Most healthcare and wellness startups are burning money on paid ads. It's a hard truth, but it's one I see every single day when I look into new accounts. Founders are obsessed with the wrong metrics, like 'brand awareness' or 'reach', and they end up paying platforms like Meta to find them the absolute worst people for their product – people who will never, ever buy. You're basically paying to be ignored by people who don't care.
The problem is a fundamental misunderstanding of what advertising is for. It's not about shouting your name from the rooftops. It's about finding someone with a specific, urgent, and often expensive problem, and showing them you have the exact solution. Forget everything you think you know about marketing funnels and demographics for a minute. We need to start with the one thing that actually matters: your customer's nightmare.
What is your customer's actual nightmare?
Forget the sterile, demographic-based profile your last marketing hire made. "Women aged 25-40 interested in yoga" or "Companies in the private healthcare sector with 50-200 employees" tells you absolutly nothing of value. It leads to generic, bland ads that speak to no one and get scrolled past without a second thought. To stop burning cash, you have to define your customer not by who they are, but by the pain they're in.
You need to become an expert in their specific, urgent, expensive, career-threatening, or life-altering nightmare. Your ideal customer isn't just a job title or an age bracket; she's a new mother terrified by postpartum anxiety, scrolling her phone at 3 AM looking for someone who understands. He's a practice manager at a dental surgery, drowning in paperwork and terrified of a key staff member quitting because the systems are so outdated. The patient isn't 'someone with back pain'; it's 'a former marathon runner who can't even play with his kids anymore because of a slipped disc'. Your ICP isn't a person; it's a problem state.
Once you've isolated that nightmare, you can find them. Where do they go for information? Which niche podcasts do they listen to? Which industry newsletters do they actually open? Are they members of specific Facebook groups for their condition? This intelligence isn't just data; it's the blueprint for your entire targeting strategy. Doing this work first is non-negotiable. It's especially true if you're trying to launch a new digital product in this space; we've seen first-hand how important it is to define the core user problem when trying to gain traction for a new app. If you skip this step, you have no business spending a single pound on ads.
Does your business model even support paid ads?
Before you spend a penny, you need to answer a simple question: "How much can I afford to pay to get a new patient or customer?" The real question isn't "How low can my Cost Per Lead go?" but "How high a CPL can I afford to acquire a truly great customer?" The answer is in its counterpart: Lifetime Value (LTV).
Most founders don't know this number. Let's do some simple maths. Say you run a private physiotherapy clinic and a patient comes for an average of 6 sessions at £70 a session.
Average Revenue Per Patient (ARPP): 6 sessions * £70/session = £420
Gross Margin %: What's your profit margin on that revenue after your direct costs (e.g., the physio's time, room rental)? Let's say it's 60%.
LTV (in this simple case): £420 * 0.60 = £252
Now, let's take a subscription-based wellness product, like a high-quality supplement that costs £40 a month.
Average Revenue Per Account (ARPA): £40/month
Gross Margin %: Let's say it's 75%.
Monthly Churn Rate: What percentage of customers do you lose each month? Let's say it's 10% (meaning the average customer stays for 10 months).
LTV = (ARPA * Gross Margin %) / Monthly Churn Rate
LTV = (£40 * 0.75) / 0.10
LTV = £30 / 0.10 = £300
Now you have the truth. With an LTV of £250-£300, a healthy 3:1 LTV:CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost) ratio means you can afford to spend up to £80-£100 to acquire a single customer. If your website and sales process converts 1 in 5 qualified leads into a paying customer, you can afford to pay up to £16-£20 per qualified lead. Suddenly, that £15 lead from Meta doesn't seem so expensive, does it? It looks sustainable. This is the maths that unlocks intelligent growth. It's fundamental for any service, but especially for newer models where repeat business and subscription potential define success.
Which ad platform should I use?
The best ad platform is simply where your target audience can be best reached. It sounds simple, but so many get it wrong. Choosing the wrong platform means your targeting will be off, and you'll struggle to get results.
