Social Media for Optometrists

Lately, we’ve been throwing out a lot of advice about how your practice can utilize Facebook and Twitter. Now that you’re convinced that your social media pages are going to bring value to your business, make sure that you are using them correctly. We have compiled a list of the most common social media mistakes you should avoid.

Social media ≠ Free self-promotion

You should know by now that social media is the new form of communication, no longer a one-way street. It is a great medium to get your message out there but it’s not all about you! Before submitting your next post, ask yourself “what will my readers gain from this?” Also, don’t ask for “likes” or retweets, they do not count as actual currency. If you need a call to action, make sure that it is something that will actually benefit you and/or your audience.     

Increased frequency ≠ Increased reach

While you should concentrate on increasing the frequency of your posts in the initial stages of launching your social media page, you should not be obnoxious about it. It is true that it is hard to get attention in the sphere of social media. Your post on Facebook will eventually get lost in the shuffle of other updates, but increasing posting frequency is not necessarily the answer. Repeating the same message multiple times over multiple platforms in a short span is more likely to annoy your followers. You are not bringing anything new to the table. While you think you are getting more attention, you are receiving unwanted attention and giving your followers a reason to stop following you. (You should also avoid writing in caps. NO ONE LIKES BEING YELLED AT!)

More likes ≠ More value

We all get excited to see new followers. You might even have it in your marketing goal to gain X amount of “Likes” by the end of the month. It is always good to broaden your reach, but are gaining quality followers – people that you actually should be interacting with - or spam accounts? An easy way to measure your success on Twitter is not by counting the number of followers, but the number of positive mentions and conversations about you. Your followers are of no value unless you actually engage with them.

Viral content ≠ Relevant content

Welcome to the internet, where fat cats and cute babies are the rule of the land! Funny content gets shared more frequently, but don’t just post them to get more likes, shares or retweets. (Read point 2) Being in the eyecare business, you want to be taken seriously. Throw in a couple of funny images, but don’t forget actual important information.

On the topic of relevant content, there will probably be plenty of industry specific content posted to your social media pages to inform or educate your audience. But make sure that your images are appropriate for everyone. If I’m on Facebook early Monday morning, the last thing I want to see is a post about how to cure pink eye with a high resolution picture of an infected eye. Avoid the use of such graphic images.  While that might be good information to share, you shouldn’t gross out your readers!

Find yourself guilty of one or more of these mistakes? Don’t worry, now you know exactly what to do and know exactly where to find social media resources for eye care practices. If you have chosen to use social media marketing, make sure that you have a plan to invest time and effort into it. Remember, it is not an easy solution for instant business success. Stay relevant and engaging!