If you consider brands like Airbnb, Amazon, IKEA, or even Kleenex, you might not be able to pinpoint exactly how you first heard of them. This is the sign of good inbound and content marketing. They created marketing campaigns in multiple avenues to build up brand recognition and move their targeted buyers down their sales funnel gradually.
Not only do optometrists not have time to cold-call or pursue traditional sales techniques to gain new patients, but they don't need to. As an eyecare practice, you're providing necessary healthcare to your community, so you just need to showcase your value.
Here are three marketing campaigns that are accessible to all ODs and have been proven to bring in new patients or improve revenue.
3 Tried & True Eyecare Marketing Campaigns
Focusing on Education
Instead of direct ads, provide interesting or fun avenues for improving eye health education for the community. Create a biweekly newsletter that details how current events or trends can be affecting eye health such as blue light from computers, childhood development with screens, and aging diseases for the retiring boomer generation. Delivering relevant information can slowly build brand recognition for your practice and keep it top of mind when it comes time for an eye exam.
In-Office Videos and Messaging
When your patient is already in your practice, they probably don't have much to do besides wait for their appointment or fill out paperwork. This is the best time to have videos playing on your TV promoting different contact lenses, types of screenings, or new frames. Especially if your practice is attached to a dispensary, spend the time every month or two creating quick videos with your phone and iMovie or a free video editor to showcase the value of your products and services.
Online Ads for Your Website
It's proven that any local businesses with a mobile-friendly and easy to navigate website will see more customers than those without an effective website. Your optometry practice should not only allow patients to book appointments online, but include information about the history and values of your practice. Also, your website should host the education materials we mentioned before and offer an email subscription for more information. Setting up the website will require hiring a designer, but once it's done, all you need to do is create search engine ads to capture people looking for a new optometrist.
More marketing and general business tips can be found in our OD Handbook: Small Business, Big Profits.
