OPTICAL PRISM | FEATURE
• Isolation forced many practices to operate online . This is likely here to stay and patients will look for the convenience of online contact lens ordering , frame galleries and even tele-optometry .
2USER-GENERATED CONTENT User-generated content has been a mainstay in social media for quite some time . Today , even huge companies feature user-generated content in TV ads and more . This type of content can include anything from photos to video to reviews – anything that mentions or includes your practice , but isn ’ t made directly by your practice .
It ’ s one of the most authentic forms of marketing because it ’ s essentially word-of-mouth marketing – just with a new form for the 21st century . It ’ s a great way to engage patients and it helps you out because you don ’ t have to do all the content creation yourself . Consider incentives like giveaways for patients who tag your practice on social media .
3
VIDEO Over the past few years , the content people consume online and offline has improved by leaps and bounds . People expect great content like photos and videos from businesses big and small . Considering most phones can take high-quality video , it ’ s not a tall ask .
You can also easily edit video from your phone now , through Instagram Reels , TikTok and editing apps . Not only is video a great way to engage on social media , but it can work on other platforms too .
Video is the best way to explain topics , especially visual topics , to your patients . Consider adding videos to blog posts or on certain pages on your website ( video usually isn ’ t recommended for your homepage , however , as it decreases load speed ).
4LIVE CONTENT Live content has been available on Facebook and Instagram for quite some time , but now , you can get live content everywhere . Twitter , YouTube and even LinkedIn have live options now .
It ’ s not surprising , considering that users watch billions of hours of live video every year .
Combined with COVID-19 cancelling many live , in-person events , it seems like live video on social media is here to stay in 2021 .
It ’ s worth it to go live , too . Some experts say that people spend three times longer watching live videos than pre-recorded ones . Consider engaging your patients with an Instagram live fashion show of your frames or a Facebook live on how to put in eye drops .
5
CHATBOTS Patients are on your website looking for information to make a purchase decision . You have just a few seconds to ensure potential patients have their questions answered , otherwise , they leave . But what if you could answer their questions without them giving up or having to scour your website ?
Chatbots are a great way to start a conversation with your patients and keep them on your website ( and ultimately , get them into your practice ). Patients can easily ask a question and book an appointment . It ’ s also a great way to stand out from competitors and give your patients a great experience . OP
As a Content & SEO Specialist at Marketing4ECPs , Brynn spends her days creating content that ranks for eye care practices all over North America . You can reach Brynn at
marketing4ecps . com .
36 OPTICAL PRISM | April 2021