Why Meta Ads are starting to give Google a run for their budget
If digital marketing were a dentist then Google Ads would be the reliable, friendly old practice you’ve been going to for years. The one who’s great at what they do, never lets you down and that everyone automatically thinks of first when they need a filling or a little bit of whitening. But just like that new, flashy, ‘modern’ dentist who just opened a new practice on the high street, with the jazzy new website and the busy Instagram feed, Meta Ads, ie Facebook & Instagram, are starting to steal the spotlight, especially for private dental practices.
I’m going to set my stall out nice and early though and say that Google Ads still really matter. Patients actively searching for a ‘private dentist near me’, ‘Invisalign London’ or ’emergency dentist’ are usually ready to buy and Google is great at capturing that intent. However, Meta Ads are increasingly better at creating that intent in the first place and for private dental practices that’s where the real patient growth begins.
One of the reasons Meta Ads are gaining ground is a simply because people visit Facebook and Instagram to relax and chill. They’re not usually typing dental terms into a search bar but when they see a bright, polished smile appear in their feed, their curiosity can be peaked with the feeling of being sold to. Presenting this in a more social environment, one in which they are often following friends and family, makes this kind of marketing feel less pushy and more like a casual nudge.
The other thing to consider is is the visual nature of Facebook and Instagram. Dental treatments are, ultimately, visual experiences. Before and after photos, short videos, stories from real patients are visuals that will resonate far more on social platforms than in a text heavy search result.
Of course, the data is where we seek confirmation of these feelings, and year on year Meta ads are increasingly catching up with Google in terms of spend. Meta is far too large a company to simply lay down and accept that Google is the be all and end all of digital advertising, so it’s invested a huge amount in improving its pay-per-click offering, and that investment is starting to pay dividends.
At the end of the day, this isn’t about Google versus Meta and which is better, it’s about using both tools where they work best. Sometimes that means a treatment specific approach might work better on one platform rather than the other, but all have their place. Dental Design have the knowledge and experience to guide you on this front, so feel free to get in touch if you want to pick our brains on whether the instant results are on Instagram, or if Facebook will get the bookings.
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