Short answer: most established med spas invest 8–12% of gross revenue in marketing — and newer clinics in competitive markets front-load higher in year one. But the percentage matters less than what it buys.
A clinic doing $80,000/month typically invests $6,400–$9,600 to sustain growth. If you're trying to grow aggressively or you're new in a competitive Florida market, expect to push the upper end — or beyond — during the first 12 months while you build patient volume and data.
Don't confuse the two. Ad spend goes to Meta and Google to buy reach; the agency fee buys the system that converts that reach into booked consults. A good partner has you pay the platforms directly — never marked up — so you own the account and the data.
The number that matters isn't your monthly spend — it's what each booked, qualified consult costs you, and what that patient is worth over their lifetime. A GLP-1 patient who stays on a program for 6–12 months changes the math entirely; spending more to acquire them is often the right call.
Spending too little is how clinics stay stuck: not enough data to optimize, not enough volume to be predictable, and a calendar that still depends on referrals. The goal isn't to spend the least — it's to spend at the level where acquisition becomes a system you can forecast.
Most established med spas spend 8–12% of gross revenue, and newer or aggressively growing clinics often front-load higher in their first year to build volume and data.
It shouldn't be. You should pay Meta and Google directly with no markup and own the ad account; the agency fee is separate and pays for the system that converts that spend into booked consults.
We fill one med spa's calendar per city with 30+ qualified consults a month — guaranteed in 90 days or we work free. Start with the free guide, or apply to see if your city's open.