Social Media Marketing for Medical Billing: A Good Investment?

I recently had a conversation with a client where I suggested they fire their social media manager. This wasn’t the first time I’ve made such a recommendation to a medical billing company, which raises an important question: Is social media marketing for medical billing a viable strategy, or are companies wasting their resources?

The Common Goals of Medical Billing Social Media Marketing

Before determining whether social media is effective for medical billing companies, we need to understand what organizations hope to achieve through these efforts. The two primary goals typically are:

1. Brand Building

Many medical billing companies engage in social media marketing for medical billing primarily to build brand awareness. However, as I’ve discussed in previous articles, branding initiatives often yield poor returns for companies under $100 million in revenue. For organizations in the $3-30 million range, activities that directly generate revenue should take priority over abstract branding concepts.

2. Lead Generation

The second common goal is generating leads that convert to clients. This is where social media can be an effective channel when properly executed. In fact, for some of our clients, social media has proven to be among our most efficient lead generation channels, sometimes delivering response rates orders of magnitude higher than other marketing approaches.

Case Study: When Medical Billing Social Media Marketing Fails

To illustrate the importance of data-driven decisions in social media marketing for medical billing, let me share a recent client example:

This eight-figure revenue medical billing company employed a social media manager who regularly posted content across multiple platforms—Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and more. When I examined their CRM data with attribution tracking by marketing channel, the results were telling:

• Revenue generated through social media: $0
• Deals attributed to social media: 0
• Qualified leads from social media: 0
• Total leads from social media: 0

Despite years of investment and giving the strategy ample time to mature, this social media marketing for medical billing effort produced absolutely no business value. The company ultimately eliminated the position, saving $75,000 annually.

The Problems with Most Social Media Marketing for Medical Billing

The fundamental issue isn’t necessarily that social media is ineffective for medical billing companies. Rather, the problem lies in the approach most companies take. Typical medical billing social posts often include:

• Self-congratulatory announcements (“We’ve been in business for 10 years!”)
• Trade show attendance updates
• General company news with no value proposition

These posts create what I call a “circle jerk” effect—the company talking about itself with no consideration for what potential clients actually care about. For insights on more effective messaging approaches, see our article on medical billing marketing strategy.

There is significant debate on how much value, in particular when ROI is calculated, there is for social media posting for B2B. But it’s clear that for any social media to be successful it needs reach and relevancy. Most companies focus more on posting than increasing their reach, i.e. following, which of course ties to being perceived a brand leader. Relevancy applies in several ways including both what content is generated and whether it lines up well with the target market’s needs, as well as what social media marketing channel(s) are being utilized.

Data-Driven Decisions in Social Media Marketing

According to Healthcare Success, healthcare organizations that implement attribution tracking for their social media efforts discover that 72% of their social content generates zero leads or engagement from their target audience.

The key to evaluating any social media marketing for medical billing initiative is proper tracking and attribution. Before investing in social media, ensure you have systems in place to measure:

• Lead attribution by marketing channel
• Conversion rates from social media leads
• Customer acquisition costs by channel
• ROI compared to other marketing investments

For organizations seeking to improve their overall marketing approach, our guide on developing RCM KPIs provides valuable frameworks for measuring performance.

When Does Medical Billing Social Media Marketing Work?

While most posting activities yield little value, MGMA’s digital marketing study indicates that targeted social media advertising with specific lead generation objectives can produce significant results when properly executed.

Effective social media marketing for medical billing typically includes:

• Highly targeted advertising rather than organic posting
• Content that addresses specific pain points of medical practices
• Clear calls-to-action leading to valuable resources
• Sophisticated tracking and optimization

Conclusion: Be Ruthlessly Data-Driven

Social media marketing for medical billing can be valuable—but only when it generates measurable results. Before committing resources to social media, ensure you have proper attribution tracking in place. Review the data regularly and be prepared to reallocate your budget if the numbers don’t support continued investment.

If your social media efforts aren’t generating leads and closed deals, it’s time to either fundamentally change your approach or redirect those resources to more productive channels. The data doesn’t lie—and in most cases, it will tell you that traditional social media posting is not delivering value for your medical billing company.