I used to think digital ads were just for tech companies or online stores—not something healthcare brands like mine needed to bother with. We were all about word-of-mouth, referrals, and the occasional local newspaper ad. But lately, I've been rethinking that.
Why? Because the way people search for healthcare has completely changed.
The Wake-Up Call
A few months ago, one of our long-time patients brought in her teenage daughter for a checkup. While waiting, she casually mentioned she found a new specialist in town—on Instagram. Not through her insurance provider, not a recommendation from a friend, but from a sponsored post.
That made me pause.
I started paying attention more. Every time I scrolled through my feed or watched YouTube videos, I’d spot ads for dental clinics, telehealth services, wellness apps—even therapy groups. It hit me: healthcare isn’t just local and offline anymore. It’s digital, and it’s moving fast.
The Problem No One Talks About
The truth is, most healthcare professionals don’t know where to begin when it comes to online ads. We're good at taking care of people, not running campaigns.
And even if we do try, the fear of wasting money is real.
It’s not like selling shoes, where people can make impulse purchases. Healthcare is deeply personal. The stakes are higher. One wrong ad could make you look untrustworthy—or worse, invisible.
That’s what kept me away from digital ads for so long.
What Changed My Mind
Out of curiosity, I started asking peers if they had tried online ads. To my surprise, many had—and they weren't huge hospital chains or billion-dollar companies. They were small clinics, solo practitioners, wellness startups.
One friend, who runs a small chiropractic clinic, told me she started with a $50 test campaign on a niche ad platform and got real results—three new clients in a week. That was enough to get her thinking differently about how she markets her services.
That inspired me to dip my toes in. I didn’t go all in. I didn’t hire a fancy agency. I just set up a basic campaign with clear goals and tight targeting.
And guess what? It didn’t flop.
I started seeing a trickle of traffic to my website, and a few calls from people who said they found me online. That small win was enough to prove it was worth exploring.
What I’d Tell Any Healthcare Brand Now
If you’re on the fence about digital ads, I get it. But avoiding them altogether might be doing your practice a disservice.
Patients today do their research online. They look up symptoms, read reviews, compare options, and yes—they click on ads if they seem helpful. If your brand isn’t showing up where people are searching, someone else’s will.
You don’t have to become a digital marketing expert overnight. Just start small.
Test one message. One service. One ad platform.
Something like this could be a good place to launch a test campaign. It doesn’t have to be perfect—just real and relevant.
Final Thoughts
Digital ads might not be the silver bullet, but they’re not snake oil either. For me, it was less about “advertising” and more about showing up in the right place at the right time. That’s what digital can do.
So if you’re a healthcare brand wondering whether online ads are worth it in 2025, here’s my answer: yes, they are—if you treat them as a learning tool, not just a quick fix.