Are you posting on Instagram and feeling like it’s an absolute waste of time? Getting a few measly likes, maybe a share here and there, or worse… complete radio silence on your posts?
Stop right there.
You’re probably making the same Instagram mistakes I see hundreds of medical aesthetic practices making every single day. And trust me, it’s likely just the smallest tweaks that could make the biggest difference to your growth.
Even if you’re thinking, “But I follow [insert Instagram expert here] and do exactly what they tell me to do!” there could be tiny mistakes sabotaging your results before you even realize it.
After analyzing hundreds of medical aesthetic practice accounts, I’ve identified the exact patterns that separate practices with waiting lists from those still struggling to fill their appointment books. Today, I’m breaking down the 12 biggest Instagram mistakes that are absolutely destroying your practice’s performance – and more importantly, giving you the exact fixes to turn things around.
Why Your Instagram Content Is Underperforming (And How to Tell)
Before we dive into the mistakes, let’s talk about what underperforming content actually looks like. I’m talking about posts getting engagement rates in the bottom 20% for medical aesthetic practices:
- Static posts: 0.5% engagement rate and under
- Reels: 1% engagement rate and under
But here’s the thing… you can’t judge performance by likes and comments alone. Sometimes a reel with massive views but low engagement is actually performing well because the algorithm is showing it to tons of people. The key is tracking your data and comparing posts against your own baseline, not someone else’s highlight reel.
Unless you’re tracking your Instagram analytics, you’re flying blind – Grab your tracking sheet here.
The Big 5: Instagram Mistakes That Are Absolutely Destroying Your Performance
1. Stock Images That Scream “Swipe Right Past This”
This mistake makes me want to throw my phone across the room. I see so many practices posting generic stock photos of perfect models getting facials, random footage of skincare bottles lined up like we’re at a pharmacy, and overly edited “meet the team” photos where everyone looks like they stepped out of a magazine.
Here’s the brutal truth: Nobody engages with stock images anymore.
Think about it. When you’re scrolling through your friend’s Instagram and they post a gorgeous selfie, you might double-tap and comment “You look amazing!” But when was the last time you engaged with a stock photo of skincare products?
Never. Because it’s not social.
Even if you’re running a 90% off sale on those beautiful serums, people aren’t buying from a product shot. Go look at your analytics right now – I guarantee those skincare product posts have terrible engagement rates.
The Fix:
- Use real pictures of real people from your practice
- Show actual treatment rooms in action
- Post authentic before-and-after transformations with proper consent
- Skip the “meet the team” lineup and instead, create engaging content like “If someone new joined our practice, who would you warn them about on staff?” (This type of content goes viral because it builds curiosity and personality)
Bottom line: Something is NOT better than nothing. If you don’t have authentic content to post, skip the day entirely.
2. Terrible Hooks and Generic B-Roll Killing Your Videos
This is huge for reels, and I see it everywhere. Practices start their videos with generic B-roll footage – slow-motion shots of serums, someone getting a facial, bubbling creams – and wonder why nobody watches past the first three seconds.
What happens? Swipe, swipe, swipe. Nobody ever gets to the actual valuable content.
Then there are the weak introductions: “Hi, I’m Dr. Smith, and I want to talk to you today about the effects of not using SPF…”
Stop. Just stop.
Nobody cares who you are in the first three seconds. They want to know what’s in it for them. Your bio, caption, and account name already tell them who you are.
The Fix:
- Start with your strongest piece of content – cut the best part from your video and put it at the beginning as a hook
- Skip the introductions entirely
- Use curiosity-driven hooks like “Stop doing this to your skin” or “Do you know why your Botox isn’t lasting?”
- Save B-roll for the middle of your video, never the opening
Remember: Everyone wants instant gratification. Jump straight to value.
3. Featuring Your Equipment Instead of Selling Benefits
“Advanced IPL technology.” “State-of-the-art skin tightening machine.”
