im³

About the project

The task: Since aesthetic practices are only in-market for a new marketing agency once every 3 years, we (Incredible Marketing) wanted a way to generate awareness, familiarity, and trust with this massive group of future buyers who weren't interested in our services yet. Which meant offering them something they valued, even when they weren't shopping.

The solution: im³.

im³ started as a branded newsletter, but evolved into its own sub-brand featuring webinars, workshops, resource guides, tutorials, and doctor interviews.

Results: im³ launched in 2015 and contributed to a record-breaking 2016,17, and 18.

Client: Incredible Marketing

Year: 2016-2018

Phase 6: Media Sponsor (2017)

The last iteration of the im³ booth was co-branding with the host of the meeting. Since the exhibit hall is synonymous with sales, we wanted a way to move the im³ booth outside the hall. So we pitched medical associations on being their media sponsor instead. The pitch: In exchange for a promotional video and attendee testimonials that we'd produce for free, we could place our im³ media booth outside the exhibit hall (near the entrance) where nobody would put us in the "sales" box. Interviews skyrocketed- like, by a lot. Not only did more people see us (you couldn't miss us by the entrance), but more people trusted us now that we weren't associated with sales but were associated with the host of the event.

VCS media sponsor

FFAS media sponsor

Global Aesthetics media sponsor

CSFPS media sponsor

VCS promo video

CFSPS promo video

Phase 5: Doctor spotlights (2016)

The second iteration of the im³ booth featured broadcast-style interviews with doctors. Doctors felt more comfortable on camera with someone else, and it relived performance anxiety since we could lead with questions and could follow with answers. At this point, we dropped the "Medical Marketing Minute" from the name since im³ had evolved into so much more. Now, it was just im³ with the tagline "Stay sharp. Start learning." This became our mission: to help aesthetic practices become less dependent on agencies and more capable marketers themselves. Over the course of two years, we interviewed hundreds of doctors. Many of them would become clients later.

VCS 2016

ASPS 2017

VCS 2017

ASPS 2017

ACP 2017

VES 2017

FFAS 2018

ASAPS 2018

Phase 2: Lead magnets (2015)

To grow subscribers, we used our library of resource guides as lead magnets. About as content marketing 2.0 as you get (lol). When we evolved im³ into a trade show exhibit later, we also handed out printed versions of our lead magnets so attendees could read them on their flight home.

The Jackson Pollock Guide to Reputation Management for Doctors

The Incredible DIY Video Studio

How to Create A Blog That Matters

The Kickstarter Guide to Social Media

Call to Action Cheat Sheet

Phase 4: im³ booth (2016)

Next, we took the show on the road. In the medical industry, most doctors do their shopping at their medical society's annual "meeting." We traveled to 60+ shows every year selling Incredible Marketing services. And since most attendees weren't in-market for an agency most of the time (see: only in-market once every three years), the im³ booth served as the perfect opportunity to attract out-of-market buyers. The first iteration of the im³ booth was a workshop theme: We taught doctors how to use their iPhones to shoot educational videos they could share on social media. After they recorded their first video, we even edited them on the spot so they could post their first one. We also handed out printed versions of our lead magnets, raffled off video equipment, promoted webinars, and encouraged attendees to subscribe to im³'s branded newsletter. The im³ booth also served to differentiate us from the other marketing agencies that were only selling services. When asked "How are you different?" We could just walk prospects to our im3 booth and show them.

Im³ started as a branded newsletter called the Incredible Medical Marketing Minute (im³). After initial success, we dropped the "Medical Marketing Minute" part and evolved im3 into its own sub-brand with the mission of giving aesthetic practices the tools and knowledge to become better marketers who were less dependent on agencies. In the end, im³ helped Incredible Marketing grow long-term sales and profit by priming a bigger audience of future buyers to choose us in advance of purchase. By leading with thoughts, ideas, and inspiration (not sales pitches), we were able to appeal to a much bigger audience of potential clients: out-of-market buyers.

Phase 1: im³ branded newsletter (2015)

im³ started as the Incredible Medical Marketing Minute: a biweekly branded newsletter that shared educational content ranging from blog posts, subscriber-only resource guides, webinar invites, curated articles, and free giveaways. Zero product/service pitches. 100% value. im³ helped us generate awareness and trust with out-of-market buyers, but it also helped us keep their attention long-term. We grew im³ to 4,000 subscribers in two years.

Phase 3: Webinar series (2016)

To scale reach and volume without scaling resources we didn't have, we enlisted industry partners who could share marketing-related tips, insights and inspiration that our shared audiences would find relevant. We promoted and hosted them. They presented them. It was a great way to co-brand with industry leaders and to get in front of future buyers who didn't know we existed.