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# 10 Marketing Strategies That Impact Your Eye Care Business Growth
## 06 Nov 10 Marketing Strategies That Impact Your Eye Care Business Growth
Posted on November 6, 2024
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Whether you’ve owned your eye care practice for a while or are just starting, you need to focus on marketing to grow. You don’t need to be an expert–a few basics can help reach more prospects and expand your patient base.
Creating a marketing strategy doesn’t have to be daunting. Here are a few easy-to-implement marketing tips to positively influence your practice’s growth.
## 1. Make sure your website is user-friendly.
Your website is often the first place people learn more about your optometry practice. It should be professional and represent your brand. It should be functional, informative, and easy to navigate. You want patients to be able to quickly find the information they need, from learning about your services to booking an appointment.
A good website that helps convert prospects to patients tells visitors more about you and your vision. Use relevant keywords in the text to help you get more traffic when people search for optometrists in your area. If you need to familiarize yourself with using keywords effectively, consider connecting with an SEO expert or checking out .
## 2. Offer access to a patient portal and online scheduling.
An  can also help improve patient engagement. With an online HIPAA-compliant portal, patients can pay bills and schedule appointments online, among other things.
For example,  through your website or a patient portal lets patients see open time slots, pick a time that works for them, and get immediate confirmation—cutting down on back-and-forth calls and creating a positive patient experience from the beginning.
> “Our patients love being able to schedule their appointments online. We notify patients via text and email about upcoming appointments and remind them when their eyewear is ready for pickup,” says 
>
> “Patients love the freedom to access their medical history online from one location whenever they want. After the visit, our doctors upload treatment summaries to the patient portal. This strengthens the patient-provider relationship,” says .
## 3. Build a strong social media presence and post consistently.
Social media is excellent for staying connected with current and potential patients. Currently,  use social media daily, about 63.7% of the world’s population.
Building a social media presence begins by connecting with people long before they need your services. The key is consistency and posting to the channels best suited for your target audience. By posting regularly, you remain visible and accessible. When the time comes for an eye exam, people are more likely to remember you if you’ve consistently shown up in their feeds.
Remember, the content you post matters. Have a variety of content, such as educational posts about eye care, tips on choosing eyewear, or behind-the-scenes content from your practice. Funny or relatable content, like optometry memes or short videos, engages well on social media platforms. You can set days of the week for specific types of posts to help you start with a plan.
The goal is to start building trust with your viewers. Show “what’s in it for them,” and you’ll see more patients walking through your door.
**Pro Tip**: Use a social media editorial calendar to simplify the planning process. The calendar keeps you on track so you post consistently, which is critical to keeping your audience engaged. An editorial calendar keeps everyone in your practice organized. .
## 4. Boost your local visibility online.
Potential patients searching for a new optometry and ophthalmology practice online will likely use Google to find the nearest one and the practice with the best reviews.
Make sure your practice is has a  and other online directories and that your contact details, hours and location are accurate. You can boost your local rankings by including your city and neighborhood in your website’s content and getting patient reviews.
Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is one of the best ways to ensure your business gets seen when people search. With PPC, you’ll bid on an auction system to rank ads for your target keywords. This type of advertising gives you the most control over your website landing page and ad copy. Creating a PPC advertising campaign helps draw in more potential patients, allowing you to be in one of the top spots on the first page of search results.
## 5. Use video marketing to connect with your patients.
Video marketing is a powerful way to connect with existing and future patients. However, many optometry practices overlook it, believing video creation is too complex or costly. You don’t need a professional video setup to create engaging content. Quick and easy videos filmed on smartphones can also be engaging if the content is relatable or interesting.
Consider creating short videos that explain eye care tips, introduce your team, or educate patients by creating waiting room videos that answer patients’ questions or explain complex procedures visually. Video marketing helps  on search engines and allows you to communicate information more effectively.
Posting videos on your website, social media, or even YouTube allows you to reach a wider audience. The best part is that videos have years of shelf life, so the return is worth the investment.
##### Watch video with Davis Capaccioli, OD (Peak Eyecare)
## 6. Focus on patient retention with personalized content.
While attracting new patients is likely your core focus, keeping your current patients happy is just as crucial. You can keep your loyal patients happy by doing simple things such as sending a personalized appointment reminder, birthday emails, or offering rewards/discounts.
Staying in touch with patients through email newsletters and sharing eye health tips or exclusive offers can help maintain that connection. Remember that satisfied patients are more likely to refer others and continue returning for years.
## 7. Create a customer referral program.
 is one of the most effective forms of marketing, and a referral program can motivate your current patients to recommend your practice to others. Offer small incentives, like discounts or gift cards, for patients who refer friends or family members.
Promote the program in your office and social media platforms so patients know it’s available. You can even mention it after their appointment to remind them you appreciate their referrals.
## 8. Offer promotions and discounts to attract and retain patients.
Special offers or promotions can help attract new patients. Consider offering discounts on eye exams or eyewear, especially for first-time visitors. A special deal may encourage new patients to choose your practice over your competitors.
You can also run seasonal promotions such as back-to-school specials for kids’ eye exams, spring deals, or summer sunglasses discounts.
## 9. Manage and automate your online reputation with built-in marketing tools.
Online reviews impact how future patients perceive your practice. Reviews can either make or break your practice’s reputation. A solid reputation on review platforms like Google, Yelp, and even Facebook can definitely influence someone’s decision to book an appointment.
> “Patient post-visit engagement is amazing. After the exam, we clear the patient and send them a survey to rate their experience. MaximEyes.com’s built-in reputation management tools have led to more online reviews and social media,” says  (Chu Eye Institute)
Encourage satisfied patients to leave positive reviews—while you consistently monitor and respond to negative reviews. Responding to reviews professionally and on time shows that you care about patient experiences and are willing to improve if needed.
You can automate this process with  within your optometry and ophthalmology EHR, such as MaximEyes.com. Protect your practice’s reputation by sending follow-up surveys and reminders to patients.
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## 10. Consistently test different marketing strategies.
Growing your optometry practice takes effort, but it doesn’t have to be stressful or overwhelming. Start small, test different strategies, and learn from what works best for you. You’ll see results over time by consistently putting your practice out there.
Automate your eye care practice with MaximEyes.com’s “one system” EHR, practice management and patient engagement system. This powerful system enhances patient care and delivers long-term value-added benefits to your practice.
####  with a MaximEyes.com representative for a quick online demo or . Spend more time on what matters most—your staff and patients.
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