Launching Your First Ad Campaign

This guide walks you through the in-platform ad launcher so you can have a new-patient campaign live on Facebook and Instagram in one sitting, even if you have never run an ad before.

Before You Begin

A few things need to be in place before the launcher will let you publish. Make sure you have:

• Connected your Facebook Page and ad account to Dental Marketing Tool. See Connecting Your Facebook Page and Ad Account if you have not done this yet.
• A practice address and phone number saved in your practice profile. The ad launcher pulls this information automatically so you do not have to retype it each time.
• A clear offer in mind. New-patient specials, free consultations, and whitening promotions tend to perform well. Read Choosing the Right Offer for Your Ad if you are not sure where to start.

Step 1: Open the Ad Launcher

1. From the left menu, click Launching Ads.
2. Click the New Campaign button in the upper right corner.
3. The guided launcher opens. You will see a progress bar across the top showing each stage: Offer, Creative, Audience, Budget, and Review.

Step 2: Set Your Offer

1. Type a short headline that states your offer clearly. For example: Free New-Patient Exam and X-Rays or $99 Teeth Whitening Special.
2. Add one or two sentences in the Ad Description field explaining the offer and who it is for. Keep it simple. Front desk staff who see this language every day make good editors.
3. Choose a Call to Action from the dropdown. Book Now or Learn More work well for most practices.
4. Click Next.

Step 3: Pick a Creative (the Ad Image or Video)

1. The platform shows a set of ready-to-use ad templates designed for dental practices. Browse the options or use the search bar to filter by theme (whitening, implants, family, emergency, and so on).
2. Click any template to preview how your offer text will appear on top of it.
3. If you want to use your own photo, click Upload Image and choose a file from your computer.
4. Once you are happy with the creative, click Next.

For a deeper look at creative options, see Using Ad Templates and Creatives.

Step 4: Define Your Audience

1. Your practice address is pre-filled. Adjust the Radius slider to set how far from your office you want to reach. Most practices start with 5 to 10 miles.
2. Set an age range if your offer targets a specific group (for example, 30 to 65 for implants).
3. Leave the other targeting options at their defaults for your first campaign. You can refine them later once you see results.
4. Click Next.

Step 5: Set Your Daily Budget

1. Enter a Daily Budget amount. This is the maximum the campaign will spend each day.
2. The platform shows an estimated weekly range based on your budget. This is a projection, not a guarantee.
3. Choose a start date. You can set an end date or leave it open and pause the campaign manually whenever you like.
4. Click Next.

For guidance on how much to budget and when to adjust, read Setting Your Ad Budget.

Step 6: Review and Launch

1. The Review screen shows a summary of everything: headline, creative, audience, and budget. Read through it carefully.
2. Use the Back button to make any changes before publishing.
3. When everything looks right, click Launch Campaign.
4. The platform submits the ad for review. Most ads are approved within a few hours.

What Happens After Launch

Once your campaign is live, Dental Marketing Tool starts collecting results. Any patient who responds to the ad and fills out a form will appear in your Conversations inbox so your front desk can follow up right away. You can track how the campaign is performing at any time by going back to Launching Ads and clicking on the campaign name.

When you are ready to dig into the numbers, see Reading Your Ad Results for a breakdown of what each metric means. If you need to adjust your budget or pause the campaign, Editing or Pausing a Campaign shows you exactly how.