Practice Management Part 2

Start with a plan! So many times, businesses feel they are wasting money on marketing. In nearly every case it is because there is no plan, random marketing is decided on and paid for with no goals or outcomes to assess.

There are many areas of marketing to consider:

• Social media

•  In store

•  Email SMS

•  Direct Mail Recalls Google – adwords, your business account, banner advertising

•  Website

Take some time to analyse and work out your target market. Do this by reviewing your current database (if you are an existing practice). Areas to review are age groups, average spending, and which of those groups spends the most. If you are starting a new practice go to the latest census data as that will provide you with a great starting point.
Some practices may have a few different target groups and will market to them differently based on their interests and engagement:
• Parents of kids
• Over 55 dry eye sufferers
• 40-65-year-old presbyopes
As an example - In my Australind practice, the 40-65-year-old group has the largest average spend and is most likely to engage online with products that they like and will spend money on something that ADDS value to their life. They love individualised lenses
that are offered specifically to their needs. Often this age group have a higher disposable income and welcomes extra pair recommendations, or complementary products or treatments.
A marketing plan could include a monthly breakdown of the product and group that is being targeted, what the message is for that period and how it will be communicated. This includes window displays, social media messaging, email or SMS. It may include a specifc offer or staff incentive. Be specifc about your goal or target for the month and what you are prepared to spend on advertising for the month.
Make a plan that works for you – it may be more or less detailed than this plan example.

Online Marketing and Communication
The goal is to make it easy and fast for your customers to find information – call you, book an appointment and see your services.
Some of my best tips include:
• Take online bookings and ADD your BOOK NOW button everywhere! It can be added to your Facebook page and website.

• Have your google business page created, up to date and photos added regularly

• Have a creative staff member in charge of content
  • Use your Facebook and Instagram pages to communicate regularly

• Utilise email newsletters for relevant information and updates.
  Ensure you give information that is useful to your patients, not
  just about sales or specials.
  Customers will engage better if they feel they ‘know’ you. Post images about your team in-store, get creative with reels for Instagram, take eye-catching frame images, and show what you are up to in the community. Use social media to showcase your specialty areas, your personality, your experience and more.

  Reviews
  ASK for feedback reviews – it helps with your presence and your credibility to potential customers looking for reassurance to visit you. This is an area to ensure you tread carefully – Facebook reviews are generally not allowed due to regulations set by AHPRA.
  However, Google reviews are currently allowed as it is public page. I send an SMS invitation weekly to our patients who have visited us in store, with a direct link they can click to leave a review. If you make it easy and invite them to do this it will build confdence in new patients doing their research for a new Optometrist.

UP NEXT... The next instalment of this series will cover engaging your team and customer service.