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What's up! Kyle here.

Let me say something that might sound weird coming from a guy who runs paid social campaigns for dental practices.

Nobody scrolls Facebook and thinks "Ya know what, I'm going to change dentists today."

That's not how it works. It never has been.

Intent lives on Google. When someone types "dentist near me" or "dental implants in [city]," they've already decided they need a dentist. They're actively looking. That's why Google Ads are so powerful for dental practices. You're showing up at the exact moment someone is ready to take action.

Facebook is a completely different animal.

A lot of practices get this wrong. They either ignore Facebook entirely because "it doesn't drive new patients" or they throw money at broad awareness campaigns hoping someone will magically book from a newsfeed ad. Both approaches miss the point and burn money.

The real power of Facebook for dental practices is retargeting.

Here's what that looks like. A patient searches Google for ‘dentist near me.’ They click on your ad or your website. They look around for 30 seconds. They leave. They didn't book. They got distracted, their kid screamed, they told themselves they'd do it later. You know how it goes.

Now here's the thing. Most patients don't book on their first visit to your website anyway. It takes multiple touches before someone picks up the phone or fills out that form.

This is where Facebook steps in. That same patient who visited your site is now scrolling Instagram or Facebook later that night. And there you are. A retargeting ad reminding them you exist. Maybe it's a patient testimonial. Maybe it's a quick video tour of your office. Maybe it's a simple "Still looking for a dentist?" message.

That nudge is what gets them to finally book. And here's the best part. Retargeting campaigns on Meta are significantly cheaper than search campaigns on Google. You're not paying to find new people. You're paying to stay in front of people who already raised their hand.

Facebook can also work for general brand awareness and brand strength in your community. Showing up consistently in someone's feed builds familiarity and trust over time, even if they don't click. When they eventually need a dentist, you're the name that comes to mind.

But if you had to pick one thing to do on Facebook for your practice, it's retargeting your Google traffic. Every single time.

Google finds them. Facebook finishes the job.

Talk next week.

— Kyle

PS: I dive a little deeper on these topics in the podcast, which you can download here.