Are you tired of running into Facebook’s strict advertising policies when it comes to promoting your Botox services? You’re not alone. Many businesses have encountered the same issue, as Facebook does not allow direct ads for botox treatments and prescription-only medicines. But don’t worry; there are still plenty of effective ways to market your business on the platform! However, there is still hope. Today, our Medspa marketing agency will teach you all you need to know to successfully utilize Facebook Ads Manager and other features this platform offers for promoting your medical spa services.
In this article, our digital marketing agency will show you how to run Botox Facebook ads without running afoul of strict rules. You’ll also learn some effective botox social media advertising options that are alternatives to running traditional botox ads on Facebook. We’ll provide step-by-step instructions on how to reach more aesthetics patients without any trouble. You’ll also learn other digital marketing approaches, such as SEO, that medical spas use to get more brand impressions and grow businesses without getting penalized by an ad review team. So, if you’re ready to learn more about botox marketing, read on!
Table of Contents:
- Don’t Try To Advertise Botox On Social Media Before Knowing This
- How can I advertise facial aesthetic treatments on social media channels?
- Can You run Botox ads on Facebook?
- Can You run Google Ads for Botox?
- Advertising Botox – Don’t Break These Rules…
- What Is The Solution? Using SEO instead of Facebook ads
- Need Professional Help? Schedule a Free Call
Don’t Try To Advertise Botox On Social Media Before Knowing This
While there are various ways to promote Botox treatments on social media, you must be careful. The rules for advertising Botox on social media vary depending on the specific platform and the country where the advertisement is being shown.
In general, however, advertising prescription-only medicines, including Botox, is subject to strict regulations designed to ensure that ads are not misleading. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates the advertising of such medicines. It requires that ads include specific information about the risks and potential side effects of Botox. And social media platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram, have advertising policies that may restrict the promotion of drugs and drug-related products. If you are a Medspa owner, it is essential to carefully review the rules and regulations for advertising Botox and other POMs on social media to ensure that your PPC campaigns comply with all applicable laws and policies.
In most cases, you’ll need written permissions and certifications from each social media platform – especially for directly advertising botox treatments. Keep in mind that advertising Botox through influencer marketing is also not allowed.
How can I advertise facial aesthetic treatments on social media channels?
There are a few key things Medspa business owners need to keep in mind when advertising appearance-improvement treatments on social media channels:
- Ensure to follow all relevant laws and regulations, including those related to advertising healthcare services.
- Consider creating educational content that provides valuable information to potential aesthetics patients. For example, you can create posts about the benefits of different treatments and how they can help improve the appearance of the face.
- Use high-quality images and videos to showcase the results of your expert treatments. This will give potential patients a sense of what they can expect by visiting your medical spa.
- Engage with your audience by responding to comments and questions and asking for feedback and reviews from satisfied patients.
- Use targeted advertising to reach aesthetics patients likely to be interested in your Botox treatments. Consider offering special promotions or discounts to encourage them to try your services.
- Don’t use keywords directly related to prescription-only medicines in your PPC campaigns. Otherwise, you might break strict laws that regulate POM advertising.
Can you run Botox ads on Facebook?
Facebook has policies in place to regulate the advertising of pharmaceutical products. These policies are intended to ensure that ads for pharmaceutical products are accurate, safe, and compliant with relevant laws and regulations. In general, ads for prescription-only medicines must be approved by the relevant regulatory authorities and Meta’s ad review team before running them on Facebook.
Even if your medspa gets written permission, you still need to comply with the following rules when running Botox Facebook Ads:
- Only target a potential customer base within eligible countries – this includes the United States, Canada, and New Zealand.
- Don’t target people in countries where Botox is not certified.
- Only target people who are 18+ old.
- Comply with all the other Facebook policies and rules of engagement.
Facebook advertising gets even more strict. Medspas need to be aware that these types of content will be considered a violation of policy by Facebook’s ad review team:
- Promoting POMs without written permission or without following targeting rules.
- Promoting the sale of Botox treatments and other prescription-only medicines.
- Using explicit calls to action or sales language in your CTAs.
- Price listings.
- Offering giveaways and freebies.
- Ad text that suggests direct access to POMs without consultation with experts or without prescription.
But is there a way to run Botox Facebook Ads without written permission? There is, but it is restricted to cases where your ads only:
- Educate, advocate, or give public announcements related to Botox or other prescription-only medicines.
- Promote telehealth services in general. These are medical and health services provided remotely using technology (such as consultations and remote monitoring of patients).
If you violate policies for Facebook advertising, your ad may be disapproved, and you might even have to face additional consequences. For example, your account might get suspended from the platform. If you’re unsure whether your ad complies with Facebook’s rules, contact our PPC agency in Chicago for help.
Why are you not allowed to advertise Botox?
Botox is one of the prescription-only medicines (POMs) that is used for cosmetic purposes to improve the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. Advertising botox on social media is prohibited due to its potential health risks and lack of long-term safety studies. Botox is a form of botulinum toxin, which can cause serious complications when improperly administered. It is one of the prescription-only medicines (POM). Medspas must beware that POM advertising is strictly against Committee of Advertising guidelines.
Additionally, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates the advertising of prescription medications, including Botox. Their ad review team aims to protect public health by ensuring that advertisements are truthful and not misleading. The FDA has not approved the use of Botox for cosmetic purposes, which means that it is not regulated and could potentially be used in ways that are not safe. As such, it is not allowed to be advertised on social media platforms as it could potentially cause harm to those who may not be aware of the risks.
Can I run Google Ads for Botox?
