Any successful corporate optometry business has a marketing plan.  You will not just become a sudden overnight success it can take 3-5 years to build a business, but a unique marketing plan can help you get there. Now, not only do you need great clinical skills to be a successful, but you also need to be aware of certain concepts such as marketing and entrepreneurship.You will need to develop a concrete objective and set realistic goals to be able to achieve that objective. This will have to go in sync with providing your patients with top quality service.

In the times where technology and marketing have become the backbone of pretty much everything, optometry businesses that keep on coming up with innovative ways to market to their potential patients and referrals are the ones who stay relevant and succeed. Think about marketing an a different way. Do you ever wonder why well known companies like Coca Cola continue to advertise? It is an investment to differentiate itself from Pepsi and in turn creates a brand experience. Branding has been discussed in great detail in this blog. Understanding how successful companies marketing themselves can help you create a brand experience so your office can compete in the eye care industry.

Look at marketing as an investment

If you wish to make money then you will certainly have to spend money. This is especially true when it comes to business. It may be a bit difficult to take some money out of your pocket to pay for all the marketing expenses, but it can bring returns that will make sure your practice flourishes in the long term. The professional marketers will help you figure out the best way to accomplish your goals and keep track of how much you are receiving as returns. Basically, you need to view investment in marketing as an investment in the long-term prosperity of your business.

Do something different if you want different results

Some optometrists may refuse to acknowledge the growing field of technology and would rather stick to the older ways of advertising or following the crowd. Think of creative ways to get your message across in your community. Guerrilla marketing techniques are creative cost effective ways to market yourself. Digital Marketing has grown and will continue to grow, but think beyond the traditional Facebook ad or google ad. There is fierce competition to win the battle of the rankings on google.  Google is very important, but don’t forget about the 2nd largest search engine YouTube!

New Age of Referrals

Another method of increasing your marketing fluency is through referrals. Work on establishing a good working relationship with your patients and subtly urge them to refer you to anyone near them who may be in need of an optometrist. People often tend to trust the word of their family and friends who may have tried the service previously. The New age of referrals is via social media reviews.   It is almost necessary for business owners to be alert about how they are being reviewed on social media, sites, and forums. This is important because this also plays into the entire referral concept. If the people close to the potential patient have not tried an optometrist then they will resort to looking online for suggestions, or if they do hear a name such as your office they will make sure to have a look at your reviews before making their visit.

You can encourage your customers to give you positive reviews online, some optometrists have software that will email or text  the patients as they depart from the office. In order to be successful in this day and age, you will have to get rid of the older methods that have no value anymore and try something new. Strategically think of marketing as an long term investment for massive growth. You don’t just want to throw the fish net and see what you can catch but be able to attract the fish that you are looking for!