You’re busy. We know. When you have limited time and resources, marketing your practice and your elective offerings can be tricky. No matter how tempting it may be, however, don’t let your marketing fall by the wayside. Consistently marketing your practice will make sure that your patients are still there in six months, a year, and beyond!
Here are a few things you can do right now to market your practice.
Make a Friend. Who can help you amplify your message? Building a partnership with a closely associated business can help get your name and your message in front of a new batch of potential customers. Connect with optometrists in your area to get their LASIK referrals. Share your marketing materials with your Chamber of Commerce. Partner up with a coffee shop to add your logo and web address to their cup sleeves. Do whatever it takes to get your name in front of more eyes, more often.
Get Social. Social media is one of the best ways to share your content quickly and easily from the comfort of your own office. Not only does social media allow you to control the message, but it also helps you provide expertise within your market. Be careful to not be too “selly” – in other words, focus more on content than self-promotion. Pushing your practice too hard can quickly turn off social users.
Find That Patient List. Keeping in touch with your former patients is a great way to build your business. Word of mouth referrals are consistently the best way practices get more business. Happy customers will refer your practice to their family, friends and others. Be an active part of that conversation. Offer a small discount to your alumni on sunglasses. Offer a small gift or gift card for new elective referrals. Send flowers as a small thank you. Keep those former patients engaged and thinking positively about your practice.
Answer the Phone. The phone in your office can ring a lot. That’s great! Unfortunately, getting a potential patient from that first phone call to a LASIK case day can be a long journey with a number of touch-points. Understanding how your patients make that journey at your practice goes a long way toward fixing any potential issues, speeding up conversion time, and ultimately, providing more service to happy customers. Opticall offers great tips on how to do a phone assessment.
Fix That Website. Do patients know what services you offer? How do they get their questions about LASIK answered? Do they know how to pay for these services? Your website is often the first point of contact for many customers. Make it easy for a new customer to understand what you offer as well as the benefits of these procedures. Don’t forget to cover the basics and offer customers an opportunity to learn more at the end, whether it’s a more in-depth webpage or a phone number to schedule a consultation.