Choose a referral retainer when other offices already send this specialty and you can keep the slot you promise. Choose a paid ads test month when openings need nearer-term demand and intake can book the next new patient. Catalyze Care publishes referral marketing at $5,000/month (3-month minimum) and paid ads management at $2,500/month plus media. SEO at $799/month is compounding work, not the first-month test. Our services: referral and paid ads. Hire timing: when not to hire a healthcare marketing agency.
In one sentenceReferral at $5,000 when offices already send the specialty. Paid at $2,500 plus media when openings need nearer-term demand. Hire neither if intake is full.
Decision tree
- Check intake first. If the front desk cannot book the next new patient in a time you will honor, hire neither channel yet. Capacity: staff intake before scaling referral or paid.
- Ask who already sends this specialty. If other offices already send patients, start the $5,000 referral retainer. A single month is not a test. The minimum is three months. Service: referral. Overview: healthcare referral marketing.
- Ask whether openings need nearer-term demand. If patients search and you have openings now, start a $2,500 paid ads management month plus media. Service: paid ads. Overview: paid ads for healthcare practices.
- Write pause and cancel terms before you sign. Ask in writing what happens if intake fills or a platform policy blocks the campaign. Pause tests: when to pause paid ads vs SEO vs referral. Process: how Catalyze Care works.
What each first month actually is
| Choice | Published fee | What month one is |
|---|---|---|
| Referral retainer | $5,000/month, 3-month minimum | A build: list, claims-backed outreach, and a report you can check against intake. Not a one-month trial. |
| Paid ads test month | $2,500/month management, media separate | Account, policy-safe creative, landing pages, and spend you can pause. Media stops when campaigns pause. |
| SEO | $799/month | Compounding crawl work. Not a substitute for either test above. |
If both gaps are real and intake can take the next patient, you can run both. Adding a second retainer is not a guarantee. Mid-size budget frames: healthcare marketing budget planning for mid-size provider groups. Firm: healthcare marketing agency.
Client results appear only with the client’s written permission. We do not publish a CPC or a referred-patient forecast for month one.
Written by Andrew Brazis, operator of Catalyze Care. LinkedIn: Andrew Brazis.
FAQ
When should a practice start a referral retainer?
Start referral at $5,000/month with a 3-month minimum when other offices already send this specialty and intake can keep the slot you promise a referring office. A single month is not a test.
When should a practice start a paid ads test month?
Start paid ads at $2,500/month management plus media when openings need nearer-term demand and intake can book the next new patient. Pause if policy or license facts break.
When should a practice hire neither?
Do not hire when intake cannot take the next patient, when the practice will not name who it takes, or when the only ask is a guaranteed ranking or multiple. Honesty: when not to hire a healthcare marketing agency.