Electronic Health Reporter

Though vision is one of the most important of all five senses combined, most people don’t think about their eye health until something goes wrong. Each year, millions of people are diagnosed with vision problems and eye diseases that alter their way of life. The unfortunate part is that many of these complications can be prevented with the assistance of an optometrist. While seeing the eye doctor is the responsibility of each individual, eye centers can do more to spread the word to encourage patients to make appointments.

So, how do you get people interested in their eye health and visiting places like Sharper Vision Centers? Here are some digital marketing solutions that have proven effective:

Have a website

A company website serves as the “first impression” of the brand. Patients need to have a place they can visit to get to know more about who you are, what services you provide, and how said services benefit them. Your optometry website should provide a professional yet inviting presence that encourages visitors to schedule an appointment for an eye exam, surgery, or other treatment solution.

As technology has come a long way, simply having a web address with your company contact information on it isn’t quite enough to keep visitors engaged. Your website needs to be user-friendly, easy to navigate, provide detailed information on your practice and services provided, and also engaging. Adding resources like company blogs, explanation videos, or customer reviews can also help to build your authority and strengthen the trust between your practice and the community it services.

Connect deeper with social media

A website isn’t enough these days to close the gap in doctor-patient relationships. The idea here is to get potential patients to feel comfortable enough to visit your practice for proper preventative measures and treatment. One of the best digital platforms to build a deeper connection with your target audience is social media. Here you get to show a more personal side to your eye practice which can get people to open up.

A company social media page needs to go beyond providing followers with informational pieces on eye health and common conditions (though those things are useful). Diversify your content by sharing blog posts, videos, and infographics, ask questions, share personal stories (related and unrelated to eye health), answer questions, provide tips, advertise services, launch promotions, and more to keep the audience engaged and interested in taking care of their vision.

Email marketing

Some of the best digital marketing solutions are those derived from platforms that people use daily – like email accounts. The average person checks their email accounts at least 15 times a day meaning with the right content, timing, and strategy you can educate, entertain, and attract more patients each day. Email marketing campaigns can be designed to send everything from eye health articles from your blogs to promotional offers on services or frames.

Online users sign up for your newsletters and receive exclusive information delivered to the inbox. With the right email marketing strategy you can send out personalized notifications for birthdays and special occasions, share photos and videos of office parties, programs, and events, and drop lifestyle hacks and tips to help your patients maintain good eyesight. The more you interact with patients via email, the more familiar they get with your brand. The better information you provide, the higher the chances are of them making an appointment to see you.

Don’t forget traditional marketing

Though the world seems to rely a great deal on modern technology and digital platforms, traditional marketing efforts should not be overlooked. This is especially true for optometrists and ophthalmologists as some of their potential patients are in the elderly communities that may not utilize technology as much. Therefore, making your brand known in the community by attending events, handing out flyers and brochures, sponsoring community teams, and taking advantage of networking events is still necessary to expand your reach.

Eye health isn’t often at the top of the list of medical professionals to visit which can make it very difficult for optometrists to get and keep patients visiting their practices. To try and boost revenue while also doing your part to keep the general public in good health, consider using digital marketing solutions like those described above. With a consistent and well-researched marketing strategy, you can build brand awareness, develop a deeper connection with your target audience, and increase your patient stats.