7 Optometry Marketing Ideas to Attract New Patients

There used to be a time when all a clinic needed was a good location and even better services to bring in patients. In today’s digital age the absence of an online presence can be a major setback for any business looking to grow. Is your optometry clinic in need of some online marketing ideas? We have you covered.

We have broken down the key ingredients to digital marketing. Win over more patients and stand out from your competitors. Learn how to create value for your business online and generate the results you want.

With a little help from this guide attracting new patients online will be a breeze. Let an idea inspire you to take your optometry practice to new heights.

Optometrists preparing for eye exams.

1. Optimize Your Website

It’s not enough to have a website. You should maximize its features to entice more patients to visit your clinic. A professional website should be free of grammatical errors. Potential patients might get turned off by poor spelling and bad grammar.

Always keep your clinic services, contact information, and office hours clearly displayed. Keep this information updated when needed to avoid confusing potential patients.

As an optometrist, your business is in visuals, what’s best for the eyes. Your website design should complement your products and services with cohesive visuals. The design should be easy to navigate and not too busy.

Keep in mind that your website should also be mobile-friendly. According to Statista.com, mobile searches account for more than half of organic searches in the United States. That’s why your web pages shouldn’t take too long to load on a smartphone.

Another idea to help your website stand out in the online space is personalizing the about me page. For example, you should include all your accolades and certificates as an optometrist. It’s also a good idea to highlight your office culture and exciting backstory.

Add a personal touch to your site by including photos of events with current patients. Or consider having a team page that displays staff members. This internal marketing tactic will make your staff feel included and proud to be part of the team as well.

Let’s not forget a call-to-action (CTA) functionality on your website. New and potential patients should be able to schedule appointments through the site. An online booking feature reduces appointment cancellations and makes the scheduling process easier.

Read More: Top Optometry Website Features That Convert More Users Into Patients

2. Improve Your Search Engine Rankings With a Blog

SEO Optimization sign up page.

Search engine optimization or SEO is one of the most critical tools in digital marketing. When your website ranks high on search results, more customers will find your website. Potential patients check only the first two pages of Google Search results. SEO’s fundamental goal is to get your site to show on Google’s coveted first page.

Keyword research is essential for SEO. Tools like MOZ, SEMrush, and Ahrefs can assist you with keyword research. A major step in improving your Google rankings is including these keywords in your web pages.

One fun way to improve your SEO is through writing and posting blogs. Blog content is a fun, engaging way to add value to your website for your patients that goes hand in hand with SEO. In your blogs include your relevant keywords from research. Keep in mind that your blog writing should be playful and fresh while informative.

Subjects of blogs should be interesting and relevant to potential patients’ common questions. Starting a blog on your optometry website is free. All you need to do is share your expertise while using the right keywords.

Read More: Top Content Ideas for Optometry Blogs

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3. Try Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising

Complement your SEO efforts by investing in Pay-per-click or PPC ads. If you’re a new optometrist in town, this is a fantastic way to attract new patients and generate awareness about your office.  If you’re a seasoned practice in the game, this can help you get even more patients.

PPC advertising allows companies to push their campaigns to the top of search engine results. PPC offers immediate results. Like SEO, PPC advertising works through the strategic use of keywords. In your case, keywords related to your practice such as ‘eye exam in Los Angeles’ or ‘contact lenses.’

What’s great about PPC advertising is that it produces immediate results. Plus, you only pay for the number of clicks or site traffic you generate through the campaign. So you get what you pay for.

This pay-to-play strategy is an effective way to increase the visibility of your business. Once a potential patient sees the ad and clicks on it, you pay for that particular visit. This will help you get new appointment bookings online by increasing traffic to your website.

To come up with the right keywords for your PPC campaigns, you can visit Google AdWords. It’s a free tool you can use to improve your practice PPC advertising efforts.

4. Showcase Your Positive Reviews on Your Website

Customers giving feedback out of 5 stars online.

The most common way for new patients to learn about your practice will likely be with a Google Search. Save patients time by making it easy for them to find your optometry with Google My Business listing. Keep information accurate, updated, and upload photos of your office location.

