Running a dental practice is no walk in the park. Between patient care, paperwork, and the constant struggle to fill those empty appointment slots, it can feel like you’re juggling chainsaws.
And suddenly, you wish there was a magic wand to fill your appointment book. Well, Facebook Ads for Dentists might be the closest thing.
With over 3 billion active users scrolling through their feeds every day[1], it’s the perfect place to shine a spotlight on your practice. Let’s talk about how to turn those likes and shares into appointments.
In this blog, we will dissect the ins and outs of running Facebook Ads for dentists, along with pro-tips to reach more patients when traditional marketing just isn’t cutting it.
Facebook Ads for Dentists: Top 9 Ways to Grow Your Patient Base!
1. Fully Utilize Facebook Targeting Tools
With Facebook’s targeting options, you have a treasure trove of data at your fingertips – it’s all about how to mine it.
Consider them like a dental X-ray – the tools reveal exactly who you need to reach. It’s not just about age and gender, though those are important. We’re talking about laser focus on interests, behaviors, and even life events of your ideal customer profile.
For example, let’s say you specialize in cosmetic dentistry. You could target people interested in “smile makeovers (ad example below),” “teeth whitening,” or even “celebrity smiles.”
Or, if you focus on family dentistry, target parents with young children interested in “children’s health” and “family activities.”
Remember, the more specific you get, the better your results. And don’t forget about location targeting! If you’re a local practice, focus on a specific radius around your clinic.
Pro-Tip: Don’t just rely on Meta’s free tools – get out there and cross-check your ad performance with some white-labelled Facebook Ad Graders like WordStream’s Ad Performace Grader (screenshots below). It can reveal where you’re missing opportunities to reach more people, help you generate more leads, and drive conversions for your dental practice. If this ever overwhelms you, let us know, and we can run your PPC for dentists ad campaign.
2. A/B Test Which Facebook Ad Format Works Best For You
Any ad campaign demands experimentation.
So, Facebook offers a plethora of ad formats: image ads, video ads, carousel ads, stories, and more for you to try. The best way to determine which one works for your dental practice is to test, test, and test again.
This is what A/B testing is.
It allows you to compare two versions of an ad to see which performs better. You could test different ad copy, images, or even video content. It can even be totally the same ad creative and copies with just different headlines and color schemes.
Like this one run by Dr. Chester Zoda on Facebook:
Even though the overall ad copy and the creative are similar, you can see,
- Different headlines that target two different mindsets.
- Same embedded video but a different background color for the ‘EARN MORE’ text.
Taking this example forward, here’s what it looks like in A/B testing embedded videos with the same ad copy:
Next, for A/B testing between different ad formats, you might test an image ad highlighting a teeth whitening service against a video ad showing the procedure or even different ad creatives with the same ad copy.
See how AGE Dental Clinic does this:
Pro-Tip: How do you select which ad is performing better after A/B testing is done? It’s easy — just track clicks, conversions, and engagement, and you can determine which format resonates more with your audience. But do give your tests enough time to gather meaningful data. A week is usually a good starting point.
3. Personalize Both Ad Copies and Creatives to Your Audience Taste
People love to feel seen and understood, and molding your dental ads to specific audience segments helps build this connection. Use the detailed targeting options (image below) Facebook provides to create personalized ad experiences.
This feature lets you alter:
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Demographics: Think of this as the basic info about your audience: age, gender, location, language, and family status. It’s like creating a general profile of who you want to reach. Skim these Top Facebook Statistics to get a bigger picture of your audience demographics and create your Facebook ads for dentists accordingly.
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Interests: This is where you go a little deeper. You can target people based on the pages and topics they like on Facebook. For example, if you’re a kids’ dentist, you might target parents interested in children’s activities or family-friendly businesses.
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Behaviors: Ever wondered how Facebook knows you’re interested in hiking boots? That’s behavior targeting! You can reach people based on their online actions, like purchases, device usage, or even life events (like moving).
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Connections: Target friends of people who already like your page. It’s like getting a free referral from your happy patients.
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Custom Audiences: This is where you upload your own data, like email lists or phone numbers, to target specific people.
- Lookalike Audiences: Want to find more people like your best customers? Facebook can create a lookalike audience based on your existing patients. It’s like cloning your ideal customer!
Now that your audience is set, it all comes down to personalizing the ad experience for them.
For example, if you’re targeting young adults, use casual language, vibrant colors, and real-life images that resonate with their lifestyle.
Something along these lines:
For a mature audience, opt for a more professional tone, emphasizing experience and trust.
Like this one:
Also, your Ad copy should speak directly to the audience’s needs and desires. Use perfect headlines that target pain points and strong calls to action that encourage engagement and conversions, like the one below:
And your Ad Creatives should visually represent your target audience. If you’re targeting families, use images of happy families smiling. For a younger audience (example creative below), consider using trendy visuals or short, engaging videos.
