Unpopular Opinion: Marketing (Alone) Does Not Work—Here’s What Actually Moves the Needle
Marketing is not magic. It’s leverage.
And when you try to leverage something that isn’t stable—it breaks.
If your internal systems are chaotic, your marketing dollars are not an investment.
They’re a donation.
And here’s the part no one wants to hear:
If you’ve worked with 3, 4, even 5 marketing companies and still haven’t seen ROI...
It’s time to look in the mirror. Taylor Swift said it best, “It’s me, hi, I’m the problem.”
The Divorce Analogy (Because It Applies)
If someone’s been divorced five times, you eventually stop blaming their partners.
You start wondering, “What’s going on with them?”
It’s the same with your marketing.
You can jump between agencies, websites, and ad budgets…
But if the results stay the same, the issue might be operational—not external.
ROI Is Earned—Not Just Generated
Let’s break down what ROI really means:
You don’t earn a return when someone clicks a Google ad or visits your site.
You earn it when:
A lead calls your office
Your team answers confidently and converts them
You deliver a five-star experience
The patient says yes to treatment
And… you collect payment for that care
Marketing is just the invitation.
What matters most is what happens after the RSVP.
The $200 vs. $1,500 Problem
Here’s the harsh reality:
Some practices collect $200/year per patient.
Others collect $1,500/year—from similarly insured patients.
The difference?
👉 It’s not insurance.
👉 It’s not clinical skill.
👉 It’s not zip code.
It’s systems.
It’s experience.
It’s intentionality.
And I’ve seen it firsthand—practices with great clinicians and zero systems hemorrhaging opportunity… until we cleaned up the inside and built from there.
How to Make Marketing Actually Work
Step 1: Get Your House in Order
Before you pay another dime to a marketing agency or click “boost” on another Instagram post—fix your foundation:
Your Website
Clean, modern, mobile-optimized
Online scheduling with real-time availability
A message that speaks to patients from their POV—not a resume
Your Phone Experience
Dr. Megan Shelton teaches healthcare providers how to turn marketing into real results.
50% of marketing failure happens right here.
If your team doesn’t pick up with warmth, clarity, and confidence, you’ve already lost.
Train your front desk—or hire someone to do it. Please know, that hiring only works if you empower your hire, and believe in the system yourself!
Your In-Office Experience
Patients don’t say yes because of your technology.
They say yes because of how they feel.
Build a patient journey rooted in trust, simplicity, and follow-through.
Your Internal Marketing Engine
Before you go wide, go deep. Tap into your loyal base.
Identify your top 20% of patients—those who show up, say yes, pay you, and refer others
Find their common threads: zip code, profession, values, lifestyle
Build an internal campaign designed to get 2 referrals per provider, per day
Your best patients know others just like them. You don’t need billboards.
You need better conversations.
Internal referral systems increase patient acquisition without more ad spend.
Step 2: Layer in External Marketing Strategically
Now that your engine is tuned, now you go wider.
Paid search, SEO, social, and brand storytelling work once you’re ready to convert
Hire experts—but don’t outsource your leadership
Align your internal message with your external strategy
Monitor KPIs, call tracking, and conversion rates—not just clicks or impressions
Marketing isn’t about more visibility.
It’s about better alignment between message, brand, experience, and delivery.
Who This Applies To
Whether you’re a:
Dentist trying to boost new patient flow
Optometrist wondering why marketing hasn’t increased bookings
Plastic surgeon frustrated with low consult conversion...
The lesson is the same:
Fix the inside. Then scale the outside.
I don’t care how big your ad budget is.
If your systems aren’t ready, marketing will only make the gaps more obvious—and more expensive.
Let’s Flip the Formula
Instead of: “I need more new patients.”
Ask: “What am I doing with the ones already calling?”
Because if you’re ready, marketing can be rocket fuel.
But if not? It’s just gasoline on a disorganized fire.
Final Thought
Marketing is a multiplier.
But if you’re multiplying a broken process, all you get is a louder problem.
Let’s fix that.
Let’s build systems that earn trust, increase acceptance, and create referrals before you hit “boost.”
You don't need a new agency.
You need a new approach.
– Dr. Megan Shelton
Shelton Solutions
Open your mind, optimize your systems, improve your life.
→ Download the Patient Experience Audit Guide and start converting more of your leads today.
