BEGINNER

• Handwritten notes. A successful O.D. once told me that the best marketing he ever did was send handwritten notes thanking patients – along with a “refer a friend” coupon. This is about as old school as it gets, but the recipients truly appreciated the personal touch.

• Community involvement. Marketing is all about selling yourself, and you can sell yourself more effectively in person. Get involved in clubs, societies or causes that interest you. If people know and like you on a personal level, they are much more likely to do business with you.

• Online review sites. Increasingly, people seek online reviews before deciding on a business or doctor. Use these to understand — and to act on — patient feedback. Ignore these sites at your peril.

• Digital recall. The average American looks at his or her phone 46x a day. That number is higher for younger people. Use a service that allows you to send recall via email or text and to include any special or enticing offers. Integrating marketing with recall can make an impact because there’s more likely to be an immediate need for your service.

ADVANCED

• Mobile responsive website. Professional designers are creating sites that adapt to different screen sizes. However, many old school or DIY sites do not have this functionality. Does your site adapt to the screen size of the viewer, making it easy to navigate, contact your office, view pictures and link to Google Maps, even on a smartphone?

• Practice profile video. Work with a professional videographer to create a short video profiling your office and staff. Placed on your home page, this can effectively convert website visitors to patients.

• Segmented email campaigns. Email is still effective, but it’s hard to stand out in crowded inboxes. Most marketing emails are deleted without being read. To grab attention, segment your email lists based on demographics, lifestyle or interests, and then send targeted, relevant messages.

• Create a virtual tour of your practice. Invite prospective patients inside with a 360° virtual tour of the inside of your practice on Google Search and Google Maps. This will require photographers or agencies certified through Google. For information, visit google.com/maps/streetview/trusted/ OM