In an industry as competitive as aesthetics, having a great service and patient experience is only part of the equation. The reality is, your online presence can make or break your practice. In this episode, host Michael Walker sits down with returning guest Naren Arulrajah, CEO of Ekwa Marketing, to discuss what separates thriving aesthetic practices from those that fail to grow.
Many practice owners underestimate the power of a structured marketing plan. Some rely on short-term tactics like paid ads, social media promotions, or word-of-mouth. While these can help, they aren’t enough to build lasting visibility. The practices that dominate their markets do so because they invest in long-term marketing strategies, ensuring they consistently attract and retain high-value patients.
A well-thought-out 6-month marketing plan allows aesthetic practices to:
- Build strong SEO rankings so they show up in patient searches
- Avoid overspending on paid advertising by leveraging organic reach
- Adapt to Google’s ever-changing algorithms to stay ahead of competitors
- Track key performance metrics that drive patient growth
- Create a predictable and sustainable patient flow
On the flip side, practices that operate without a structured marketing plan often struggle with visibility, patient retention, and unpredictable revenue. If your practice is experiencing fluctuating patient volume, low online engagement, or ineffective advertising, this episode will give you actionable insights to turn things around.
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Key Highlights
- 00:06 – Welcome & Introduction
- Host Michael Walker welcomes listeners and introduces the episode.
- Shoutout to Ekwa Marketing, the episode sponsor, offering a free marketing strategy consultation.
- 01:00 – Episode Theme: Why a 6-Month Marketing Plan is Essential
- The most successful aesthetic practices follow structured marketing plans.
- Introduction to the guest speaker, Naren Arulrajah, CEO of Ekwa Marketing.
- 02:09 – Guest Introduction: Naren Arulrajah
- Naren’s background as a serial entrepreneur and marketing expert.
- Ekwa Marketing supports 500+ practices worldwide in SEO and digital marketing.
- 03:17 – Why a 6-Month Marketing Plan So Critical to the Growth of Your Practice?
- SEO is the most cost-effective way to attract new patients.
- Google Ads can cost 5-10x more than organic search engine rankings.
- 06:12 – How Google’s Algorithm Affects Aesthetic Practices
- Google makes 3,000+ updates per year to its search algorithm.
- The need to adjust marketing plans every 6 months to stay competitive.
- 08:36 – Why Do Some Aesthetic Practices Struggle?
- Practices without a structured marketing strategy struggle with visibility and patient flow.
- Relying on short-term paid advertising is expensive and unsustainable.
- 11:20 – The ‘Unfair Advantage’ of a Strong SEO Strategy
- 95% of free Google traffic goes to the top 5% of businesses ranking well.
- Having a 100+ keyword ranking strategy ensures long-term patient growth.
- 17:06 – Why Most Marketing Companies Fail to Deliver Long-Term Results
- Many marketing companies focus on short-term gains, but a real plan builds long-term success.
- Practices need specialized teams working on SEO, content, backlinks, and analytics.
- 19:46 – What Makes a Marketing Plan Effective?
- Number of keywords ranking on Page 1 of Google (Goal: 100+)
- Monthly new patient calls generated from marketing (Goal: 20–40+)
- Google reviews per month (Goal: at least 10 for small practices, 15+ for larger ones)
- Call conversion rate (Goal: 70%+ of new callers should book an appointment)
- 25:46 – The Role of Practice Owners in Marketing Success
- Owners must track their marketing results to ensure success.
- Quarterly reviews help practices adjust their strategy based on performance data.
- 33:45 – Why Marketing is NOT ‘Set It and Forget It’
- Marketing is an ongoing process, requiring consistent strategy updates.
- Google’s frequent updates make static strategies ineffective.
- 35:26 – How to Start Building a 6-Month Marketing Plan
- Step 1: Assess your current marketing performance.
- Step 2: Book a free marketing strategy meeting to create a customized 12-month plan.
GUEST – NAREN ARULRAJAH
Naren Arulrajah is the founder and CEO of Ekwa Marketing, which brings together global experts in digital marketing to an online presence of approximately 200 practices across the globe–from start-ups to growing businesses, including those going through mergers and acquisitions. He was honored by AceTech Ontario in 2014 with their Leadership Initiative Award.
Giving back to the medical community has been a vital component in Naren’s career, and he believes deeply in fostering a philanthropic environment.
Naren is also known for his services as a speaker, consultant, author, and inspirational innovator.
Website: www.ekwa.com
HOST – MICHAEL WALKER
Michael Walker is a seasoned leadership coach and analyst (Q.MED) who is passionate about adding value to individuals and helping them unlock their untapped potential. With over 35 years of diverse business experience, he specializes in organizational development, succession planning, conflict resolution, and mediation.
As a Qualified (Q.MED) mediator with the ADR Institute of Canada and an Analyst (WFA) with the Workplace Fairness Institute, Michael has a strong foundation in conflict resolution and workplace dynamics.
His expertise extends to providing workshops and seminars that equip participants with practical tools to apply immediately for improved relationships, fairness, innovation, productivity, and profitability.
Michael is dedicated to supporting personal and professional transformations and is committed to helping individuals achieve greater financial, relational, physical, spiritual, and emotional prosperity through his coaching and advisory services.
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Category: Business of Aesthetics Podcast