If you’re ready to implement more efficient & effective marketing strategies for your practice, book your FREE strategy session & marketing plan: https://go.medspamagicmarketing.com/schedule 

Selecting the right marketing partner is one of the most important decisions you’ll make as a med spa owner. Your agency directly influences how effectively you attract new patients, convert consultations, build brand authority, and ultimately grow revenue. But choosing the right provider can be overwhelming: every agency promises results, every team claims expertise, and most will show you their best case study — not the full picture.

In this guide, I’m sharing a comprehensive, honest breakdown of HOW to choose a marketing agency, HOW to evaluate your current one, and HOW to protect your business by ensuring you’re working with true experts.

This is the exact same framework I’d want my own family members to use before hiring a marketing provider — and it’s the same standard I hold my own agency to.

Let’s dive in.

Introduction: Why This Matters

Marketing is one of the biggest levers in your med spa’s growth. But it’s also confusing and full of landmines:

• Every provider claims something different
• Some agencies inflate results
• Many don’t understand the med spa niche
• Some are great at sales but weak at execution
• Some depend on white-labeled offshore teams you never meet
• Others can only do one tactic but sell it as a complete strategy

Your goal is simple:
Be confident your marketing is an investment — not an expense.

My promise in this article is to be transparent, unbiased, and deeply helpful. One of our core values at Med Spa Magic Marketing is: “Always do what is in the client’s best interest free of self-serving financial impact.” I’m bringing that same approach here.

1. Look for Results That Are DIRECTLY Attributable to Their Efforts

Every agency has case studies — but not every case study is meaningful. You need to evaluate the quality of results, not the presentation of them.

1.1 Beware of “Piggyback Case Studies”

A huge red flag is when an agency claims credit for a med spa that was already booming.

If a med spa:

• already had strong word-of-mouth
• already ranked well
• already had thousands of reviews
• was already booked out for injectables

…and the agency simply hopped onboard, then takes credit for the growth, the case study is misleading.

That is correlation, not causation.

You want clear, traceable, measurable attribution.

1.2 You Need a Clear Line From Strategy → Result

For real confidence, you should be able to say:

• “This specific campaign drove this specific volume and quality of leads.”
• “This specific ad or funnel resulted in booked, paid appointments.”
• “This strategy improved CAC.”
• “This strategy increased retention.”

If the agency cannot show you that direct connection, the results are flimsy.

1.3 Ask for BEST CASE, WORST CASE, and TYPICAL CASE Results

Most agencies show only their home-run example.

You should ask:

• “Show me your worst case study — what happened and why?”
• “Show me what an average month looks like for a typical med spa client.”
• “What is the realistic range of results I should expect?”

This tells you whether the agency is honest, grounded, and realistic.

1.4 Demand Real CAC and Conversion Data (Not Just Leads)

In 2025 and beyond, lead numbers are meaningless without:

• cost per booked appointment
• cost per paid appointment
• conversion rates
• retention metrics
• lifetime value insights

If an agency only shows:

• cost per lead
• number of leads
• click-through rates
• impressions

…but cannot show booked, paying patients, that is a major red flag.

For lead-gen services like Facebook Ads or Google Ads, real performance must be data-driven, not vibe-driven.

1.5 Niche Experience Matters — But It Isn’t Everything

Yes, experience in the med spa niche is incredibly valuable. Agencies with this experience know:

• which services convert best
• which offers make sense
• how to price campaigns
• how injectables behave in paid traffic
• what works vs. what burns money

But just because an agency has experience doesn’t mean they are good. Some are simply excellent salespeople.

Evaluate both niche experience and demonstrated results.

2. Read Reviews — And Read Them Carefully

Reviews matter, but not all reviews are equal.

2.1 Look for Reviews That Describe Results, Not Just “They’re Nice”

You want reviews that mention:

• leads generated
• booked appointments
• revenue increases
• retention improvements
• strategic guidance
• measurable outcomes

It’s nice if people say the team is friendly — but you’re hiring an agency for business outcomes, not customer service.

2.2 Look for Detailed, Specific Reviews

Reviews like:

• “They helped us lower CAC from $200→$85.”
• “We grew our injectables department 40% in 6 months.”
• “We consistently book appointments weekly through their Google Ads.”

…carry far more weight.

2.3 Pay Attention to Negative Reviews

A pattern of complaints about:

• being ignored
• being neglected
• overpromising
• lack of transparency
• poor communication
• no measurable results

…should be a red flag.

On the other hand, a review like:

• “Their account manager joined a call 10 minutes late one time”

…isn’t meaningful.

Look for substance.

3. Understand Their Delivery Systems and Operations

You must understand how the agency actually executes your marketing.

