ChatGPT just rolled out ads for small businesses, and dentists are already testing it, often with no idea what they're doing.
In this episode, Scott Leune sits down with Bill Donato, founder of
DentalMarketing.com, to break down what's actually working in dental marketing right now: ChatGPT ads, Google Ads, AI-powered SEO, and a channel most dentists have written off as outdated: direct mail.
Bill has spent over a decade running marketing for dental practices across the U.S. and Canada, and he pulls back the curtain on where new opportunity actually lives versus where dentists are wasting budget.
In this episode, you'll learn:
- Why ChatGPT ads are in their "early Google Ads" phase right now, and what that means for cost per click while the window is open
- The tracking problem almost no one is talking about: why your ChatGPT campaign might show zero conversions when it's actually working
- What a "conversion event" really is, and why setting it up correctly matters more than your ad copy or budget
- Why direct mail is quietly outperforming digital ads on a cost basis: one mail piece can cost the same as a single Google click, but reach 20 households
- The "new mover" mail strategy top practices use to reach families before they've even started searching for a dentist
- Why mailers boost your SEO and Google rankings, even when the recipient never calls
- How to build a marketing strategy that layers AI-enabled SEO, Google Ads, direct mail, and ChatGPT ads instead of betting everything on one channel
- What to do differently if you're opening a new practice versus scaling an existing one, including why marketing should start 3-6 months before your doors open
Whether you're evaluating a new marketing channel or auditing whether your current one is actually delivering, this episode gives you a clear, practical framework for where to invest next.
What is The Dental CEO Podcast?
Welcome to the Dental CEO® Podcast — where Dr. Scott Leune applies proven business strategies from leading entrepreneurs and CEOs to the complexities of dental practice ownership.
In each episode, Dr. Leune dives into candid conversations with leaders from industries far beyond the operatory, uncovering strategies, struggles, and breakthroughs that align with the challenges dentists face every day.
From scaling operations to maximizing profitability, these discussions reveal the financial frameworks and operational insights that empower dentists to lead with precision, manage with efficiency, and achieve sustainable growth as the CEO of their practice.