Facebook Ads for New Patients: The Complete Guide
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Facebook Ads for New Patients: The Complete Guide

What is in this guide

This is the whole method in one place. Over sixteen short chapters it covers how to run Facebook ads that bring in qualified new patients: how to think about the platform, what to advertise, where to send the click, how to make it easy to respond, how to follow up, and how to stay out of trouble with Facebook’s healthcare rules. Each chapter was originally published on its own. They are collected here in order so you can read or watch them straight through.

Chapter 1: This Is Marketing, Not Social Media

Once I Realized The Truth, It changed Everything About How I Used Facebook

Contrary to popular belief doc, Facebook is not a social media platform.

It used to be, in its early days, when you created a post on Facebook, and maybe 800 people saw your post. It would push it out to the masses and anyone its algorithms thought would benefit from reading what you wrote. Now it’s completely different.

You’d be lucky to have 8 people see your posts and there is a fundamental reason why. Facebook is at its heart, a marketing platform. It uses its social media aspect of it to attract people together and collect data so that advertisers can specifically target those people for products and services.

It may have been a social media platform when it started but once they realized people would pay to communicate specifically to certain groups of people it shifted.

But what does this mean for your practice?

Well, first if you are using Facebook as a social media platform and hoping to get new patients you’re going about it all wrong. You have to look at Facebook as paid advertising platform if you really want to get in front of people and attract qualified new patients for care.

It takes time to learn the ins and outs of Facebook marketing for your practice. But that is why I took all the information I’ve learned to attract qualified new patients for my clients and wrote down all the key points you will need to run a successful Facebook new patient marketing campaign. 

In my e-book, Chiropractors: 16 Rules for Facebook Marketing Success, you will learn the exact points that I have found that create successful new patient marketing campaigns on Facebook.

It’s free and its my way of helping docs learn how to use Facebook to market their practice.

Chapter 2: Market The System, Not The Treatment

How Fixing This Common Marketing Mistake Can Improve Your Results

One of the big rookie mistakes I made early on in Facebook marketing was trying to tell patients how awesome the doctor was, how cool the new laser was, or trying to convince them how we were different than everyone else.

Every time we talked about the new decompression machine, or the new Class IV laser the office used, people ignored my ads like they were written in a foreign language.

It took me time to figure out why this was but when I finally cracked it, it was not only enlightening but it opened the door to a whole new way of running ads. Ads that consistently drove in new patients mind you.

What Was The Solution?

The key was using what was real to the patients in our ads. I found this out by talking to the patients in the office and discovered they were not impressed by the machine not one bit. They just wanted to know if we could help them with the pain. What was real to them was the pain.

So instead of writing ads about the modalities we offered, we wrote ads that used the words that they used. “Bone-on-Bone Knee Pain”, “Stiffness in the Knees”, “Unable to Play with My Grandkids”, and wouldn’t you know it people started responding to the ads in droves. We call it, “Painting the Pain.”

It’s all about how you communicate and how you can reach the person on the other end of the ad. If you’re going to connect with new patients, you have to speak their language. They only care about one thing, and if you speak to that one thing, you’ll have their attention.

I cover this in my e-book Chiropractors: 16 Rules for Facebook Marketing Success along with 15 other key points that have proven successful in attracting a consistent flow of qualified new patients. In it you can find the answers on how to adjust your ads to enable the best results for you and your practice.

It’s free and its my way of helping docs use Facebook to market their practices and help people find the care they need.

Chapter 3: Use The Right Facebook Advertising Tool

Where is the Best Place on Facebook to Publish Your Ads?

There are a lot of options when it comes to running your ads on Facebook as to where to place them and Facebook doesn’t make it easy for you to understand what each of those options actually are.

Newsfeed, Sidebar, Audience Network, In-app placements, Facebook Stories, Instagram Stories, Instagram Feed, In-Stream, Reels Overlay, Search, Messenger, In-Article… the list goes on and on. There must be about 15 different placements where your ad can appear.

By default, Facebook enables them all for you automatically but the problem is when it comes to new patient marketing 90% of those placements will do nothing more than spend your money and get you low results. I know, because I’ve tested every single one of them!

