SOCIAL

  O.D. SCENE

THE ENTERTAINING SIDE OF OPTOMETRY

Q&A

Jack Schaeffer, O.D. F.A.A.O.,
Editor-in-Chief O.D. Scene

Does your practice use Facebook, Twitter or other social media platforms? If you answered, “No,” you are doing a great disservice to the current and potential consumers who could benefit from your full range of offerings. This, in turn, is hurting your practice’s finances. Don’t believe me? As of January 2014, 74% of adults who use the Internet use social media sites, with 71%, 23%, 26% and 28% using Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and LinkedIn, respectively, reveals the Pew Internet Project’s research. Further, 41% say social media affects their choice of doctor, hospital or medical facility, shows Demi & Cooper Advertising and DC Interactive Group. Translation: Without a social media presence, you don’t exist to a significant portion Americans.

This month, I speak with two optometrists who have successfully harnessed the power of social media to benefit their patients and practices: Matt Geller and Alan Glazier. Of note: Dr. Geller is co-founder of an online job discovery and job-matching platform for the eye care industry. Meanwhile, Dr. Glazier founded “ODs on Facebook,” a private group for optometrists to discuss patient and managed care, practice management, diagnostic devices and more.

As we go to press, the job platform boasts 4,000 users, and “ODs on Facebook” boasts more than 20,000 members, showing both have greatly resonated within the profession. Speaking of making an impression, last month’s “O.D. Scene” about Dr. Donald Korb prompted several replies, all of which are included in this month’s section as well. Enjoy!

KEY OPTOMETRIC LEADER WEIGHS IN...

Q: CAN YOU DESCRIBE YOUR PRACTICE?

MG: My practice is a primary care optometry practice in San Diego, Calif. I am an associate to Dr. John Fleming. While he focuses on specialty contact lenses, I focus on dry eye management. We both enjoy fitting the latest and greatest soft contact lenses, and we are beginning to participate in clinical trials regarding new lenses.

AG: Shady Grove Eye and Vision Care is a five-doctor medical practice with the latest digital technology and a high level of customer service. We have a rock star manager and a fantastic lineup of rock star doctors. We recently underwent an expansion and redesign.

1: Dr. Geller and his fiancé. 2: The Glazier family 3: Dr. Glazier celebrating son, Jacob’s Bar Mitzvah.

Q: HOW DID YOU BECOME INTERESTED IN SOCIAL MEDIA?

MG: I got interested in social media because my friends were there and I loved the instant connection I could get with the click of a button. Also, it helps expand your reach to thousands of people. If you have content and articles to share, social media is your best friend.

AG: In 2005, I noticed my young practice was attracting less new patients. This was troubling, as I was spending between $7,000 and $8,000 on traditional marketing. In realizing I needed to make a change, I started studying Internet marketing.

As I gained a deeper understanding of how search engines work, I realized they were probably taking cues from social media. I called it “searchial marketing” and published a book in early 2011 on how using social media influences your position in a search. I continue to use social media to keep my business thriving.

Q: HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU SPEND ON SOCIAL MEDIA?

MG: I spend about one hour per day total on social media platforms. I try to limit my communicating and interacting via the Internet to get more face time with the people I truly care about.

AG: On a weekday, between one-half hour to one-and-a-half hours. Generally, I don’t look at social media after 8 p.m. to focus on my other interests, such as my family. On the weekend, I spend between two to four hours using it. The time is split between content creation and content sharing. Sharing takes no time; tools allow you to share to multiple social media sites with one click.

If you want someone to manage your social media efforts, you can hire a company, like I do, which can improve your engagement, benchmark your success and show you how your marketing dollars are working for you, in terms of return on investment.

Q: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIA SITE AND WHY?

MG: My favorite social media platform is Instagram. I absolutely love photography and jump at the chance to see one more, great photograph by someone in a different part of the world. It’s a great chance to soak up new creativity. Instagram helps users tell a story, and I think that can be very powerful.