-> Google Ads (Search): This is for capturing intent. People are actively typing their problem into the search bar. They are looking for a solution *right now*. This is your best bet for most local health services. Think keywords like "emergency dentist london", "sports injury clinic manchester", "private dermatologist appointment". These people are problem-aware and solution-aware. You just need to show up. For a local practice, this is usually where you should start. Even a local business on a small budget can make this work if it's set up correctly. Many people ask about other Google products, but honestly, you need to be careful. We often get asked about running display ads for high-cost, high-consideration treatments, but for high-cost, high-consideration treatments, search is almost always the better place to start.
-> Meta Ads (Facebook & Instagram): This is for generating demand. People are not on Facebook to find a new doctor. They're there to be distracted. Your job is to interrupt their scrolling with a message so relevant to their 'nightmare' that they have to stop and pay attention. This works brilliantly for wellness products, supplements, fitness apps, mental health services, and anything that can be visually appealing and sold to a specific psychographic profile. You're not targeting "people who need supplements"; you're targeting "people who follow Joe Wicks, buy from Huel, and are interested in 'gut health'". The targeting is powerful, but it's easy to get wrong. I remember one campaign we ran for a medical job matching SaaS that was struggling with a £100 cost per user. We shifted their strategy on Meta and Google and got it down to just £7. The potential is huge if you know what you are doing.
-> LinkedIn Ads: This is strictly for B2B healthcare. Are you selling a new SaaS platform to hospital administrators? A compliance software to practice managers? A new piece of lab equipment to research heads? Then LinkedIn is where you go. The cost per lead is much higher, we've seen B2B decision maker leads cost around $22, but the quality can be exceptional because you can target by job title, company size, and industry with scary accuracy. If you're trying to market a B2B SaaS, this is a platform you can't ignore.
How do I write an ad they can't ignore?
Your ad copy's only job is to get the right person to stop scrolling and think, "they're talking about me." Generic, feature-led copy fails every time. You need to speak directly to their pain.
For a service business, like a chiropractor or mental health clinic, you use Problem-Agitate-Solve (PAS). You don't sell "cognitive behavioural therapy"; you sell a quiet mind.
-> Problem: "Does the thought of another social event fill you with dread?"
-> Agitate: "You make excuses to stay home, your world feels like it's shrinking, and you're sick of feeling like you're on the outside looking in."
-> Solve: "Our evidence-based therapy helps you break the cycle of anxiety in weeks. Find out how with a free, confidential 15-minute assessment."
For a wellness product or app, you use the Before-After-Bridge (BAB). You don't sell a "meditation app"; you sell a calm start to the day.
-> Before: "Your alarm goes off. Your mind is already racing with the day's to-do list. You grab your phone and the anxiety hits."
-> After: "Imagine waking up feeling centered and calm, ready to handle whatever the day throws at you."
-> Bridge: "Our 5-minute guided meditations are the bridge to get you there. Download and try your first session for free."
This approach works because it focuses on the transformation, not the product. It's the difference between an ad that gets ignored and an ad that gets a click. We've seen so many campaigns where simple copy changes have made a huge difference. A common reason for a high CPC and low CTR on ads for a specific medical condition is that the copy is too clinical and doesn't connect with the real-world pain of the sufferer.
A word of warning: healthcare advertising is a minefield of compliance. Platforms like Meta and Google have very strict rules. You can't make definitive claims, you can't use 'before and after' images for many treatments, and you can't call out personal attributes. You have to learn to write compelling copy that hints at the outcome without breaking the rules. This is where experience really, really counts.
What should my offer actually be?
Now we get to the single biggest failure point I see in healthcare advertising: the offer. Buttons like "Book a Consultation," "Request a Demo," or "Contact Us" are arrogant. They are high-friction and low-value. They presume your prospect, who is often in a vulnerable state, is ready to commit to a sales conversation. They're not. This is particularly true in competitive spaces; we've seen it time and again where leads for local services just won't convert because the initial ask is too big.
Your offer's only job is to de-risk the next step. It must deliver a moment of undeniable value that makes the prospect sell themselves on your solution. You must solve a small, real problem for free to earn the right to solve the whole thing.
Here are some offers that actually work:
-> For Local Services (Dentists, Physios, Chiros, Opticians):
- A free, no-obligation 15-minute "Spinal Health Check".
- A free "Smile Assessment" using a simple photo upload.
- A downloadable PDF guide: "5 Exercises to Manage Sciatica at Home".
