When we started Driven Dental Marketing, we wanted to find the most predictable and profitable ways to attract dental patients. 

We experimented with different advertising platforms as well as different procedures.

In the end, we decided on dental implants. We found them to be the most reliable and profitable procedure to market.

We also identified Facebook and Google AdWords as the two best advertising platforms. But which is better?

Here’s what you need to know.

Using Google AdWords to attract dental implant patients.

Google AdWords work well because you present ads to people based on searches they make on Google. That allows you to ensure your ads display only to people looking for dental implants near you.

Even better, you only pay Google when someone clicks on your ad and visit your website. We recommend having the ad direct people to a web page that matches your ad well. In marketing terms, the page you direct people to is called your “landing page.”

With the right search terms, ad copy, and landing page, you can attract a steady flow of implant patients to your practice.

Using Facebook to attract dental implant patients.

Facebook allows you to present ads to people when they are using Facebook. Facebook does not have search terms you can target like Google Adwords does. 

Facebook does offer several targeting options to help you reach dental implant patients, though. For example, you can upload a list of current patients who you know to be in need of teeth replacements. You can also target people based on demographic data and location.

Facebook also lets you install some code on your website that gives Facebook a list of website visitors. You can then place an ad only to people who visit your website. In marketing terms, this is called placing “retargeting” ads.

For dental implant marketing, you can even present ads to people who visit your page about dental implants. That makes it more likely for you to reach the right people.

Google also has a network of ads you can use retarget website visitors with ads, called Google Display Network. Those are the ads that appear on other people’s websites. If you’ve ever visited an online retailer and then saw ads about that retailer on websites for the next few days, you have been “retargeted” in a Google ad.

Is Facebook or Google AdWords better for attracting dental implant patients?

If we had to pick only one, we would choose Google AdWords. The ability to reach people looking for teeth replacement options is second to none.

But we do not have to choose just one. And neither do you. In fact, you can get even better results—and an even better ROI—using both platforms together.

That’s why we are one of the few dental marketing agencies that uses both platforms together to generate high-quality leads.

How to use Facebook and Good AdWords together to get high-quality dental implant leads.

The best way to use Facebook and Google AdWords together is to match the strengths of each platform to the typical dental implant patient’s buyer’s journey. Implant patients follow a complex buying process before moving forward with treatment. 

Typical implant patients go through three phases before getting treatment:

1. Awareness

The first phase dental implant patients go through is “awareness.” In simple terms, they become aware of a problem they need help with. That’s when they typically search for information about potential solutions. 

Both Google and Facebook can be effective at this stage. We can use Google AdWords ads to get people to click through to your website to learn more about potential solutions, benefits, and offers. Once we get people to your page, we then use retargeting ads on Facebook and Google Display Network to follow up with people who leave your website. This way potential patients become aware of their need, the solution, and how you can help them.

2. Consideration

There’s an old saying in business that it takes at least seven touches before you build enough trust to close a sale. Multiple touches are important. They help you build trust. With a complex buying process and high-value services such as dental implants, trust is even more important.

Once patients become aware of their need, options, and you, they then move to actually considering getting implants. 

Facebook and Google Display Network work well in this context. Using retargeting ads, you can build trust, nurture relationships, and present offers to implant patients while they consider moving forward.

3. Decision

After becoming aware and considering their options for procedures and dentists, the only thing left to do is to decide.

Facebook and Google Display Network retargeting ads can provide highly valuable top-of-mind awareness for this step. Retargeting ads to two types of people can help you get in front of the right types of patients as they become ready to decide. 

Specifically, you can retarget people who have visited your implant landing page but not visited your office. The goal with these ads would be to get them in for a consultation. While they might not be ready to decide right away, you and your team can help them get comfortable moving forward during the consultation.

The second group is people who have come in for a free consultations but not yet moved forward with treatment. The goal with these retargeting ads is to help people make the decision to move forward with you.

Are you ready to get more high-value dental implant patients?

Many marketing agencies use either Google or Facebook to promote dental practices. While that could work with general practice promotion or less complex buying processes, it is not the best strategy with dental implant marketing. You’ll get much better results using both Facebook and Google together with dental implant patients.

If you’re interested in learning more about how Driven Dental Marketing can help you to attract and convert more high-value patients, you can book a FREE 15-minute strategy session right here on drivendentalmarketing.com.