Leads for 300 RUB or how we cracked VK's algorithm for a hair transplant clinic

The scope of work was divided into 4 stages

• Stage 1. Competitor and market analysis
  Objective: Assess the potential of the VKontakte advertising platform Actions taken:

  • Analysed competitors in the following niches: hair transplantation, alopecia treatment, and men’s cosmetic services
  • Studied the mechanics of the VK marketing platform: selection of communities (publics), pricing, and ad placement algorithms
  • Defined the key objective: generate test leads and reduce cost per lead (CPL) by 50%
• Stage 2. Creating and testing the first funnel
  Objective: To verify whether the channel is effective Actions taken:

  • Developed a conversion sequence: → promotional post in a community → traffic directed to a marketing quiz (landing quiz) → lead submission for a free consultation
  • Prepared creatives focused on the core problem: “What to do if your hair is falling out?”
  • Launched a test campaign across 4 communities in the “Health” and “Beauty” niches

  Results:

  • Reach: 20,632
  • CTR: 0.22%
  • Leads generated: 8
  • Cost per lead: up to 500 RUB

  Conclusion: The channel is viable — ready for scaling
• Stage 3. Scaling up
  Objective: Increase the volume of leads Actions taken:

  • Expanded reach to 454,000 — launched posts in larger communities
  • Promoted across topics: “Health”, “Beauty and Fashion”
  • Redesigned the quiz: added clarifying questions and disabled the option to skip steps

  Results:

  • Reach: 454,000
  • CTR: 0.09%
  • Leads generated: 5
  • Cost per lead: up to 3,000 RUB

  Conclusion: Leads were no longer spammy, but the cost remained high at up to 3,000 RUB per lead
• Stage 4. In-depth funnel optimisation
  Objective: Reduce cost per lead (CPL) and improve conversion rates Key changes:

  1. Creative refresh
     • Implemented the same creatives that had proven effective in targeted campaigns, but adapted them to appear more native within the VK feed
     • Added "before" photos showing typical hair loss patterns — to maximise audience identification
     • Removed all filler text, leaving only clear, concise messaging: “Hair transplantation — from 99,000 RUB. Scar-free. Growth guaranteed.”
  2. Quiz optimisation
     • Redesigned the entire funnel:→ Added before-and-after photos→ Strengthened engagement-focused questions→ Made all steps mandatory — to filter out spam and low-quality leads
  3. Audience targeting overhaul
     • Shifted focus away from general “Beauty” topics — redirected efforts towards male-dominated interests:→ “Sports”→ “Business”→ “Science and Technology”
     • Selected communities (publics) with a high proportion of male users