Google ads vs Facebook ads for chiropractors: which brings new patients?
By the Margin Media team · Updated
For chiropractors, Google ads reach people who are searching for a chiropractor right now, and Facebook and Instagram ads reach people nearby who were not looking. Google tends to bring fewer enquiries that are closer to booking. Facebook brings more enquiries that need follow-up. An office that answers and follows up slowly should start with Google.
What is the real difference between the two?
The difference is intent. Someone typing a search for a chiropractor near them has already decided to see one, and the only open question is which office. Someone scrolling Facebook saw your ad between a friend's photos. They may be interested, but they did not wake up planning to book.
| Google search ads | Facebook and Instagram ads | |
|---|---|---|
| Who sees it | People searching for a chiropractor now | People nearby who fit the audience, not searching |
| How they respond | Mostly a phone call or a booking | Mostly a form or a message, then a wait |
| Follow-up needed | Answer the call when it comes | Call or text fast, then keep following up |
| What it's good for | Filling the schedule with ready patients | Reaching people before they search, building a name |
| Where it goes wrong | Calls ring out at lunch and after hours | Leads sit for a day and go cold |
| Best when | The phone is always answered | Someone follows up every lead the same day |
When is Facebook the better choice?
Facebook is the better choice when search demand in your area is small, when the clicks on search have become too expensive for what a new patient is worth to you, or when you want the neighbourhood to know your name before their back goes out.
It only pays if follow-up is fast and persistent. An office that calls a form lead two days later, once, will conclude that Facebook leads are junk. Often the leads were fine and the follow-up was not.
What should I check before spending anything?
Check the phone first. Call your own office at 12:15, at 5:40 and on Saturday morning, and count the rings. Every ad, on either platform, ends in a call or a text to that same front desk. Then read each platform's rules for health advertising before you write an offer.
How does Margin run ads for a chiropractic office?
Margin builds and runs the ads on Facebook and Instagram, with a booking page for each campaign. The account is yours and the ad budget is your money, paid straight to the platform.
The other half is the answer. Mia, the AI receptionist, picks up the calls the ads produce, books the new-patient exam onto your portal calendar and tells the office. Anyone who enquired and did not book is followed up by text, once carriers approve your texting number.
What Margin sets up for this.
- Ads on Facebook and Instagram, in an account you own
- Mia, the AI receptionist, on every call
- Booking onto your calendar
- Follow-up until they book or say no
What a business needs is decided on its audit. It is a one-time setup fee and a monthly fee, with exact numbers on the audit.
How Margin works for chiropractors and physical therapistsSee the portal with a sample business
Related questions
How much should a chiropractor spend on ads?
There is no single right budget for a chiropractic office. Work backwards: what a new patient is worth to you, how many enquiries become exams, and how many exams you have room for.
Why do Facebook leads for my chiropractic office never answer?
Often because too much time passed. A person who filled in a form for a chiropractic office expects to hear back while they still remember doing it. Reach them within minutes by call or text, and keep trying for days, before judging the leads.
Can a chiropractor run Google and Facebook ads at the same time?
Yes, a chiropractic office can run both. It makes sense once the first platform is producing booked exams at a cost you accept and the phone is covered.