- A free varicose vein screening.
-> For Apps & SaaS:
- A freemium plan with core features available for free, forever.
- A 14-day free trial (no card details required is the gold standard).
- An interactive quiz: "What's Your Sleep Score?" that gives instant results and tips.
-> For Supplements & Wellness Products:
- A free sample pack (customer just pays for postage).
- An in-depth eBook on the science behind your main ingredient.
- A free 7-day meal plan created by a nutritionist.
These offers provide genuine value upfront. They build trust, demonstrate expertise, and gather a lead that you can then nurture towards a purchase. They turn a cold prospect into a warm one.
How should I structure my campaigns and target people?
Okay, this is where the technical expertise comes in. A messy campaign structure is a recipe for wasted spend and confusing data. For most startups, particularly on Meta, I'd suggest a simple funnel-based approach.
ToFu (Top of Funnel - Cold Audiences): This is where you find new people. Your goal here is to introduce them to your brand by talking about their nightmare.
-> Audiences: Start with detailed targeting. This means interests, behaviours, and demographics. For a fitness supplement, you'd test audiences built around interests like "Myprotein", "Gymshark", "CrossFit", "Bodybuilding". Once you have data, you can build Lookalike audiences from your best customers or website visitors. Broad targeting can work, but only once your pixel has thousands of conversion events to learn from.
MoFu (Middle of Funnel - Warm Audiences): This is for people who've shown some interest but haven't taken a key action. Your goal is to build trust and show them more about your solution.
-> Audiences: People who have watched 50% of your video ads, engaged with your Facebook/Instagram page, or visited your website but didn't go to a key page (like the checkout or booking page).
BoFu (Bottom of Funnel - Hot Audiences): These people are close to converting. Your goal is to give them a final nudge with a strong offer.
-> Audiences: People who have added a product to their cart, initiated checkout, or visited your booking page but didn't complete the action.
Here’s how I would prioritise audiences to test within those stages for an eCommerce wellness brand:
| Funnel Stage | Audience Type | Priority & Examples |
| ToFu (Cold) | Detailed Targeting | #1 Priority for new accounts. Test interests related to competitors (e.g., Holland & Barrett), publications (e.g., Women's Health), influencers, and related activities (e.g., yoga, meditation). Seperate ad sets for each theme. |
| ToFu (Cold) | Lookalike Audiences | #2 Priority (once you have data). Test in this order: 1% Lookalike of Purchasers -> 1% Lookalike of Add to Carts -> 1% Lookalike of All Website Visitors. Start with 1% for highest quality. |
| MoFu (Warm) | Engagement Retargeting | Retarget people who have... -> Watched 50%+ of a video ad (last 30 days) -> Engaged with your FB/IG Page (last 60 days) -> Visited your website (last 30 days) - exclude purchasers. |
| BoFu (Hot) | Action Retargeting | Retarget people who have... -> Initiated Checkout (last 14 days) - exclude purchasers. -> Added to Cart (last 14 days) - exclude purchasers. |
This kind of structured approach is vital. It allows you to deliver the right message to the right person at the right time. It's especially important when you're in the early stages and trying to validate a new product MVP and need clean data to make decisions.
What results should I expect? And what happens when it all goes wrong?
This is the "how long is a piece of string" question. Costs vary wildly by niche, country, and objective. But from my experience running hundreds of campaigns, I can give you some rough ballpark figures for the UK/developed countries.
For leads, signups, or free trial registrations, you're often looking at a CPC (Cost Per Click) between £0.50 and £1.50. A decent landing page should convert at 10-30%. So, your Cost Per Lead could be anywhere from £1.60 (£0.50 / 30%) to £15 (£1.50 / 10%). For one of our clients, an app in the sports/events space, we managed to get over 45,000 signups at under £2 each, which shows what's possible.
For actual sales, the numbers are different. eCommerce conversion rates are typically lower, maybe 2-5%. So your Cost Per Purchase could range from £10 (£0.50 / 5%) to £75 (£1.50 / 2%). Here, the most important metric isn't CPA, but ROAS (Return On Ad Spend). For example, we've had campaigns for eCommerce brands, including women's apparel, achieve over 691% ROAS, meaning for every £1 spent on ads, we generated over £6.90 in revenue.