3.1 Are They White-Labeling Delivery?

Many agencies outsource fulfillment to:

• overseas teams
• third-party providers
• subcontractors
• white-label marketing firms

This is not automatically bad — but you need to know, because:

• it affects consistency
• it affects quality control
• it affects strategy
• it affects accountability

Ask:

• “Who is actually doing the work?”
• “Are they your employees or contractors?”
• “Where are they located?”
• “How do you maintain quality control?”

3.2 Who Oversees Strategy, Day-to-Day, and Quality?

You should know:

• Who sets strategic direction?
• Who monitors your account daily, weekly, and monthly?
• Who handles optimization?
• Who handles communication?
• Who owns final decisions?

This is your marketing engine — you should know who is steering it.

3.3 Ask About SOPs, Processes, and Checks

Strong agencies should have:

• documented SOPs
• QA procedures
• escalation paths
• internal communication systems
• proactive monitoring

If the system is sloppy, results will be sloppy.

3.4 Understand Their Communication Style and Frequency

Some med spas want:

• weekly calls
• daily Slack messages
• high-touch communication

Others want:

• monthly calls
• email-only communication
• low-touch management

Your agency’s structure MUST match your preference, or the relationship will break down.

4. Review Pricing and Scope — But Judge It Relative to ROI, Not Cost

This is one of the biggest mistakes med spas make:
Evaluating marketing on price instead of ROI potential.

4.1 Stop Comparing Agencies Based on Price Alone

Comparing agencies like:

• “Agency A is $1,500 and Agency B is $2,000”

…is as flawed as comparing:

• houses without considering size, age, city, or condition
• attorneys without considering expertise or track record
• cars without considering mileage, make, or mechanical condition

Price WITHOUT context is meaningless.

4.2 Scope Matters More Than Price

For example:

• One agency may run only one or two ads
• Another may build 20 variations, custom funnels, retargeting, and video content
• One may include SEO features
• One may include custom landing pages
• One may include omnichannel management

These are NOT apples-to-apples comparisons.

4.3 Judge Based on Expected ROI, Not Sticker Price

If you invest:

• $10,000 and generate $30,000 → that is an excellent ROI
• $5,000 and generate $10,000 → that is worse

Cheap is not the goal. Profitable is.

4.4 Make Sure the Scope Matches Your Expectations

If you want:

• 45 ads in rotation
• promotion across multiple verticals
• frequent campaign updates
• constant funnel testing

…you need to ensure the agency offers that.

If you want:

• a focused strategy
• limited service promotion
• simpler management

…you need an agency aligned with that approach.

5. Evaluate Their Guiding Principles, Philosophies, and Values

This is what ensures that the agency isn’t just technically skilled — but strategically grounded.

5.1 What Are Their Core Philosophies?

A good agency should be able to explain:

• why they do what they do
• how they approach patient psychology
• how they structure offers
• how they prioritize budget allocation
• how they balance brand-building and direct response
• how they measure success

A strategy without foundational philosophy is guesswork.

5.2 Do They Act Like Consultants — Or Just Sellers?

A real partner should:

• help you prioritize ad dollars
• consider opportunity cost
• tell you what NOT to spend money on
• guide you, not just bill you

If an agency pushes you into every service possible because it increases their retainer, that’s a misalignment.

5.3 Are There Conflicts of Interest?

For example:

• Are account managers incentivized to sell you more?
• Do they earn commission when you add services?
• Do they charge a percentage of ad spend?

These aren’t inherently bad, but transparency is essential.

6. Gauge Their Strategic Depth and Expertise

You want the people overseeing your marketing to be:

• experts
• thoughtful
• strategic
• data-driven
• students of the game

Ask yourself:

• Does the agency demonstrate a deep understanding of marketing?
• Do they speak confidently about CAC, LTV, retention, funnels, and psychology?
• Do they understand the nuance of med spa services?
• Do they balance short-term wins with long-term brand-building?
• Do they show strategic leadership — or just technical execution?

Your agency is effectively your outsourced CMO. They must think like one.

Final Reminders

Here is your quick recap checklist:

• Don’t judge on price alone
• Don’t rely only on their best case study
• Don’t accept “leads” as success metrics
• Don’t hire someone without niche experience
• Don’t hire someone who can’t show their worst case
• Don’t hire someone who can’t show CAC and retention data
• Don’t hire someone who pressures you to overspend
• Don’t hire someone without clear systems and processes
• Don’t hire someone whose values conflict with yours

Your primary goal is the largest gap between money in and money out — not the lowest cost of service.

Marketing should be a money-making initiative.
It should be an investment.
Your job is to choose the partner that maximizes ROI — not minimizes cost.

Need Deeper Support?

For med spas doing over $50,000 per month in revenue, I offer a free 90-minute strategy session where I walk through:

• our exact strategies
• our offers
• our ads
• our funnels
• our targeting
• our optimization process
• our philosophical framework
• our tactical blueprint

I show you everything — whether we work together or not.

If you’re under $50k/month, I recommend exploring the free content on my YouTube channel and previous podcast episodes, which offer a complete education at no cost.