Google AdWords or Facebook?
Do you get calls from Google AdWords advertising companies and wonder if you should use them?
What about Facebook advertising? You’ve heard that Facebook ads are working for other practitioners in your profession and even hear some amazing ROI stories. You wonder if you should jump on board. Which one is better?
This will help you decide:
Google AdWords cost for a new patient lead can be $150-300 or more. Facebook cost for new patient lead can be $10-15. So strictly based on typical cost per lead, why isn’t everyone just jumping on board with Facebook advertising?
One big difference between the two platforms is that the leads from Google AdWords are typically already looking for a solution. People in Facebook aren’t there to seek a solution, even though they may end up finding it accidentally by scrolling. Many times, Google AdWords can be better to start with before Facebook advertising.
But before you run off trying to figure out advertising on Google Adwords, beware of one of the biggest mistakes many DCs, LAcs, NDs, and functional medicine practitioners make: They get excited that they can just spend money and get leads, so they start looking for a company to help them without being well informed about the pros and cons of this form of advertising.
For example, I spoke to an acupuncturist last week who spent money for 6 months on Google AdWords because she was told to just stick with it, but was very disappointed it didn’t pan out in the # of new patients she was hoping for.
How can you start playing in this game and get new patient leads you’re happy with?
Here are 3 keys to success, so you get a good return on investment (ROI) vs. just exposure:
#1. Do you have compelling marketing in place and a strong differentiation from other holistic health practitioners doing similar things as you?
Imagine a potential patient looking around online. He/she finds many practitioners who can help them with their health issue–what would make him/her choose you over other practitioners?
Many SEO companies don’t help you differentiate yourself. (I know this because I’ve rarely seen SEO companies do the work that needs to be done to do this well. They make money by having cookie cutter things they do to bring in leads, vs really help you individualize & differentiate.) Usually that kind of work is done on your own; it’s also something we help our clients with.
Remember: simply more leads don’t always equal more patients. Good QUALITY leads = more new patients).
If you are spending money on advertising, make sure you are ready to play the game, otherwise you can be wasting money.
#2. If you are thinking about advertising with Google AdWords, but want to advertise a modality or an approach that is not well known to most people, Google AdWords may not be the best place to start.
For example, if you are an acupuncturist who helps people with brain injury, you’d better have a very strong and compelling educational process on your website that the ad is pointing to (ie, videos, etc educating & developing trust). Why? Because it’s not mainstream knowledge that acupuncture can help with brain injury.
In fact, Facebook advertising is likely not the best place to start either. A strong and compelling educational process of advertising requires time to put together and develop trust than most people realize. That is, if you are not advertising simply for exposure but rather as first priority return on investment.
The best place to start is by educating people in person. If you want to reach more people at once and get seen as a go-to practitioner quickly, speaking is one of the most effective ways to fill up your schedule with patients without having to spend a lot of money advertising:
How My Clients Are Getting 10, 15, Even 26 New Patients From Just 1 Talk/Mo.
Stay tuned in the next article for tip #3 (especially if you’re interested in Facebook advertising to bring in patients) so you get a good return on investment (ROI) vs. just exposure. I will fill you in on how to decide when to do Facebook advertising and how to maximize your ROI.
What are the best ways to get the phone ringing now? It’s different for everyone.
Book in now for a FREE consult and we’ll give you insight into your top most effective strategy, based on a 5-point assessment. Also happy to give you our recommendation for how we can help you, or we may have a referral for you instead.