AG: Facebook. It enables me to organize my social life, learn what is relevant, what’s going on in my friends’ lives and observe and express opinions on almost every topic. I follow and share my interests and find things that make me laugh and share them.

Q: HOW DO YOU COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR PATIENTS AND YOUR FRIENDS?

MG: I communicate with patients by being myself. I treat everyone fairly and I am extremely patient. Patients deserve my time, and I make sure to spend ample time not preforming clinical testing, but just getting to know and understand my patients. Email is the most valuable patient communication tool. We send a personal email blast to every patient that outlines what’s going on in the practice, and we focus on the latest and greatest in innovation.

AG: For patients, we mostly use a customer communication software tool and ask their preferred form of communication – email, text, phone etc. Also, I share compelling value-based content — some produced by me, some shared from other sources — to keep my patients engaged with the practice. For my friends, I communicate mostly in insults via Facebook, email, text and Twitter.

Q: WHAT ARE THE BEST SOCIAL MEDIA SITES TO MAKE YOUR PRACTICE SUCCESSFUL?

MG: The best social sites to develop a practice are Facebook and Google. Facebook takes about 30 minutes per month and either $0 or about $50/month, depending on how motivated you are to make Facebook work for you. Facebook allows you to show the fun side of your practice and what goes on behind the scenes. Google should be used to pick up on search engine terms that exist on your blog and on your website. I spend about 30 minutes a month monitoring a Google Adwords budget of around $200 a month. Google Adwords is amazing for tracking ROI on new patients. Just make sure that your blog is being picked up by Google, and that can help with social engagement.

AG: I think the most important sites right now are Facebook, Twitter, Link-edIn and Pinterest. If, however, you’re trying to attract and retain young patients, you need to add Instagram, Vine and Snapchat.

1: Dr. Geller at work. 2: Dr. Glazier with sons at a baseball game.

Q: WHO ARE THE MEMBERS OF YOUR FAMILY, AND WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO FOR FUN?

MG: My family is awesome! My brother Josh is co-founder and CTO of a job matching site for eye care professions. My mom is the kindest person I’ve ever met. She is a dental hygienist and someone who just appreciates every day and embraces it with a smile. My father is the wisest person I’ve ever met and has advice that would make anyone feel stress and anxiety free. He’s always there to guide me in the right direction. He works in digital communications and really can accomplish whatever he puts his mind to. Overall, my family totally rocks. They mean the world to me.

For fun, I enjoy surfing, yoga, bike riding, traveling but most of all just hanging around and relaxing with my fiancé and my two cats, Motor and The Baby.

AG: My wife, Laura, who is an attorney at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, our sons Jacob, age 14, and Ari, age 12, and our dog T-bone. Jacob is passionate about baseball, and Ari loves lacrosse.

For fun, we enjoy skiing and traveling as a family.

Q: IF YOU COULD HAVE DINNER WITH ANYONE LIVING OR DECEASED WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY?

MG: I would have dinner with Tim Ferriss. He is an incredible human being who can accomplish anything he set’s his mind to. I would be able to learn so much about entrepreneurial endeavors, but at the same time enjoy a great dinner with a great person.

AG: My father because we lost him at an early age, and there are so many things I want to say to him that I didn’t have the chance to.

Q: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE, BOOK, BAND AND ADULT BEVERAGE?

MG: Movie: “Interstellar”, Book: “As a Man Thinketh;” Band: Tame Impala; Adult beverage: Bombay Sapphire tonic with lime.

AG: Movie: “Cool Hand Luke;” Book: “Count of Monte Cristo;” Band: The Beatles; Adult beverage: single malt whiskey, MacAllan 25.

THOUGHTS ON DONALD KORB

“Donald Korb is a thoughtful, kind, generous, funny, lover of people. He savors connection. His daily practice involves gratitude and service. He is tireless. If you know him, you look forward to your next meeting, however fleeting. You’ll be one of the many calling his name as you see him exiting an elevator, stepping onto a plane, passing through a convention center or just taking a stroll. Anywhere, anytime, you’ll want to say hello to him because when you do, he’ll stop. He’ll look you in the eye. He’ll show up for you — and when you part, you’ll be inspired. You’ll want to be more and do more. And even if it is just for a moment, you will.”

