We've all seen it: another dental practice using that same stock photo of a perfectly white smile that every other clinic in a 50-mile radius is also using. It's bland, forgettable, and frankly screams "we couldn't be bothered to invest in proper marketing."
But here's the deeper problem: why would patients trust you with their health when you won't even show them real images of your practice or your team? When your marketing looks identical to every other clinic, what exactly are you giving patients to base their decision on? Price alone?
Those stock images aren't just uninspiring. They're actively undermining patient trust and costing you money. Real money. And we've got the data to prove it.
Over the past two months, we analysed 364 Facebook ads across 12 healthcare practices. We compared three types of content: professional Ignite photography, client-provided images, and stock photos. The results? More revealing than we expected.
Stock photos typically cost 30-50% more per lead than professional content, but we've seen some campaigns cost 85% more when you include the real disasters. Some stock photo campaigns were spending £340 per lead while professional content was bringing in leads for under £30.
Yes, really.
Here's what our analysis revealed:
Overall performance (all content types):
That's a 52% difference between professional content and stock imagery.
Picture performance specifically:
But here's where it gets interesting.
The problem isn't that stock photos look fake (though they do). It's that they attract the wrong audience.
Our data shows professional content has the lowest click-through rate at 1.75%, but the highest ad conversion rate at 4.53%. Stock photos get more clicks but fewer enquiries.
What does this tell us? Professional content is qualifying leads before they even click. When someone sees genuine photos of your actual clinic and team, they're making an informed decision to enquire.
Stock photos cast a wide net that catches everything, including people who'll waste your time with price shopping.
Beyond the obvious CPL differences, stock photos create hidden costs:
Budget drain: Higher cost per lead means your advertising budget doesn't stretch as far, reducing your overall reach and potential patient base.
Brand confusion: When every practice looks the same online, patients make decisions purely on price. Hello, race to the bottom.
Missed opportunities: While you're paying £47 for leads that might not convert, your competitor using professional content is paying £31 for leads that are ready to book.
Professional healthcare content does three things stock photos can't:
Builds trust immediately: Real photos of your actual facility and team create instant credibility. Patients can see they're dealing with real people, not a faceless corporate entity.
Sets proper expectations: When patients see your actual space, equipment, and results, they arrive better informed and more committed to treatment.
Differentiates your practice: In a sea of identical stock imagery, authentic content makes you memorable. Patients remember the practice with the gorgeous surgery photos, not the one with stock photo number 47,832.
Let's look at a hypothetical example of how these performance differences might play out using data we’ve collected:
If you spent £2,000 on Facebook ads using stock photos:
If you spent £2,000 on Facebook ads using professional content:
Based on our data, this suggests professional content could potentially deliver nearly three times the return on advertising spend. Of course, every practice and campaign is different, but the pattern we observed was consistent across our sample.
Our analysis covered the period from 1st April to 22nd May 2025, tracking campaigns across 12 healthcare practices. We measured leads generated, cost per lead, click-through rates, and conversion rates.
Yes, some stock photo campaigns performed reasonably well. And yes, we've seen some absolute disasters that skewed the averages upward. But across 70 stock photo ads and 89 professional content ads, the pattern was consistent: professional content delivers better qualified leads at a lower cost.
The solution isn't complicated. Professional healthcare photography shows your practice as it actually is: a place where real people receive real care from qualified professionals.
It doesn't need to be expensive or disruptive. A single afternoon shoot can provide months of authentic content that outperforms any stock library.
The data is clear. Your practice deserves better returns than £47 leads from stock photos.
You’ve built a great clinic. Now you need to grow it. But you’ve been burned by overpromising agencies that under deliver. That’s why you need a marketing partner that understands your world. Someone with specialists skills who knows how to attract, nurture and convert the right people who value your treatments.
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Ignite Growth is an agency that specialises in helping ambitious aesthetic, dental and medical clinics grow.
Unit G02, Brickfields, 37 Cremer St, London E2 8HD, United Kingdom