In doing so, I found that only a couple of placements actually work for attracting new patients. The rest just leak money away from your budget into a black hole that apparently leads to Mark Zuckerberg’s back pocket. If you were selling a product rather than a service some of these other options might work better, but for new patient marketing, it’s down to two placements and only one placement if you aren’t re-marketing to people who already know you. The Facebook News Feed.

Why Where People See Your Ads is Important

You have to take the point of view of the person viewing the ad. Facebook is a social media platform that people browse in their spare time. For example when they are on their lunch break, when they get home from work, or when they are lying in bed and can’t sleep. This is perfect for getting a new message across because their attention is on finding something to read that may interest them.

Ad placements such as the “In-App” or “Messenger” options are advertisements that show up when a person is playing a game like Angry Birds or when they are chatting with friends on Facebook. They have to stop what they are doing to view these types of ads and very few people click on a knee pain ad when there attention is elsewhere.

You want to show the ad where it is most likely to attract attention. Almost every other ad placement option is put in front of the person while they are engaged in an activity. The news feed is not.

There are many other factors that go into creating an ad that generates a consistent flow of qualified new patients, such as targeting, headlines, images and the of course your offer, but knowing where to place your ads for the best result is a first great step. To learn how to get the most out of your ads, I invite you to download and read my e-book Chiropractors: 16 Rules for Facebook Marketing Success.

Chapter 4: Do Not Gather Likes

It used to be quite the game to get as many “likes” as possible for your Facebook business page.

People put up posters in their practices and sent out emails.

But things have changed a lot since then. Having tons of “Likes” now can be a liability.

For example, Facebook will let your competitors target people, in part, because they “Like” your fan page. What?!? Yep. So what should you be doing instead?

How can you turn this liability into something positive?

Watch this video and find out.

Chapter 5: Stereotypes Exist For A Reason

This may be controversial to say, but different people are different.

Teenage girls are not as interested in sciatica treatments as old men.

Women, by a survey, tend to make healthcare decisions for the family.

Stereotypes exist for a reason. Ignore them at your own peril.

 Chapter 6: Don’t Send Clicks To Your Website

The data proves it. If you’re sending paid clickers from your new patient marketing directly to your website you are losing 41% or more of the results.

Wowza!

Why? Your website’s gorgeous and represents you well. How could this be true?

It’s because people are people.

The way to fix it is with a properly formatted and disciplined landing page.

In this video, I explain the difference.

Chapter 7: Don’t Give Your New Patients A Hot Mess

You may have looked at your ads and landing pages on your laptop and think they look good. They represent you well.

However, there’s a very high likelihood that what your new patients are seeing is something different. It could even be embarrassingly bad.

In this video, I’ll tell you what’s probably going on and how you can fix it.

Chapter 8: Let’s Talk About Remarketing

95% of people who visit your website or your landing pages will leave without scheduling.

If only there was a way to re-engage these people and get them the care they are clearly interested in.

Let’s talk about remarketing!

Chapter 9: How To Sell A Free Consultation Offer

A huge part of attracting new patients to your practice is giving them a compelling offer to come see you.

However, you don’t want to be giving away the store and a bunch of freebies or discount services if you don’t have to.

I figured out how you can make the boring old “Free consultation” seem like one of the greatest, most compelling offers ever.

And in this video, I’ll tell you how.

Chapter 10: Be Easy To Respond

Times have changed and so have communication patterns.

Research indicates, and my experience proves, that if you only give prospective new patients a phone number to call for an appointment, then you are lowering your response rate by a ton!

Here’s what I’m seeing across more than 100 offices nationwide.

Chapter 11: Tracking Your Marketing Campaigns for Maximum Results

In this video, I explore why campaign tracking is critical and how to do it right for your team, your own team and healthcare practice team.

Running effective marketing campaigns requires more than just spending money on ads. To get the best return on your investment, you need to closely track and analyze and measure the performance of each campaign. With proper tracking in place, you can determine which marketing campaign efforts are successful and which other campaign name are falling flat.

The Importance of Campaign Tracking

John Wanamaker, a famous department store owner in the early 1900s, once said: “Half the money I manage to spend on advertising and sales is wasted; the trouble is I don’t know which half.”

