Questions to ask before hiring a dental marketer
On this page
These are the questions to ask a dental marketing agency, consultant or freelancer before you sign, with what a good answer sounds like and what a red-flag answer sounds like. Use them in the first call, or to audit a written proposal line by line.
The answers matter more than the questions. Most vendors have heard these before. What you're listening for is whether the answer is specific, whether it commits to something you can check, and whether it puts you in control of your own accounts.
About the work
| Question | Good answer | Red-flag answer |
|---|---|---|
| Who will actually do the work on our account? | Names the people, their roles, and lets you speak to them | "Our specialists" or "the team", with nobody named |
| What research is this plan based on? | Your catchment, your competitors and the searches patients make there | A standard package, the same for every practice |
| How do SEO, ads and the website fit together? | One plan, with each channel's job at each stage of the patient's decision | Separate proposals for each channel, or "we just do the ads" |
| What will you need from us? | A clear list: answers, sign-offs, access, turnaround times | "Nothing, we handle everything" |
| How many practices do you work with in our area? | A clear policy, ideally one practice per catchment | Vague, or a list of your competitors |
The last question matters more than it looks. If your marketer also works for the practice down the road, you're both paying the same person to compete for the same patients. Whether you want a consultant or an agency for this is covered in whether to hire a consultant or an agency.
About measurement
| Question | Good answer | Red-flag answer |
|---|---|---|
| What will you count as a result? | Booked consultations, attended consultations and treatment starts, taken from your booking system | Leads, clicks, impressions or rankings only |
| How will you connect our booking system to the ad platforms? | A specific plan, with who does what and how long it takes | "Our reports show the leads" |
| What will the report show? | Spend, bookings and treatment by source, reconciled against your diary | A PDF of charts with no link to patients |
| What happens if the tracking breaks? | They tell you, label the affected numbers, and fix it | Silence, or numbers reported as normal |
| What results can you promise? | The work, the timeline and measurement you can check, but no promised numbers | A promised ranking, lead count or return |
A lead is an enquiry: a form, a call, an online booking request or a message. It isn't a patient. A vendor who can only report leads can't tell you whether your money made money. If you want to know what a useful report contains, see what a dental marketing report should show.
About ownership
| Question | Good answer | Red-flag answer |
|---|---|---|
| Whose name will the ad accounts be in? | The practice's, with the vendor given access | "We set it up in our account, it's easier" |
| Who is the primary owner of our Google Business Profile? | The practice | The vendor, or "does it matter?" |
| Who owns the domain, the hosting and the website? | The practice, including the files and an admin login | The vendor, or "we host it for you" with no transfer terms |
| If we leave, what do we take with us? | Everything: accounts, history, content, tracking set-up | "The content and campaigns stay with us" |
Ask these even if you're happy with the vendor. The full list of assets and how to check each one is on the ownership page linked from how to buy dental marketing.
About the contract
| Question | Good answer | Red-flag answer |
|---|---|---|
| What is the minimum term and the notice period? | Stated plainly, and reasonable for the work involved | Long lock-ins with automatic renewal buried in the terms |
| Is ad spend included in the fee? | Ad spend is separate and paid by the practice direct to the platform | Spend bundled into one figure you cannot break down |
| Is any fee a percentage of our ad spend? | No, or a clear explanation of why and a cap | Yes, with no cap and a push to spend more |
| What does the setup fee buy that we keep? | Research, a page plan, a tracking build, all handed over | Nothing tangible, or "onboarding" |
| Are there fees for leaving? | None, beyond the notice period | Exit fees, or assets held until fees are paid |
About compliance
Dental advertising in the UK is regulated. The GDC sets standards for dentists' advertising, the ASA enforces the CAP Code on marketing claims, and Google and Meta both have healthcare advertising policies.
| Question | Good answer | Red-flag answer |
|---|---|---|
| How do you check copy against GDC guidance and the CAP Code? | A described process: who checks, against what, before anything goes live | "We know the rules" with no process |
| How do you handle before-and-after photos? | Consent, context and fair representation are checked before use | "Patients love them, we post them all" |
| How do you handle reviews and testimonials? | Genuine reviews only, no gating or incentives that break the rules | Offers to "boost" reviews |
| Who signs off clinical claims? | You or your clinicians, before publication | The vendor, alone |
The vendor writes the copy, but the practice carries the regulatory risk. A good answer here protects your registration as well as your marketing.
If you want to put these questions to me, email me about your practice at [email protected]. You can check my answers against how I work first.
Frequently asked questions
How many of these questions should I ask?
All of them, over the first call and the written proposal. If a vendor can't answer the measurement and ownership questions clearly, the rest matters less.
What if a vendor refuses to answer?
Treat it as the answer. A vendor who won't say who does the work or whose name the accounts are in is telling you something.
Should I ask for references?
Yes. Ask for a current client and, if possible, one who has left. Ask the ex-client whether they kept their accounts and history.
Can I use these questions on my current agency?
Yes. The ownership and measurement questions are worth asking of any vendor you already pay.
Next step
To put these questions to me, email [email protected].