A good med spa marketing agency can show you which services its marketing sells, which ads passed a compliance check before they ran, and what each new client cost you. If an agency can't answer those three things with real numbers from real accounts, keep looking. Below are eight questions to put to every agency on your shortlist, plus a table to compare their answers side by side.
We're a small agency, and we haven't worked on a med spa account yet. So this isn't a ranked list of agencies, and it doesn't say who is "best". We can't verify claims about other agencies, and a ranking we can't back up isn't worth publishing. What we can do is tell you what to ask and what a good answer sounds like.
1. Do you treat injectables and skincare as separate businesses?
They behave differently. Injectables are a trust-and-safety decision. People worry about the provider, the product and the result before they book. Skincare and facials are lower-stakes and repeat business, so retention matters more than the first click.
A strong agency plans the two separately: different messaging, different landing pages, different follow-up. A weak one runs "med spa services" as a single bucket.
2. How do you check ads and claims for compliance before they go live?
Med spa advertising is regulated, and the rules vary by state and by treatment. Medical boards, the FDA and the FTC all have a say in what you can claim, how results can be shown and how testimonials must be disclosed.
Ask for the agency's actual process: who reviews copy, what gets checked, and who signs off. "We know the rules" is not a process. Also ask who is responsible if an ad is flagged. The honest answer is that your medical director and your own counsel make the final call, and a good agency says so.
3. How do you handle before-and-after photos and client reviews?
Photos of real clients need documented consent, and health-privacy rules may apply depending on how your practice is set up. Review requests have their own rules about what you can offer in exchange.
A good agency asks to see your consent forms first. A weak one asks for photos and posts them.
4. Will you report cost per booked client, by service?
Clicks, impressions and "leads" are not the goal. A booked consultation, and then a paying client, is. Ask whether the agency can show cost per booked client for injectables separately from cost per booked client for skincare.
If the agency can't track phone calls and online booking back to the ad or search that produced them, its reports are guesses.
5. How will you improve our local search presence?
Most med spa clients live within a short drive. Local search, meaning your Google Business Profile, reviews, location pages and consistent listings, usually matters more than broad national SEO.
Ask what they will actually change in the first 90 days, and how they will tell you it worked. Vague answers like "optimize your presence" are a warning.
6. Who builds and owns the assets?
Your website, ad accounts, tracking and Google Business Profile should be in your name from day one. Ask whether you keep admin access, and what happens to the site and the accounts if you leave.
7. What does the contract actually commit you to?
Look at the minimum term, the notice period, setup fees and whether ad spend is billed separately. Month-to-month terms are easier to leave, which keeps the agency accountable. Long lock-ins aren't always wrong, but ask what you get in return for them.
8. Can I speak to a client in a similar situation?
Ask for a reference you can call, and ask what the agency got wrong as well as what it got right. If an agency has no med spa or comparable clinic clients, it should say so plainly. Some agencies will stretch the truth here.
The comparison at a glance
| What to check | A strong answer | A weak answer |
|---|---|---|
| Injectables vs skincare | Separate plans, messaging and reporting | One generic "med spa" strategy |
| Compliance | A written review process with named sign-off | "We know the rules" |
| Photos and reviews | Asks for consent forms before posting | Asks for photos and posts them |
| Reporting | Cost per booked client, by service | Clicks, impressions, "leads" |
| Local search | Specific 90-day changes and a way to measure them | "We'll optimize your presence" |
| Ownership | Your accounts, your admin access | Agency-owned accounts and site |
| Contract | Clear term, notice period and fees | Long lock-in, unclear exit |
| References | Real clients you can call, including a candid review | Testimonials only, or none |
The honest version of all this
The agency worth hiring is the one that tells you what it can't do yet. We're still building our med spa experience, and we'd rather say that than claim results we can't show.
If you'd like a second opinion on a proposal you've already received, or want to talk through what your own shortlist should look like, book a free 30-minute call. There's no pitch deck and no obligation.