Botox became part of the everyday language since it got approved in 2002 by health authorities to be used as a temporary cosmetic treatment. Beauty clinics would sell it as the best fix for aging, magazines sold articles on which celebrity was the latest to get Botox injections, and it seemed like a new benefit to Botox was shared every other week.
And then, it all stopped. When was the last time you saw the word Botox casually in public? Why don’t we say it anymore?
So what is Botox? It’s short for ‘botulinum toxin’, which is a prescription-only medicine and therefore can’t be advertised directly to the public. Advertising authorities around the world have varying guidelines on how the word can be used, but they all distil down to this essential point: Don’t use the word Botox and other associated words on any promotional material, such as websites or social media posts, and in a way that might attract consumers to do the treatment. Associated words include the full medicine name, ‘botulinum toxin’, as well as brands containing the medicine, such as Vistable, Dysport, Bocouture, and Azzalure.
However, when it is a service that a clinic provides, what does that mean for them? Are they able to talk about it at all?
Stick to the facts!
The good news is that you can still talk about the treatment, but any mentions of Botox will have to stick to the facts. You can say what Botox is, what it does, and how it is used. However, you can’t say what it will treat, so no mentioning platysmal wrinkles, migraines, hyperidrosis, etc. Examples where you can mention Botox include putting it onto patient information leaflets, such as ‘Summary of Product Characteristics’, or ‘List of Active Ingredients’. It also must be done in a way where casual visitors to your website or store can’t come across information about Botox easily.
Talk about your services
So now you know you can mention Botox, but you can’t tell people that you offer Botox treatments, you can’t include Botox on your website, and you can’t mention Botox on social media. What can you do then to tell your customers that you have Botox as a treatment option?
The answer is: advertise yourself!
Instead of focussing on Botox as an available service, focus your consultation services. Tell the public that you offer consultations that will guide them towards the best treatment plans for their health care needs. Advertise your expertise in being able to give your customers expert advice on how to solve their concerns regarding their skin or other health issues.
For example, instead of writing this on your website,
Wrinkles are an inevitable part of life. We have anti-wrinkle treatments that will help you reveal your smoothest and plumpest skin.
Tell your customers this instead,
Wrinkles are an inevitable part of life. We offer various treatments that can help you tackle these lines. Our qualified specialists can give you the best advice on what treatments will be the most effective for you. Contact us to book a consultation with our clinician to begin your journey to brighter, healthier skin.
By placing the focus on your consultation service, casual visitors and customers will not automatically assume Botox. This phrasing also groups all treatment types together, including skin peels, masks, facials, and more. Overall, this tactic will provide you with more opportunities to showcase all the different services and treatment types that you offer.
So while you still can’t mention Botox on your website, ads, and social media posts, you can reframe your content to showcase your skills and services instead. After all, the treatments are only as good as the person administering them, right?