This quote still rings true today. With numerous marketing and communication campaigns running at once across various communication platforms, it’s incredibly challenging to know which ones are working. Relying on patient surveys won’t give you an accurate picture – people simply can’t recall or don’t know how many clicks they heard about your practice.

Without proper marketing campaign and tracking, you’re essentially throwing your own marketing campaign dollars into a black hole and hoping for the best. To make smart budget decisions, you need hard data on the performance and ROI of each marketing campaign.

Implementing a Campaign Tracking System

We make it easy for clients to easily track their marketing efforts with create a comprehensive tracking system. Here are the key steps we recommend easily track them:

  1. Use unique phone numbers. This is the most critical tactic. Each ad campaign needs its own dedicated tracking phone number so you can see exactly how many calls and leads it generates. Services like CallRail make this simple and cost-effective.
  2. Track website traffic. Use UTM links in your campaigns to see how many visits each one is driving to your site. Google Analytics is invaluable for attributing website traffic back to specific marketing efforts.
  3. Listen to recordings. Call tracking services often record inbound calls so you can evaluate lead quality and listen to exactly what prospects are asking about.
  4. Monitor campaign analytics. Digital platforms like Facebook Ads Manager provide incredibly detailed [data] on campaign reach, engagement, clicks, conversions, and more.
  5. Connect conversions to sources. When you book a new consultation or patient, note which campaign prompted their initial response. This helps complete the picture of ROI by campaign.

With the right campaign tracking protocols in place, you’ll gain clear and actionable insights into conversions, sales and marketing performance. You’ll be able to double down on high converting campaigns and pare back spending on low performers.

Tracking is the Key to Marketing Success

In our experience, most healthcare practices do not have sufficient tracking in place to more easily track and manage this. We often find clients spending 90% of their budget in the wrong areas due to lack of data.

With comprehensive tracking established, we see success when marketers can rapidly optimize their marketing spend towards campaigns with the highest ROI. Many clients see a 200-300% increase in new patients from the same ad budget within just a few months.

Don’t waste another marketing dollar without having the data to inform your decisions. To learn more about campaign tracking solutions for your practice.

Conclusion:

Data-Driven Marketing Equals Results

In today’s digital marketing landscape, you simply can’t afford to have users “fly blind” and create something without tracking in place. Implementing a comprehensive tracking system provides the data you need to maximize and manage your marketing ROI.

Chapter 12: How Proper Lead Follow-Up Can Double Your New Patient Bookings

If you’ve tried paid advertising to generate new patient leads before without much success, the problem likely wasn’t bad leads – it was how your practice followed up on those leads. With a strategic follow-up process in place, the same leads that previously fell through the cracks can drive double bookings.

I recently consulted with a chiropractor who was frustrated that multiple marketing companies had failed to deliver quality leads. However, when I examined his process, I realized the issue wasn’t the leads themselves. Here were the problems:

  • No single staff member was dedicated to working new leads. Whoever randomly got to it first would follow-up.
  • Leads were contacted within 1-2 days, sometimes longer. This time lag drastically reduces conversion rates.
  • Little effort was made to schedule non-responsive leads or no shows. They were simply written off.
  • No scripts or training were provided on properly qualifying and booking leads.

Without a structured lead follow-up process, even great leads go to waste. So here are some best practices to maximize lead conversion:

Assign Responsibility to One Person

Give a single staff member ownership over all new lead follow-up during their shift. This ensures leads get immediate attention from someone motivated to convert them into appointments.

Contact Leads ASAP

Speed is critical. Contact leads within 5 minutes when possible. The quicker you reach out, the higher the chances of scheduling. Allowing hours to pass greatly reduces conversions.

Persist With Unresponsive Leads

Just because a lead doesn’t reply right away doesn’t make them a bad lead. Follow-up multiple times via phone, email, and text over several days before giving up. The most reluctant leads sometimes convert at higher rates once engaged.

Incentivize Your Staff

Consider offering a small bonus (like $5) to staff for each lead that books and shows up. This motivates scheduling staff to go the extra mile to get new patients in the door.

Provide Scripts and Roleplay

Train staff on how to properly qualify, educate, and schedule leads. Write out scripts and practice roleplaying to polish their skills at addressing common questions and overcoming objections.