- Caroline A. Blackie, O.D.

“Don Korb has been a personal inspiration, as his knowledge and leadership over the years have elevated our profession. I remember years ago the first time Don referred to me a patient who had relocated to St. Louis. I was totally humbled and especially nervous to be sure I did an excellent job for the patient. I sure would not have wanted Don to learn otherwise! Socially Don is always the gentleman and a gracious host. One of our fondest family memories is having Don excitedly take us around Cape Cod on his cigarette boat. It’s an experience we will always remember.”

– Carmen Castellano, O.D.

“Don has influenced my approaches to the practice of optometry like no one individual has during my entire career. From his early works on rigid contact lens fitting techniques, the description and understanding of giant papillary conjunctivitis, the influence of flat fitting rigid lenses on the keratoconic cornea all the way to a novel understanding of dry eye disease and the impact of MGD on the ocular surface. His impact can only be described as ground breaking. Over the years, I have come to know him and consider him not only a mentor but a dear friend.”

– S. Barry Eiden, O.D., F.A.A.O.

“One of the things that I’ve learned from Donald, and one of his favorite sayings is that ‘you don’t know, what you don’t know.’ He has spent an incredible career devoted to trying to figure out what he didn’t know. His quest helped set the course of my own career, and the benefit to our profession and our patients can’t be measured or even adequately expressed in words. He is my mentor and my friend.”

– Art Epstein, O.D., F.A.A.O.

“About two years ago, Dr. Korb and I met at a meeting and began talking about MGD and its implications for our patients. Since then he has worked to mentor me in my understanding of what dry eye is and what it means to patients. As a result, I am now part of a specialty dry and contact lens practice. I’m comfortable saying that he has single-handedly transformed my opinion and treatment methods for patients. Rather than looking at symptoms, Dr. Korb has taught me the benefit of looking for the root cause of dry eye and working to solve the underlying issues. A true innovator in all things contact lenses and dry eye, he has turned our industry upside down. Thanks Don for your contributions.”

- David Kading, O.D., F.A.A.O., F.C.L.S.A.

“Donald Korb has been a true mentor to me, and great mentors are best described as individuals who live in ways you’d hope you can one day. They have the ability to push or move you forward, open your mind and help you reach a greater level. The result is a positive change in learning, understanding and in life. Donald has met all these criteria and more for me. My ocular surface disease practice would never have the success it has if not for great people like Donald Korb willing to share of their knowledge.”

- Paul M. Karpecki, O.D., F.A.A.O.

“Donald Korb took an interest in me and my work early on in my career. He would always come by my posters or to my talks at ARVO or AAO and grill me on my methods, and boy can he ask questions! Over the years he continued to inspire me, by the sheer volume and curiosity exhibited in his work, and would occasionally send me handwritten notes, which I have kept to this day. His keen insight makes him a luminary in our profession, and the personal touch in what he does has a special place in my heart.”

- Kelly K. Nichols, O.D., M.P.H., Ph.D.

“Donald Korb (the real “The Donald”) is truly one of the rare ‘crown jewels’ of our profession. He, and his lovely wife, Joan, have contributed in an unprecedented manner to the science and clinical excellence of the optometric profession. Beyond being just an extraordinary fine human, he is a scientist, clinician, researcher and inventor. His golden years glisten because of the energy he exudes in every aspect of his life! His seminal work in the fields of dry eye, contact lenses, lipid-based artificial tears and MGD is unparalleled. We are privileged to offer these observations of his amazing life and his unrelenting pursuit of excellence to this very day; there is none other than ‘the Donald!” OM

- Randall K. Thomas, O.D., F.A.A.O. & Ron Melton, O.D., F.A.A.O.