Building High-Performing Facebook and Instagram Dental Ads
Getting the basics right with social media advertising campaigns for dentists
We’ve probably all seen the “same old” ads from dentists on our Facebook timelines and Instagram accounts; the ones where agencies use the same cheesy stock images and text regurgitated to lots of different practices. Unfortunately that format no longer cuts it and if it sounds like the content your ad agency is delivering, then it’s time to think again.
With lots of dentists using social media ads to reach their local audiences, now is the time where your ads really need to be different to help you to rise above the noise and secure those all-important new treatment bookings. You need to be the yellow fish swimming in the school of blue.
What types of ads work best for social media advertising?
For the last 3 or 4 years, many dental agencies have been relying on static ads, just a single image, usually from a stock site, with a few words of text across the top. This used to work quite well in the days where using ads on these networks was not that popular; however these days, something much more effective than a simple static ad is required. Let’s take a look at the two main options:
Image carousel – this is the next step on from a static image where 2, 3 or more images can be linked together in a slide-show effect. It is certainly better in terms of engagement rates than a static image and something to try if you don’t have the facilities to create our preferred ad type – the video clip.
Video clips – ads involving snippets of video are by some way the most engaging for potential new users. Facebook (Meta) makes lots of analytical data available with regard to ad campaign performance and it’s easy to see which ads perform most effectively. Because we do a lot of work with social media advertising, our team receives agency mentoring sessions directly with the Facebook team and it is also their firm recommendation to exploit the power of video ads where you can.
Producing good-quality video clips
There are two ways to go about this, either using a professional visuals company, or DIY. Up until three or four years ago, the thought of producing decent quality DIY video was perhaps a bridge too far, but with the appearance of much better video cameras in smart ‘phones, this is now achievable. You will need some simple lighting in an appropriate location and some basic editing skills, but it’s now very doable and also a lot cheaper than bring in a professional video company.
Remember that these clips are not your main business video production where you may well choose to do it “properly”; these are simple 15 – 20 second snippets where patients can provide a testimonial for their treatment or perhaps be filmed when they see their completed smile in the mirror for the first time. These clips don’t have to be perfect but they should be of reasonable quality, well-lit, not shaky and with the audio nice and clear.
If you have to invest a few hundred pounds to facilitate this and perhaps a little bit of training for a nominated team member, then it’s well-worthwhile. We know many dentists are also proficient with a camera because of intra-oral photography, so it doesn’t take a great deal to bolt on a few simple video skills.
Targeting your ads
This depends on what types of treatment you are advertising and can be broad or niche. For example, a campaign targeting general family dentistry might be targeted to an audience with a wide age range and within a sensible radius of 5 – 7 miles around the practice. However for implants or Invisalign we may well look at more granular targeting with different age ranges and locations, for example choosing specific post-codes where factors such as disposable income can be catered for.
There is a range of targeting factors we have to evaluate but it is worth noting that quite recently Facebook removed some of the more useful features which historically could be useful with certain types of dental campaigns.
Ad strategy
Unfortunately advertising on Facebook and Instagram is not fire-and-forget. If you just launch a few ads and leave them out there without updating, the campaign will soon go cold. The key to maintaining ongoing engagement is variety and if you want to be the practice that dominates social in your local area, you need to invest in keeping your ads fresh and vibrant. This means updating ad text and visuals every few weeks or so and when the ad metrics show that click-rates are falling away.
You need to find new, fresh ways of representing your brand and services as time progresses and to stop the ads from going stale. In some cases, stale ads can actually work against a dental practice with users actively choosing to block them.
Many of our clients also choose to rotate their campaigns, for example advertising orthodontics for a month and then switching to implants etc. It’s a dynamic environment and you need to be dynamic to make it work effectively.
Summary
Social media advertising is not simply a matter of creating a few ads and publishing them on Facebook and Instagram, there’s a lot more to it than that. You need to know the best types of ads to use, how to target them and also invest sensibly to ensure they stay relevant and engaging.
Need some help getting your dental practice ad campaigns off the ground and running effectively? Please call the ads team at Dental Media on 01332 672548 and we’ll be delighted to help you get moving.