From the AOSA

Online Marketing

By Kelly Keane,
From the AOSA AOSA Secretary

THANKS TO SMARTPHONES and other mobile devices, most people are online 24/7, offering endless marketing opportunities for your practice.

Social networking sites work in a similar way to word-of-mouth referrals but their capacity to spread information about your practice is multiplied tenfold. To get started, decide which sites best fit your practice, create several accounts with the name of your clinic, then provide relevant and interesting content to get your practice name out there and create excitement about your products and services. Patients can “share” your links with others on Facebook and “retweet” important messages on Twitter, keeping you connected to patients even when they’re outside the office, allowing them to develop a stronger connection with you and your staff.

Blogs are online journals that may contain text, video, graphics, photos and audio. Create your own blog or contribute to an existing optometry blog.

Email newsletters offer an effective way to build your practice and stay in touch with patients who may not be interested in social media or blogs. In your newsletter, introduce new technology or list coupons and special offers.

Social media is the cheapest and fastest way to promote your practice. Just remember to keep your image professional and make sure all posts and emails are timely and valuable. nOD