Listen – nobody cares about your equipment.
You wouldn’t look at a picture of an airplane and suddenly feel inspired to book a vacation to the Bahamas. That airplane is just the tool that gets you to your dream destination. Same principle applies to your aesthetic equipment.
When someone comes in for a consultation about their rosacea and sun damage, you don’t lead with “We use advanced IPL technology!” You talk about how you can reduce the appearance of their specific concerns and improve their skin.
The Fix:
- Focus on outcomes, not tools
- Address specific patient concerns and desires
- Mention equipment as the “how” after you’ve hooked them with the “what”
- Lead with the transformation, not the technology
4. Creating Content That Requires a Magnifying Glass to Read
Here’s a question: Where do you view Instagram 99.9% of the time?
On your mobile phone.
Yet I constantly see practices creating text-heavy carousels and static posts with tiny fonts and walls of text that you need to squint to read. If I’m standing a meter back from my phone and can’t read your text, neither can your potential patients.
The Fix:
- Design everything mobile-first
- Use large, contrasting fonts
- Keep text minimal and scannable
- If you can’t read it easily on your phone, neither can anyone else
- Use carousel posts for longer content, but make each slide readable at a glance – visible at 1 meter back
5. Constantly Promoting and Asking for Engagement Before Providing Value
This might be the biggest killer of all. Practices posting nothing but promotional content, prices, and special offers with zero educational value. Then making it worse by asking for engagement before earning it.
“Follow for more skincare tips!” (But they’ve only shared one tip) “Like and share if you found this helpful!” (At the end of mediocre content) “DM me to learn more!” (On every single post)
People share content that makes them look good. They don’t share content because you asked them to.
The Fix:
- Follow the 80/20 rule: 80% educational/entertaining content, 20% promotional
- Provide value BEFORE asking for anything
- Let DMs happen naturally… great content generates inquiries automatically
- When you do promote, bundle it with value: “Three signs you need Botox + we have special pricing this week”
The Sneaky 7: Advanced Mistakes Separating Successful Practices from Struggling Ones
6. The Social Proof Disaster
Posting before-and-after photos with zero context is like showing someone a random face and expecting them to trust you with their own. Where’s the story? The credibility? The trust-building?
The Fix:
- Tell the story behind every transformation
- Explain your approach and process
- Share the patient’s journey and goals
- Create patient spotlight series, not random before-and-afters
- Use video when possible to make it more engaging
7. Completely Ignoring Instagram Stories
This blows my mind. Instagram Stories is prime real estate at the top of the app – it doesn’t compete with algorithm feeds, and it doesn’t get buried.
But here’s the catch: If you don’t post stories or nobody engages with them, you get pushed to the back of the line.
The Fix:
- Post 3-5 stories daily
- Use interactive stickers (polls, questions, quizzes)
- Share behind-the-scenes content
- Give quick tips and appointment reminders
- Be real, raw, and honest – stories don’t need to be perfectly curated
8. No Educational Strategy
This is your biggest opportunity to position yourself as the trusted expert and become your own influencer. Most practices post random before-and-afters and promotional content with zero educational value.
Here’s your cheat sheet: Your patients ask you the same questions every single day. Turn these into content.
- “Will my face be totally frozen if I get Botox?”
- “How do I choose a good injector?”
- “What should I expect during recovery?”
- “I’m bothered by these lines around my mouth – how do I fix them?”
The Fix:
- Read “They Ask, You Answer” by Marcus Sheridan
- Turn patient questions into reels, posts, and stories
- Position yourself as the go-to expert in your area
- Build credibility through education, not just promotion
9. Posting Randomly With No Personality
Whether you’ve hired someone to manage your social media or handed it off to “the young person in the office,” I can spot accounts with no clear brand personality from a mile away.
Worse yet: Practices so afraid of making mistakes that they never show any personality at all.
Think about the doctors you admire online. You don’t like them because they recite medical facts. You like them because of their personality, their approach, their unique perspective.
