BUSINESS

  social media

Promoting Your Optical

Three ways to help market this portion of your practice

JUSTIN BAZAN, O.D.

Optical has a unique blend of fashion, fun and education that can be creatively woven together to produce some great social media posts.

Here are a few ideas that should prove to be effective for your social media marketing.

1 Stick with the seasons

Spring training is here; what better time to promote your sun wear and sports eyewear collections? You can generate some sales by getting the word out about the brands you carry with a simple post.

For an even bigger campaign, consider cross marketing with local organizations that would benefit from the products and services you provide. For example, tag local Little League teams in your post if they have a Facebook page or Twitter handle. Not only will this promote your business, but taking an active interest in your local organizations will strengthen your relationship with them and their fan base, which can lead to new patients and referrals.

2 Use hashtags

Using hashtags (#) in your posts is a great way to bolster your marketing efforts across various social media platforms. Consider creating a weekly post using a unique-to-your-practice hashtag to highlight the latest frame collections or lens options. For example, you could post a “Frame Crush Friday” (#FCF) to get the word out about your diverse frame selection.

In these examples, Park Slope Eye uses the popular “Throwback Thursday” (#TBT) hashtag to engage with its audience.

Another great option is to utilize trending hashtags, as they can help get your post in front of a bigger audience. For example, Throwback Thursday (#TBT) is a widely popular social media trend in which one posts a picture that conjures up nostalgia — a powerful emotion that often elicits audience engagement. The more engagement, the more brand awareness you build.

Posting pictures of people wearing eyewear that your patients recognize and can identify with, such as the examples below, is usually a big hit.

3 Promote trunk shows

Trunk shows are proven business builders, and social media is a great platform to ensure a successful turnout. Facebook, specifically, will allow you to create an event, invite “friends” and post both paid and free promotions.

As an added tip, after the event, don’t forget to post a photo or two to let everyone know how successful and fun it was. Not only will this make people upset about missing out on the fun, it will also help to build excitement about the next one.

4 Leverage your vendor relationships

Most frame brands have a big online presence. One of the best ways to get in front of a brand’s audience is to have the brand post about you. Be sure to tag the brand in your social media post (with the @ symbol). Often times, brands will “Retweet” or “share” your post without having to request it.

However, if they don’t, leverage your relationships with your reps and their brands. Find out who is in charge of their social media marketing, and mention that you would like to build a relationship. Let them know that it’s not only okay for them to share your posts, but that you would love it if they did.

Posting a photo after a successful event is a great way to garner excitement for future ones.

When the vendor mentions you in a post, your name pops up in their fans’ newsfeed and on the brand Facebook page for all visitors to see. Loyal fans of the brand will know that you are an endorsed vendor, giving you a shot to earn their business or referrals. Remember social media reciprocity goes a long way when it comes to building great vendor relationships!

Get posting

With a little creativity, using social media can be an easy and effective way to promote your optical. OM

DR. BAZAN IS THE FOUNDER OF PARK SLOPE EYE, IN BROOKLYN, N.Y. HE IS A MEMBER OF THE AOA, NYSOA AND THE AAOMC. IN 2014 HE RECEIVED FINANCIAL COMPENSATION FOR SERVICES FROM ALLERGAN, BAUSCH + LOMB, VISION SERVICE PLAN, LUXOTTICA, THE VISION COUNCIL AND FOSTER GRANT. TO COMMENT ON THIS ARTICLE, VISIT TINYURL.COM/OMCOMMENT.