Pro-Tip: Never forget that people like consistency in whatever they see. So, make sure your ad copy and visuals align with your overall brand identity. Stick to your color palette, logo style and visuals you use to avoid looking scammy.
4. Never Shy Away From Being Creative
Standing out from the crowd is sometimes the key to landing a great return on ad spend.
While Dentistry might seem like a serious topic, that doesn’t mean your ads have to be boring. Try injecting some personality into your campaigns.
You can do this by:
- Adding Humor: A well-placed joke or an image can make your ad memorable. Consider how Shoppers Post does this by adding a cartoon of an elderly lady holding her dentures:
- Going for a Storytelling: Share patient success stories or before-and-after transformations.
Pro-Tip: Creativity doesn’t mean compromising professionalism. Your ads should still convey your expertise and trustworthiness.
5. Always Use Real Images of Your Staff, Clinic, and Equipment
Authenticity builds trust, making people connect with people, not logos. By showcasing the people behind the practice and the environment where patients receive care, you create this personal connection. After all, dentistry is a service and not a product.
So when creating the ad creative for your Facebook ads for dentists, try to add real-time:
- Staff photos: Showcase your team’s friendly faces, including your skilled orthodontist and dental professionals.
- Clinic images: Highlight your modern, clean facilities.
- Equipment showcases: Demonstrate your commitment to advanced technology.
See how One Tree Family Dentistry does this:
Instead of using stock photos of smiling people, they took the time to click a real photo of their staff, giving an impression of originality, and this forces people to click and convert.
Pro-Tip: People are more likely to trust a business they feel they know. The only way to deliver this experience is by investing in professional photography – or by asking someone who has a good camera and basic photography skills. But be sure to maintain patient privacy and take written consent before documenting their personal experiences.
6. Show People Who You Truly Are in Life – Not Just in Your Clinic
Building personal connections is important for both a deeper doctor-patient experience and for patients to keep coming back for dental services
So how does this translate to your Facebook ads for dentists? Simple, you add:
- Behind-the-scenes glimpses: Share personal interests or hobbies of your staff.
- Community involvement: Highlight your practice’s participation in local events.
- Employee spotlights: Introduce your team members on a personal level.
See how St. Lucie Center for Cosmetic Dentistry tells people how friendly they are:
Pro-Tip: People can spot inauthenticity from a mile away. So don’t try to show off what you are not and are not delivering in real-time – you never want a bad word about your dental practice, be it online or offline.
7. Focus on Seasonal Trends and Ad Campaigns
People’s dental needs often shift with the seasons, and you can capitalize on it if you are up-to-date with the trends. Consider how CU Pediatric Dentists has cashed the Olympic season:
Here’s a rundown of what this is:
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Summer: Focus on kids’ dental health, vacation-friendly tips, and teeth whitening.
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Fall: Highlight back-to-school checkups, orthodontic treatments, and family dental plans.
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Winter: Emphasize holiday party smiles, cold-weather dental care, and seasonal specials.
- Spring: Promote spring cleaning for your mouth, allergy relief for dental sufferers, and cosmetic dentistry.
Pro-Tip: Use Google Trends to plan ahead of your ad campaign and create a list of what people search for and when for a smooth transition.
8. Consider People Who Have Just ‘Moved’
People who have recently moved are often in need of new service providers, including dentists.
- Utilize Facebook’s “recently moved” targeting option to tap into a new market.
- Create a welcome package for new residents.
- Offer special incentives for new patients.
For example, create an ad specifically targeting people who have moved to your area within the past month, offering a free consultation or a discount on their first visit.
Sydney Dental Canada does this by offering an “All-on-4 Implants full-package” that contains flight tickets and accommodation. They use a customer experience as the conversion element.
9. Don’t Forget to Throw Some Freebies
Give what you want to get — it is really that simple. Throwing in freebies every now and then can help boost patient volume. What’s better is that this may even get a good word about you on the streets.
But it doesn’t have to be expensive; a free 10-minute, no-obligation dental check-up can do the job. It will help you lure in potential customers, and who knows, some may even convert seeing their dental health status.
See how Dental Square sets its free dental examination camp:
But just because it’s free, don’t slack off and expect people to book appointments on their own. Go the extra mile to clearly tell them how this works. A lot of people offer something free with strings attached – you need to make sure you are as transparent as you could be.
This is why Dental Square puts in the following two extra creatives, too. See, how it make you feel it is authentic?
So whenever you have extra time and a spare budget, sweeten the deal. Everyone loves free stuff, and offering incentives can encourage potential patients to book an appointment.
You can do:
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Free consultations: Offer a no-obligation consultation to build trust like Dental Square above.
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Offer dental care kits: Provide patients with useful products like toothbrushes or floss.
- Give discounts on services: Offer a percentage off or a dollar amount discount on special events, perhaps an anniversary?