Work Leads After Hours

Have staff bring leads home on evenings and weekends to contact. This allows you to connect faster with late night web searches and weekend appointment requests.

With the right follow-up process, those old “bad leads” suddenly transform into booked appointments. Don’t leave it to chance – put these lead conversion best practices in place to double your new patients overnight through paid advertising.

Conclusion

By optimizing your lead follow-up process, you can dramatically increase your new patient conversion rates and get far greater return from your marketing spend. Don’ forget can’t wait any longer – put these strategies into action for the health of your practice. Implement a rapid response system, leverage persistence, train your team, and use incentives wisely.

Chapter 13&14: Getting the Most ROI From Your Facebook Ads for New Patients

Here’s my video packed with my top tips for running successful Facebook ad campaigns. At The Customer Factory, we have honed a systematic process for testing different ad combinations until we find high-converting winners.

In this valuable video, I walk through the step-by-step framework our agency uses to maximize results for our clients. I explain:

  • The specific ad elements you must test – headlines, images, call-to-actions, targeting, etc. Experimentation is key.
  • How you can leverage Facebook to test marketing concepts before investing in expensive direct mail.
  • The critical importance of continuously testing new variants to reinvigorate fading campaigns. Complacency kills performance.

I share my proven methodology to help ensure your ad budget is working hard to attract new patients and grow your practice. With a strategic testing process, you can optimize engagement and conversions.

Watch the video now to pick up actionable tips to boost your Facebook marketing results. My framework can help streamline your efforts and provide clarity on what needs testing.

Chapter 15: Avoid Getting Banned from Facebook Ads: Rules for Healthcare Marketing

In this video, I share some tips on how to avoid getting your Facebook ads or account banned when marketing healthcare services. With Facebook’s strict policies around healthcare advertising, it’s easy to inadvertently break the rules and face penalties.

Facebook’s Monitoring Bots Are Sensitive About Healthcare Ads

Facebook depends on people having a good experience on their platform. They hire bots as monitors that look for any ad content that could upset users. These bots are extra sensitive when it comes to healthcare ads. Just one wrong word can get your ad or even entire advertising account banned. I’ve seen this happen to chiropractors, laser therapy practices, neuropathy treatment centers, dental chiropractors, and spinal 

Follow Facebook’s Published Rules Carefully

While Facebook has general rules published, they also have many unpublished rules specifically around healthcare advertising. To avoid problems, carefully study their terms of service and advertising policies. Read between the lines to understand their goals – they want advertisers but not ones upsetting their users.

Avoid Spammy, “Salesy” Style Headlines and Ads

Anything that looks overly promotional or resembles a sketchy sales pitch will get flagged. Stick to talking about the solutions you offer rather than big claims or money-focused language.

Don’t Use Images of People in Pain

Illustrations of people clearly suffering or in pain tend to disturb Facebook users. Use images that communicate health and healing instead.

Don’t Say “You” or Ask Questions

Two big no-nos are using “you” statements directly addressing the reader or asking questions, especially related to symptoms. This comes across as invasive to people.

Watch Your Landing Page Too

Facebook will check the page your ad links to, so don’t include anything there that violates their policies either. Scammy-looking pages will also get your ads shut down.

A Few Banned Ads Can Suspend Your Account

If you get just a few ads disapproved, your entire advertising account can get suspended temporarily. Consistent infractions can lead to a permanent ban.

By understanding Facebook’s approach and avoiding common mistakes, you can successfully advertise your chiropractic practice, dental chiropractic office, neuropathy clinic, laser therapy or spinal decompression center without risking your account access.Check out my guide on Facebook marketing for healthcare practitioners.

Conclusion

Chapter 16 :The Beginner's Guide to Facebook Ad Testing

I recently recorded a video to share my top tips for running successful Facebook ad campaigns. I reveal the step-by-step process my agency uses to systematically test different ad combinations until we have a high-converting winner. In this video, I explain:

  • The specific ad elements you should test – headlines, images, call-to-actions, targeting, etc.
  • How you can use Facebook to test concepts before investing in expensive direct mail campaigns
  • The importance of continuously testing new variants to revive fading campaigns

I share my proven framework to help ensure your ad budget is working hard for your practice.

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