The State of Digital Marketing in Malaysia.
Built on the shakalakaa Digital Ad Cost Index — real managed-account data, not survey estimates.
From shakalakaa's managed-account data, Malaysian aesthetic clinics run RM15–45 per Meta lead and dental practices RM60–180 per Google Ads lead. XHS/RedNote's rise and the shift toward AI-generated search answers are the two biggest structural changes for Malaysian brands, clinic groups and marketing teams this year.
Key findings
1. Ad cost trends by market and industry
Malaysian aesthetic clinics are paying RM15–45 per lead on Meta, against SGD 25–80 in Singapore
2. Channel shifts: XHS/RedNote's rise
Xiaohongshu (RedNote) has moved from a Chinese-market-only platform to a genuine acquisition channel for Malaysian and Singaporean businesses
3. The compliance landscape
Regulated categories — aesthetic clinics, dental practices — face real, specific advertising rules in both markets
4. The GEO / AI-search shift
Search behaviour is splitting between traditional Google results and AI-generated answers
Methodology
State of digital marketing in Malaysia, in depth
The supporting detail behind each section of this page, by topic. 1 topics
Each finding
1. Ad cost trends by market and industry
Across the accounts we manage, Malaysian aesthetic clinics are paying RM15–45 per lead on Meta, against SGD 25–80 in Singapore — a gap driven by Singapore's higher CPMs and smaller addressable audience, not a difference in campaign quality.
Dental clinics running Google Ads sit at RM60–180 in Malaysia and SGD 80–250 in Singapore, with implant/Invisalign search terms consistently at the high end of the CPC band in both markets.
Interior design leads run RM25–70 in Malaysia, but only 30–55% are budget-fit qualified — the gap between raw and qualified leads is the single most understated cost in this vertical. Full breakdowns: aesthetic (MY), aesthetic (SG), dental (MY), dental (SG), interior design (MY), interior design (SG).
2. Channel shifts: XHS/RedNote's rise
Xiaohongshu (RedNote) has moved from a Chinese-market-only platform to a genuine acquisition channel for Malaysian and Singaporean businesses targeting Chinese-speaking consumers — see the XHS marketing service and business verification service for what account setup and content strategy actually involves on this platform today.
3. The compliance landscape
Regulated categories — aesthetic clinics, dental practices — face real, specific advertising rules in both markets: KKM guidelines and the Medicines (Advertisement & Sale) Act 1956 in Malaysia, and the Healthcare Services (Advertisement) Regulations with SMC/SDC guidance in Singapore.
See the compliance knowledge base for plain-English explainers, and run your own ad copy through the free KKM Ad Checker or MDC Ad Checker before it goes live.
4. The GEO / AI-search shift
Search behaviour is splitting between traditional Google results and AI-generated answers (ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity) that cite sources directly rather than listing links.
This report itself is built to be citable by AI engines — see the GEO service and GEO glossary for what optimising for AI-search actually involves, and the AI Visibility Checker to see whether your own business is currently recommended.
Keep exploring
Frequently asked
What does this report cover?
Ad cost trends by market and industry, built on the shakalakaa Digital Ad Cost Index — real managed-account data rather than survey estimates. It covers what Malaysian advertisers actually pay per lead by vertical, and the structural shifts shaping the year.
What do Malaysian clinics pay per lead?
From the accounts we manage, Malaysian aesthetic clinics pay roughly RM15–45 per lead on Meta and dental practices roughly RM60–180 per lead on Google Ads. The Singapore comparison for aesthetics is SGD 25–80, a gap driven by Singapore's higher CPMs and smaller audience pool.
What are the biggest structural changes this year?
Two: the rise of XHS/RedNote as a genuine acquisition channel for Chinese-speaking segments, and the shift toward AI-generated search answers changing how discovery works. Both are covered in the report body rather than asserted here.
Is this based on a survey?
No. It is built on managed-account data — real spend in real accounts — which is why the bands are expressed as ranges rather than as a single averaged figure. Survey-based reports measure what people say they pay; this measures what was actually paid.