Google Ads are a popular choice for healthcare providers because they allow businesses to reach potential customers at the exact moment they are searching for specific products or services. And with the right strategy, medspas can get the best possible results for their ad spend. But which policies related to prescription-only medicines does Google’s ad review team follow? How do botox ads for Google compare to botox Facebook ads?
Shortly speaking, these two giants have similar policies regarding regulating Botox advertising. Advertisers must be certified by Google to run ads for POMs. The Content of the ads must comply with all applicable laws and regulations, and the landing pages must provide accurate and relevant information. It is also important to note that you are not allowed to target users under the age of 18 with your ads for prescription-only medicines. Offering POMs without a prescription and targeting locations where you are not licensed is also illegal.
Google takes these advertising policies very seriously, and if you break any of the rules, you may not be able to use Google Ads ever again. That’s why we strongly advise against any dirty tricks for advertising Botox.
Advertising Botox – Don’t Break These Rules…
In this section, we will explore guidelines set by the ASA Advertising Standards Authority and discuss how they impact how medspas must approach advertising Botox. ASA guidelines state the following:
- As one of the prescription-only medicines, Botox is not allowed to be advertised to the public.
- Any direct reference to Botox treatments, whether through traditional media channels or digital marketing channels, is considered a breach of rule 12 12.
- Marketing experts who offer non-PMO treatments in addition to Botox can use terms such as “cosmetic fillers” or “injected fillers.” But they need to make sure not to directly mention Botox treatments or imply in any way that their medspa is offering such services with a given ad.
- There mustn’t be the word “Botox” on the homepage of your website. Users casually browsing the internet shouldn’t be able to easily come across your botox treatment services.
Considering all of this, here is the list of things you need to pay close attention to when engaging in botox marketing:
- Make sure your social media posts and ads don’t include the words Botox, Vistabel, Bocouture, botulinum toxin, Azzalure, etc.
- Don’t use language that could directly impact aesthetics patients’ decisions to undergo botox treatments.
- Don’t directly refer to Botox as a solution. Remember that by calling it an “anti-wrinkles injection,” you’ll still be violating guidelines.
- Don’t refer to solutions that go beyond SPC (Summary of Product Characteristics)
Keep in mind that according to ASA guidelines, you can still talk about the botox treatment on your website – but only if you stick to the pure facts. So don’t use persuasive language to evoke emotions. Instead of focusing on benefits, educate your audience about botox treatments and potential side effects.
What Is The Solution? – Using SEO instead of Facebook ads
As you can see, stringent rules are in place for running botox ads on Facebook and Google. That’s why many Medspa business owners seek alternative advertising options and digital marketing strategies to promote botox treatments. And investing in SEO is the best long-term solution for most medical spas.
SEO, or search engine optimization, is a method of improving your website’s visibility in search engines such as Google. This can be a highly effective way to advertise your Botox services because it allows potential customers to find your business when they are actively searching for the types of treatments you offer. With an expert SEO company, you can drive more organic, unpaid traffic to your site. This can be especially beneficial for medspas that offer Botox services, as you won’t risk running afoul of strict Botox Facebook Ads rules. And not to mention that by optimizing your website, you can enhance the user experience and achieve higher conversion rates.
Here you can read a more in-depth comparison of SEO vs PPC.
Other Alternatives for Botox Facebook Ads
Besides SEO, there are also other alternatives to botox Facebook ads. The key is to be creative while still following regulations and ethical norms. Strict rules are there for strong reasons. People’s health needs to be a top priority for everyone involved in the social media marketing industry. Don’t risk anyone’s life just to grow your business. With that in mind, let’s explore some popular alternatives to Botox Facebook ads :
Offer consultation services instead
Advertising consultation services instead of directly advertising Botox treatments can help you avoid strict rules. This is because consultation services like “wrinkle treatments consultations” are not subject to the same regulations as POMs. While botox is one of the treatments for wrinkles, there are many other non-POM treatments too. This way, you can still reach potential clients and help them make informed decisions without risking legal issues or watching how your ad spend goes to waste. Additionally, focusing on consultation services can help you position your business as a trusted source of information and build credibility and trust with your target audience. Just make sure not to manipulate your patients. Let them decide what is best for them.
Educate your audience with blog posts
By providing helpful information, such as risks and best practices when receiving botox, customers can become more comfortable receiving treatment. This will help you build trust and credibility within your target audience. And this will also support your SEO efforts, as you’ll be using various keywords that satisfy the search intents of aesthetics patients. Additionally, if you write high-quality content, people might even start sharing it on social media or directly with their close friends.
To get the most out of your blog posts, make sure to learn how to write a content brief.
Leverage word-of-mouth marketing
Word-of-mouth marketing is an effective way to reach a large audience with limited resources. Potential patients are more likely to trust a friend’s opinion than any advertisement. But to utilize the power of peer-to-peer recommendations, you must be an expert in your field. If your patients are satisfied with your botox treatments, they will likely mention your brand during a casual conversation with their social circle.
Need Professional Help? Schedule a Free Call
Are you a cosmetic specialist looking to promote your botox treatment services? Struggling to find an effective way to reach your target audience? Alpha Efficiency has the expertise and experience to ensure your botox marketing efforts align with the social media marketing industry regulations. With our services, you’ll:
- A customized marketing plan
- Perfect website SEO build
- Desired results without violating any rules
- Comprehensive insights into the performance of your digital marketing campaigns
This will help you:
- Get more brand impressions
- Maximize your reach
- Target the right audience
- Build credibility and trust
- Get the most value for your ad spend
Take the first step towards successful botox marketing today. Schedule a call with Alpha Efficiency and learn more about how we can help you promote your medical spa services.