After a patient finds your Google My Business listing they will likely then see your reviews. Congratulations your optometry clinic has some great reviews! Now you need to take the next step and feature your positive reviews on your website. You can share your positive reviews across social media channels or in email campaigns. Encourage long-term patients to leave positive reviews. You can send them thank-you notes or provide other incentives.

It’s important you address negative reviews promptly, creating a more positive conversation. If left unchanged or unaddressed, patients may think that you don’t value their feedback. Your next patient might be the person who sees that your practice values the opinion of your patients.

Word of mouth has always been a robust marketing tool. However, online reviews have become the digital way to spread positive feedback about your service in this widely digital age.

Read More: How to Claim Your Google My Business Listing

5. Invest in Your Social Media Strategy

Social media can sound broad but we will break it down. The number of social media platforms out there might seem overwhelming. Don’t worry to strengthen your online presence you don’t need to use every platform but we do recommend a few.

Facebook is a major player, encourage your patients to like or follow your pages. Facebook’s algorithm will recommend friends of your current patients to also like the same pages. You want to have updated information on your Facebook business listing. Including office hours, address locations, phone numbers, and website links.

Another social media platform to try making a business page for is Twitter. Tweet your favorite optometry articles or reply to mentions in no time. Twitter is a way to ask for customer feedback and promote original blog content. Other social media platforms worth looking into are LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.

Creating compelling content on social platforms helps generate more awareness about your practice. You can make educational posts that your patients and their friends would be interested in.

What’s great about social media is that it can be a channel to inform and entertain. Write valuable posts people can share with their friends, such as preventive eye care or the latest eyeglasses trends.

6. Use Email Marketing to Keep in Touch with Patients

Opening 4 incoming emails.

Did you know that checking emails remains to be the most popular activity online? The first email was sent in 1971, and people have been using this tool ever since. That’s why you should maximize the power of email marketing. Use emails to encourage current patients to come back to your practice.

Email marketing is easy and cost-effective. By using emails regularly you can increase patient retention. Sending follow-ups and email reminders is a convenient way to stay in touch with your patients. If you have a new service or product, you can spread the word through a well-crafted email campaign.

Email campaigns can assist in promoting anything your optometry clinic needs. For example, create a campaign for a holiday flash sale, the latest designer glasses, and annual eye exams. Spread the word to your patients about their eyecare options via email.

We also suggest creating Newsletters that can be used to promote your blog posts. Newsletters can cover a lot of eyecare information you want your patients to have. They can also drive more traffic to your website for patients to make an appointment. Keep your email lists up to date and track their performance.

Read More: Simple Strategies to Improve Your Newsletter Open Rates

7. Start a Referral Program

Create incentives for your patients with a referral program. If you asked all your new patients how they came across your optometry practice? A fair amount will likely say they were referred to you by a family member or friend. While this word-of-mouth recommendation is great to hear imagine getting these recommendations consistently. With a referral program for your existing patients, this goal can be attainable.

For example, you can offer a $20 discount on the new patient’s bill while giving a returning patient a $20 online store credit. Programs like these are a great way to attract patients and generate new leads.

Tell your patients about this program during a visit and send a reminder via email or direct mail. For example, you can send e-voucher coupons or offer gift cards as rewards to patients. Take this traditional word-of-mouth approach and make it better with digital marketing.

Applying These Digital Marketing Tips

With everything you and your practice have on your plates, it can be challenging to apply these marketing tactics to get more patients. That’s why you should invest in a digital marketing partner that can come up and execute a timely optometry marketing plan for you.

Through iMatrix, you can save time and money by managing all of your digital marketing needs in one place. For more information on digital marketing packages that include content creation, call 800.792.8384 or click here.

Author: Liliana Cervantes

Liliana Cervantes is iMatrix’s resident content specialist who works on all our online blog resources. She provides the iMatrix website with high-quality content to provide our readers with plenty of information to educate and inspire them with their digital marketing efforts. Liliana writes about tips and trends for readers to try on social media, their website, and their own blog content.

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