How Much Does Plastic Surgery Marketing Cost?
JULY 2026
WHAT PLASTIC SURGERY MARKETING COSTS
Nobody publishes their prices.
We will.
Most plastic surgery practices spend between $3,000 and $12,000 a month on marketing. The range is wide because the work behind it is wide.
Here is what actually moves that number.
Marketing is not one line item. It is several.
Most retainers cover:
• Production, meaning filming and editing
• Distribution, meaning posting and paid media
• Strategy, meaning what to make and why
Cheap usually means one of the three is missing.
Most retainers cover:
• Production, meaning filming and editing
• Distribution, meaning posting and paid media
• Strategy, meaning what to make and why
Cheap usually means one of the three is missing.
WHAT YOU ARE ACTUALLY PAYING FOR
TYPICAL PRICE RANGES
Numbers vary by market, but the tiers are consistent.
A solo surgeon in a mid-size city pays differently than a multi-location group in Houston or Miami. Volume, travel, and paid spend are the three biggest swing factors.
What practices typically pay:
• $1,500 to $3,000 a month for social management only
• $3,000 to $8,000 a month for content production plus management
• $8,000 and up for full funnel work with paid media
Paid ad spend is separate from agency fees.
A solo surgeon in a mid-size city pays differently than a multi-location group in Houston or Miami. Volume, travel, and paid spend are the three biggest swing factors.
What practices typically pay:
• $1,500 to $3,000 a month for social management only
• $3,000 to $8,000 a month for content production plus management
• $8,000 and up for full funnel work with paid media
Paid ad spend is separate from agency fees.
WHY THE RANGE IS SO WIDE
Two practices can pay the same and get very different work.
What drives cost up:
• On-site filming instead of stock footage
• More platforms and more posts per week
• Paid media management on top of organic
• Website, email, and blog work bundled in
Scope is the price.
What drives cost down:
• Fewer shoot days per quarter
• Repurposing one shoot across more channels
• Starting with one platform instead of five
Efficiency beats volume almost every time.
What drives cost up:
• On-site filming instead of stock footage
• More platforms and more posts per week
• Paid media management on top of organic
• Website, email, and blog work bundled in
Scope is the price.
What drives cost down:
• Fewer shoot days per quarter
• Repurposing one shoot across more channels
• Starting with one platform instead of five
Efficiency beats volume almost every time.
WHAT CHEAP MARKETING ACTUALLY COSTS
The lowest bid is rarely the lowest cost.
A $900 package usually means stock images and recycled captions.
What you end up paying for later:
• A year of posts that never moved the calendar
• A rebuild when the content does not match the practice
• Consults lost to the practice that showed up on camera
Underspending is still spending.
A $900 package usually means stock images and recycled captions.
What you end up paying for later:
• A year of posts that never moved the calendar
• A rebuild when the content does not match the practice
• Consults lost to the practice that showed up on camera
Underspending is still spending.
HOW TO BUDGET FOR IT
Start from revenue, not from a number you saw online.
Most practices land between five and ten percent of revenue.
A simple way to size it:
• Decide how many new consults you need each month
• Work out what one consult is worth to the practice
• Set a budget that survives six months, not two
• Leave room for paid spend on top of the fee
Marketing that stops after ninety days never compounds.
Most practices land between five and ten percent of revenue.
A simple way to size it:
• Decide how many new consults you need each month
• Work out what one consult is worth to the practice
• Set a budget that survives six months, not two
• Leave room for paid spend on top of the fee
Marketing that stops after ninety days never compounds.
WHAT TO ASK BEFORE YOU SIGN
Before you agree to any retainer, ask:
• Who is filming, and are they coming to my practice?
• What exactly ships each month?
• What happens if we want to stop?
Price makes sense once you know what is behind it.
• Who is filming, and are they coming to my practice?
• What exactly ships each month?
• What happens if we want to stop?
Price makes sense once you know what is behind it.
