Attracting Patients: Are You Catering to Zillennials?
The “prime” aesthetic patients to market toward are millennials and Gen Zers. By now, millennials are experiencing collagen loss and seeing more prominent signs of aging; many may also be mothers now, so medical aesthetic procedures are becoming something to consider. On the other side of the spectrum, Gen Z is just old enough to begin preventative treatment plans like baby Botox or bimonthly facials—but they’re still young enough to have smooth, collagen-packed skin that immediately snaps back into place.
Riiiigghhht in the middle of millennial and Gen Z patients are zillennials, which Boston University sociology professor Deborah Carr describes as “a small cohort born between the early 1990s and the early 2000s. They’re on the cusp of Gen Z and millennial, thus the mash-up label of zillennial.” Zillennials were only babies when 9/11 happened, but they were old enough to grow up with the evolution of technology—they actually know what VHS tapes and landline phones are.
This special generation is often a forgotten one in the medical aesthetics industry. Researchers are still working to pinpoint the definitive zillennial birth years, but it could be anywhere from 1992 to 2002. It’s a small window, but according to Forbes magazine, there are about 30 million zillennials out there who are ready and willing to spend their money.
MeyCo Marketing CEO Catherine White says that these patients respond best to select marketing practices. While Gen Z might respond better to TikTok advertising, and millennials to email or Instagram marketing, zillennials are completely different…
Less likely to call your office to schedule an appointment
More attracted to online booking options, like text messaging
Prefer a convenience-centered UX
Up to 80% of zillennials patronize well-meaning companies that support important causes or adhere to ethical manufacturing practices
70% of zillennials are willing to submit their personal information (cell numbers, email addresses, etc.) in exchange for discounts
For medical aesthetic practices, zillennial patients are a hidden market that is just waiting to be tapped into. According to the New York Post, zillennials’ significant spending power makes them even more likely to spend higher amounts of money on products and services—they appreciate quality, especially when a business’s values align with their own.
As we approach Q4, making plans to end 2023 with completed practice growth and marketing goals, be sure to consider the various age ranges of your patient base. It’s important to keep the incoming generations in mind when marketing what you offer, and cater to those generations as well to ensure long-term practice success.
