BUSINESS

  MARKETING

READY TO HIRE A MARKETER?

HERE’S HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY ADD A MARKETING MANAGER TO YOUR TEAM

STEVE VARGO, O.D., M.B.A.

WHILE NOT a position suitable for every practice, a marketing manager has the potential to drive a healthy return on investment. Here are suggestions for how to make this person a successful addition to your team, as well as advice on how to delegate marketing responsibilities to staff.

SET GOALS AND EXPECTATIONS

This individual will likely need guidance to understand the eye care field. This is OK, but work to bring the individual quickly up to speed. Set tangible goals, and track progress.

Not all marketing strategies can be measured in terms of effectiveness, but many can, including:

• Total visits to website (this should grow steadily)

• Number of likes on the practice’s Facebook page

• Email/newsletter open rates

• Referral sources

• Optical capture rate

• Multiple pair sales

• No-show rate

THE MARKETER’S DUTIES

Here’s a list of duties a marketing manager might oversee:

• Launch a patient reactivation program. (Invite patients who have not returned in 2 to 4 years to schedule an appointment.)

• Create and implement strategies for maximizing social media to develop and foster relationships with patients.

• Develop an email calendar for newsletters and e-blasts.

• Record promotional videos and upload them to the practice website and social media sites.

• Monitor conversations about the practice via Yelp and other online review sites. Respond to poor reviews to mitigate damage to the practice’s reputation.

• Work with a local radio station to create a radio ad.

• Coordinate and promote trunk shows.

• Participate in community outreach programs, such as sponsoring local sports teams or speaking at school events.

• Post pictures of community events on social media.

• Make all updates to the practice website.

• Develop relationships with other doctors and potential referral sources, such as primary care physicians or ophthalmologists.

• Develop relationships with local business leaders whose companies offer insurance plans that you accept.

DELEGATE THE ROLE TO STAFF

If you don’t have a marketing position in your practice, delegate marketing tasks to current employees.

Often, the owners/O.D.s appoint the youngest person in the office to be the “marketing manager,” in addition to his or her other duties, because millennials have a firm grasp of how social media platforms work. That said, they may not understand how to use the platforms to the strategic advantage of the practice!

Marketing requires an understanding of the practice “brand,” effective communication skills and a certain amount of sophistication — so it’s unwise to assume that the youngest person on the team is the right person to handle practice marketing. OM

DR. VARGO serves as Prima Eye Group’s vice president of Optometric Consulting. A published author and speaker with more than 15 years clinical experience, he is now a full-time consultant advising O.D.s in all areas of practice management and optometric office operations. To comment on this article, visit tinyurl.com/OMcomment.