Most practice owners have worked with at least one marketing company that didn’t deliver. The problem usually isn’t effort — it’s fit. Here’s how to evaluate an agency before you commit.
What to look for
Dental experience
You shouldn’t have to teach your marketing company what an All-on-X is. An agency that already knows the procedures, the patient questions and the compliance basics will move faster and make fewer mistakes.
Real work you can watch
Ask for examples from practices like yours — ideally live accounts you can look up, not just a highlight reel. See our work and case studies for what that looks like.
Content, not just campaigns
Ads are only as good as the creative in them. An agency that can produce its own video — doctor-led education, patient stories, procedure content — gives your ads and social something worth showing.
Reporting that reaches the chair
Followers and clicks are easy to report. Ask how they’ll track cost per lead, booked patients and treatment accepted.
Questions to ask before you sign
- Which dental practices do you currently work with?
- Who actually does the work — your team or contractors?
- How much of my team’s time will this take each month?
- Is ad spend included in your fee, or paid separately?
- What will you report on, and how often?
- Who owns the content and ad accounts if we part ways?
- How do you handle patient consent and HIPAA?
- What does the first 90 days look like?
Red flags
- Guaranteed rankings or a guaranteed number of new patients.
- Ad spend bundled into a single fee with no visibility into what reached the platform.
- Stock photos and templated posts instead of real content from your practice.
- No clear answer on who owns your accounts.
- Reporting that stops at impressions and likes.
Agency vs. in-house: an honest comparison
| In-house | Agency | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Large groups with steady, high-volume needs | Practices that want a full system without hiring a team |
| Skills | Usually one or two generalists | Production, editing, strategy and ads under one roof |
| Equipment | You buy cameras, lighting and software | Included |
| Knowledge of your practice | Deep, day to day | Built through strategy and recurring shoots |
| Risk | Output stops when someone leaves | Continuity across a team |
Many practices land on a hybrid: an in-house coordinator who captures day-to-day moments, with an agency handling production days, editing, strategy and ads.
Next step
A good agency should be able to tell you on the first call how they’d approach your market. See how working with us works, or book a strategy call.