But what happens when your results suddenly tank? It's a terrifying, but common, experience for founders in this space. One day your ads are fine, the next your conversions are down 80%. It's not unusual to see ad campaigns destroyed overnight. This can be due to a platform policy update, algorithm changes, or ad fatigue. We've helped many clients navigate a sharp drop in their ad conversion rate. The key is not to panic, but to diagnose the problem methodically: has your CTR dropped? (Creative issue). Has your landing page conversion rate dropped? (Offer or website issue). Has your CPC spiked? (Audience or competition issue). There's always a reason.
How do I find a good agency for my startup?
If all of this sounds like alot of work, that's because it is. Many founders decide to hire an agency. But the agency world is full of cowboys who will promise you the world and deliver nothing. So how do you pick a good one?
-> Look for Niche Expertise & Case Studies: Do they have experience in healthcare or wellness? Ask to see case studies from clients similar to you. Look for real results, not vague promises. If they have good case studies, it shows they've already solved the problems you're facing. This is the first question you should ask when you're a startup trying to find a reputable ad agency.
-> Get on a Call and Test Their Knowledge: Book an initial consultation. A good agency should offer a free review or strategy session. Use this call to ask them tough questions based on what you've learned here. What's their take on your LTV? What audiences would they test first? What kind of offers would they suggest? If they sound like they know what they're doing and aren't just giving you a sales pitch, that's a great sign. Our general agency recommendations always start with this: test their expertise before you sign anything.
-> Check Their Reviews: What are other clients saying about them? Look for detailed reviews that talk about communication, strategy, and results.
Tbh, if an agency shows you detailed case studies and gives you a free, valuable strategy session, and you then ask to speak to their current clients for a reference, that's a red flag for the agency. It signals a deep lack of trust that probably won't be a good foundation for a partnership. The proof should be in their public results and the expertise they demonstrate. Whether you need a specialist to consult on a business or a full-service team to find new customers for your clinic, the due diligence process is the same.
I've detailed my main recommendations for you below:
| Area of Focus | Your First Action | Why It's Important |
| Customer Definition | Define your Ideal Customer by their specific, urgent "nightmare," not their demographics. | This allows you to create highly resonant ad copy and targeting that cuts through the noise and avoids wasting money on uninterested people. |
| Financials | Calculate your Customer Lifetime Value (LTV) and a target Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC). | This tells you exactly how much you can afford to spend to acquire a customer, turning advertising from a guessing game into a predictable investment. |
| The Offer | Replace "Book a Demo" with a high-value, low-friction offer (e.g., free guide, quiz, sample, or assessment). | This de-risks the first step for the customer, builds trust, demonstrates your value, and dramatically increases lead conversion rates. |
| Platform Choice | Choose Google Search for intent-based needs (people actively searching) and Meta/Social for demand generation (people you need to persuade). | Putting your message in the right place is half the battle. Mismatching platform and user intent is a primary cause of campaign failure. |
| Campaign Structure | Set up seperate campaigns for cold (ToFu), warm (MoFu), and hot (BoFu) audiences. | This ensures you're delivering the right message at each stage of the customer journey, guiding them from awareness to conversion efficiently. |
| Compliance | Thoroughly review the advertising policies for your chosen platform, especially regarding health claims. | Getting your ad account suspended is a disaster. Understanding the rules is non-negotiable in the healthcare space to ensure long-term viability. |
When should you get expert help?
Running paid ads for a healthcare or wellness startup isn't just about clicking a few buttons in Ads Manager. It's a high-stakes game. The market is crowded, the audience is skeptical, and the compliance rules are a minefield. Getting it wrong doesn't just waste your precious startup capital; it can get your business banned from advertising platforms altogether.
Working with a professional isn't just about outsourcing the work. It's about buying experience and speed. It's an investment in avoiding the costly mistakes we've seen hundreds of other founders make. It's about having a partner who can diagnose problems quickly, implement proven strategies, and build a scalable system for patient and customer acquisition that lets you focus on what you do best: running your business.
If you're serious about growing your healthcare startup and want an expert opinion on your current strategy, we offer a free, no-obligation initial consultation where we can review your accounts and give you some actionable advice.