Pro-Tip: Add an element of urgency (time sensitivity, location, and more) in your Facebook ads for dentists when you run a promotion, just like the ad copy below by JPAD Dental Center. This will make people want to take your service right now and not hold it off for the future. Lastly, It’s best to invest in professional social media app marketing to avoid wasting money if you are new to this.
And there you have it!
Nine Facebook ads tips for dentists to help you run an effective ad campaign for your dental practice. While you know the drill, remember that consistency, testing, and tracking are key to generating a high ROAS.
Now, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and start experimenting. Don’t be afraid to try new things and see what works best for your patients. And hey, if you get stuck or need more specific advice, feel free to drop another question our way.
Or perhaps, you want to see these tips in action? Continue your way down and see how we made Icy Bear Dental land a combined 26x ROAS with our Facebook ads marketing for dentists.
How Facebook Ads for Dentists Helped Icy Bear Achieve a Combined 26x ROAS?
Icy Bear is a UK-based dental care brand, specializing in teeth whitening products. They’re all about high-quality, organic products and have a strong focus on social responsibility.
What Was Our Challenge?
Icy Bear wanted to expand their reach, build brand awareness, and ultimately boost sales. They were looking for a way to connect with their target audience and convince them to choose Icy Bear over other teeth whitening options. And they wanted us, NUOPTIMA, to do the talking.
Our Facebook Ad Campaign Strategy Focused on Finding the Ideal Customers For Icy Bears
We knew Icy Bear had a fantastic product, but we needed to get it in front of the right people.
So, we crafted a strategy that focused on:
1. Pinpointing the Perfect Audience
Using Facebook’s targeting tools, we zeroed in on folks who loved teeth whitening, were into beauty, and matched Icy Bear’s ideal customer.
Here’s what this looked like on paper:
2. Creating Irresistible Ads
High-quality images, short and snappy copy, and a touch of celebrity glam – that was our recipe for success. Carousel ads were a total hit!! As well as static ad creatives like this one:
3. Retargeting to Boost Brand Awareness and Conversions
We brought back those who showed interest but bounced, reminding them of those pearly whites they were craving.
Here are samples of our best converting Facebook Ad Copies.
The Results? A Combined 26x ROAS!
Icy Bear saw some seriously impressive results that even shocked us.
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9x ROAS: That’s right, for every dollar spent, they made nine back!
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Remarketing success: Those ads targeting people who visited the site but didn’t buy brought in a whopping 17x ROAS with Facebook Ads!
- Sales surge: Lookalike audiences were a goldmine, generating a cool £14.4k in sales. Retargeting wasn’t too shabby either, bringing in an extra £6.3k. See the statistics below – they won’t lie.
It was a total win for Icy Bear! By combining a solid strategy with killer execution, we helped Icy Bears skyrocket their sales and build a loyal customer base.
Want to Run the Best Facebook Ads For Your Dental Practice?
Facebook Ads for dentists require more than just ad spend. Creating effective campaigns demands a strategic approach, compelling content, and ongoing optimization.
While PPC specialists can manage your ad campaigns, creating engaging ad copy, designing eye-catching visuals, and understanding target audiences necessitate a collaborative effort. We’re talking about copywriters, designers, and even photographers to create those stunning visuals.
We Know the Facebook PPC Drill From the Inside Out!
After working with 50+ CMOs, spending $55.3M on media, and running ad campaigns like crazy – we have become the UK’s top marketing agency specializing in Facebook ad services for maximizing ROI.
From in-house writers to PPC experts to SEO specialists – we have everything to run the best facebook ad campaign you need for your dental practice.
The only question is, are YOU ready to partner with us?
If yes, then let’s talk!
FAQ
Of course, Facebook Ads work not only for dentists but for any medical specialty. By targeting the right people with the right message on Facebook, you get to boost your practice and attract new patients. Think of it as having a dental office that never closes, reaching people right in their newsfeeds.
Advertising your dental clinic on Facebook is easier than you think! First, figure out who you want to reach (like families with kids or people interested in teeth whitening). Then, create eye-catching ads with clear calls to action. Don’t forget to target your local area and keep an eye on how your ads are performing. With a little effort and continuous monitoring, you can attract new patients in no time.
Advertising your dental services involves showcasing your expertise and reaching potential patients. Use platforms like Facebook Ads, Google Ads, and Meta Ads to connect with your target audience. Highlight the benefits of your services, such as a brighter smile or improved oral health. Consider offering special deals or promotions to attract new patients. And don’t forget to use high-quality images and videos to showcase your clinic and treatments.
Google Ads can be a powerful tool for dentists. Unlike Facebook Ads, which focus on building relationships and brand awareness, Google Ads are more about capturing patients actively searching for dental services. It’s like having a prime spot on the first page of Google search results when someone types in “dentist near me.” However, to get the most out of your dental marketing, it’s often a good idea to combine both Google and Facebook Ads for a well-rounded approach.