Facebook advertising is very trendy these days. Everyone’s talking about how the cost-per-lead (CPL) is very low, and you can be extremely targeted with your approach and audience. But is it worth it, or should we stick to our more tried-and-true lead generation methods?
The world of medical marketing is consistently evolving, and it’s good to try something new. If you want to give Facebook advertising a go, here are my recommendations:
- Strategize on a good promotion. You need to run ads with a very specific promotion versus just informational if you actually want to drive conversions. Example: “Buy two Fillers and get $100 off Botox!” Don’t forget to brainstorm with your local industry representatives so they can help cover your internal costs.
- Make sure you have good images and graphics that were professionally prepared and use a few in each campaign. You want your ad to look high quality for a high perceived value!
- Use emojis and eye-catching social language.
- Don’t forget to use a call tracking number that records calls so you can listen and truly gauge the return on investment (ROI).
- Make sure the front desk texts, calls and emails back each patient at set intervals, such as within 20 minutes of receipt, within 2 hours and daily thereafter for five days.
- Develop rapport with patients who call or come in from the ad and gauge their experience. For example, ask whether they remember seeing the ad, what they thought of it, what made them decide to contact your office, whether they have ever clicked on a Facebook ad in the past and if they have any other suggestions or feedback.
- Charge a consultation fee and take a credit card over the phone (even if you do not normally do this, it can be a good practice for Facebook leads as it helps to weed out unqualified prospects).
- Check the ad and stats frequently – some may opt to do so daily. A successful strategy means constant monitoring and adjusting.
- Change the ad entirely every time it fatigues, meaning it stops generating leads, for more than 24 hours.
- Test different audiences by adjusting the ad’s demographic specifications, including distance from the office or specific zip codes, gender, age and followers of similar pages!
- Be social! Make sure your Facebook page is active, you respond to direct messages (DMs) immediately and you have at least 10 positive reviews.
- Use UTM tracking codes and have goals that can be measured through Google Analytics.
- Commit to Facebook advertising for at least three months so you have ample time to test different strategies and monitor results over a period of time.
- Set your expectations appropriately, in terms of quantity and quality of leads. Be prepared to follow up with 30 leads in order to get one conversion.
- If the lead doesn’t respond or convert, ensure he or she is added to your email list to receive your future email blasts. If you nurture these leads properly, they may book an appointment in the future. You can utilize drip marketing and remarketing strategies to drive new patients and conversions.
Ultimately, there are thousands of lead generation strategies available. If you want to test out Facebook advertising, follow these tips and ensure your front desk staff is on board to provide the best possible ROI. Some dermatology practices I have worked with in varying size and in different cities had high volume results but low-quality leads.
Even if the ad spend is low (about $500 per month), it may not be a cost-effective strategy when you consider the time invested to manage the advertising campaign, handle the leads or even for the office to be slow during no-show appointments.
Facebook advertising can work with the right formula; it just may take some trial-and-error to find what works best for your practice.