educational YouTube content — procedure explanations, recovery timelines, “what to ask your surgeon” content, patient journey videos. Positions the surgeon as thought leader and reduces friction in the consideration phase.
Physician referral outreach
OB-GYNs refer breast reconstruction patients. General surgeons and oncologists refer post-cancer reconstruction. PCPs refer weight-loss and body contouring patients. Dermatologists sometimes refer facial rejuvenation cases beyond their non-surgical scope.
Directory optimization
American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) member directory, American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), RealSelf, Healthgrades, Vitals. ASPS/ASAPS credentials are dispositive for many prospects.
Retargeting and long-cycle email nurture
The highest-ROI ad type given the long consideration cycle. Website visitors get procedure-specific retargeting for weeks/months. Email nurture sequences deliver educational content, patient stories, financing information, and consultation booking prompts throughout the 60-180 day journey.
What plastic surgery ad budgets look like in Florida
- Solo board-certified surgeon: $8,000-20,000/month combined
- Multi-surgeon practices: $15,000-40,000/month
- International/surgical vacation market: $20,000-60,000/month with Spanish-language layer
- Reconstructive-focused: $6,000-15,000/month (referral-heavy channel mix)
Patient acquisition FAQ
How long until new consultations arrive?
First Google Ads inquiries within 7 days. First booked consultations typically 14-30 days out from launch. Long consideration means the full pipeline takes 60-90 days to stabilize.
How do you handle before/after photo marketing?
Rigorously. Photo consent workflows capture written patient consent with scope specification (website, social, ads, print). Photos not used publicly without proper documentation. Meta and Google have specific rules for aesthetic surgical before/after content — we design creative that complies.
What about celebrity or influencer partnerships?
Case-by-case evaluation. Some plastic surgery practices benefit from influencer partnerships; others do not need them and the marginal cost/complexity is not worth it.