The Fix:
- Show YOUR personality… it’s what will get you across the finish line
- Develop 4-5 content pillars (education, behind-the-scenes, results, patient stories, etc.)
- Be yourself on camera… it takes time, but authenticity wins
- Study successful medical professionals online and note what makes them engaging
10. Terrible Posting Timing and Inconsistency
Posting at random times, disappearing for weeks, then dumping multiple posts in one day destroys your reach. Instagram rewards consistency above all else.
The Fix:
- Use tools like Metricool to find your optimal posting times
- Pick YOUR level of consistency and stick to it
- Better to post 3 times consistently per week than daily for two weeks then nothing
- Quality + consistency beats random perfection
11. Compliance Nightmare
If you’re using patient photos without proper consent, you’re asking for trouble. Angry DMs, legal issues, and destroyed trust aren’t worth any post.
The Fix:
- Always get written consent for patient photos
- Use proper disclaimers (“Individual results may vary”)
- When in doubt, don’t post it
- Consider offering discounted treatments to patients willing to be featured
- Run questionable content by legal counsel
12. The DM Black Hole
You work so hard to generate Instagram inquiries, then… nothing. Messages go unread, responses take days, and potential patients disappear to your competitors.
The brutal truth: If it takes you 2-3 days to respond, that person has already found another provider.
The Fix:
- Respond to DMs within 2-4 hours during business hours
- Use automation tools like ManyChat for initial responses
- Create a system for managing inquiries
- Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good – a quick response beats a perfect one
Your Action Plan: Stop Making These Mistakes Today
Here’s your homework for this week:
- Audit your last 10 posts – How many of these 12 mistakes are you making? Be brutally honest.
- Create one educational post – Answer a question your patients always ask. Can’t think of one? Ask your front desk what they hear most often.
- Set up consistent posting – Even 3 times per week is better than sporadic perfection.
- Start using Stories daily – Behind-the-scenes, quick tips, anything that shows the real side of your practice.
- Check your DMs right now – Respond to anyone waiting and create a system so this never happens again.
The Bottom Line: Authenticity Beats Perfection Every Time
Your potential clients are scrolling Instagram right now, looking for someone exactly like you to help them achieve their aesthetic goals. The question is: will they find you or your competitor down the street?
Instagram isn’t about being perfect – it’s about being real, valuable, and consistent. When your content looks overly polished and “ad-like,” people scroll right past. But when you show authentic transformations, share genuine education, and let your personality shine through, you build the trust that converts browsers into booked consultations.
Remember: Perfect is not the standard here. I know in the medical aesthetic industry, perfection might be your only acceptable standard for treatments, but social media is different. Authenticity, value, and consistency will always beat perfect posts that nobody sees.
Stop making these mistakes, start implementing these fixes, and watch your Instagram transform from a time-wasting chore into your most powerful patient acquisition tool.
Ready to Have Your Instagram Strategy Done FOR You?
Look, I get it. You didn’t become a medical aesthetic practitioner to spend hours crafting Instagram content and figuring out what hooks actually work. You want to focus on what you do best… treating patients and growing your practice.
That’s exactly why I created The Marketing Vault – where your entire Instagram strategy is done FOR you.
Inside The Marketing Vault, you get:
- Ready-to-post content that actually converts (no more staring at a blank screen wondering what to post)
- Proven hooks and captions that stop the scroll and get engagement
- Complete posting templates so you never have to guess the right format again
- Trending content ideas updated monthly so you’re always ahead of the curve
- What to say and what NOT to say (because one wrong word can kill your entire post)
No more research. No more guesswork. No more watching your competitors grow while you struggle with content creation.
Your Instagram strategy is completely done for you.
Ready to stop making these costly mistakes and start seeing real results? Join The Marketing Vault today and get your first month of done-for-you content immediately.
Because your potential patients are scrolling right now. Make sure they find YOU, not your competitor down the street.
