DT News - UK - Online advertising: Why Facebook matters

Naz Haque, UK

Wed. 18 March 2015

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The two largest Internet giants are Google and Facebook, so it is no surprise that billions of actions occur on each site every single day. Through these platforms, there lies the opportunity for dentists to advertise their services to potential clients.

The most popular option is to bid on a click on your advert and only be charged for the click. The click is the action by the potential client accessing your site from the respective platform. This is the pay per click (PPC) model. Advertising this way can be very cost-effective if the right strategy is put in place, as PPC is trackable and measurable and can be focused on a specific geographical audience. Google PPC can also provide instant gratification; by this, I mean if you are willing to offer the highest bid per click you can appear at the top of the page.

While many dentists might have embraced Google PPC in the last five years, not many seem to be aware that there is a similar option available for Facebook. I am not referring to buying likes, which is actually more of a vanity strategy and does nothing to bring value to your patients. Why would one advertise on Facebook, you may ask? Consider that 890 million people (as of December 2014) log on to the social media platform, generating 4.5 billion likes every day. It is estimated that there are 217 million active users in Europe, of which 24 million are active in the UK alone. Worldwide, there are over 1.39 billion monthly active Facebook users. These are impressive figures.

With Facebook PPC, dentists can run trackable, measurable, location-specific campaigns as with Google. There is also a myriad of options to allow one to be more niched and specific. Specifically, dentists can target their audience based on their likes, habits, education, salary levels, and even the phone they are using. Imagine running a campaign for orthodontic treatments targeting Facebook visitors who accessed the site using the latest iPhone. Would it be safe to assume that they have expendable capital and are ideal patients in terms of ability to pay?

Facebook PPC is significantly cheaper than Google PPC. The difference is pennies on Facebook compared with pounds on Google. Aside from having a good call to action, relevant adverts and a strong landing page, dentists should have a responsive site to maximise their success, as the majority of Facebook (and Google) users will most likely engage with them via a mobile device, like a tablet.

Facebook has taken strides in developing the advertising side of the platform for the last two to three years. Ensure your success in online marketing and make sure you are not left behind.

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