The optometry marketer's free toolkit

Let’s start with the newest and most exciting:

AI digital-creation tools

This is not about trying to get robots to do our jobs. Over the past three years, the rapid expansion of practical and easy-to-use AI applications has proven to be very beneficial while at the same time being completely disruptive to all industries.

• A business coach and digital assistant at your fingertips

The likes of ChatGPT mean that your to-do list just became a lot easier to tackle than in previous years. Try this at home: whatever is on your mind, whatever you think you need to do to at work, go to ChatGPT.com and start a conversation with the chatbot about ‘how do you suggest I go about this challenge at work’, or ‘can you give me three different ways to grow my practice’. Only those who have experienced it will be able to understand just how readily real-world solutions are at your fingertips.

• Create and manage your own graphic designs

One of the challenges of being an independent practice is that you have to rely on your own branding efforts, campaigns and patient communications. With graphic design, the stand-out industry disruptor is Canva.com. Now you can easily create and manage your own graphics and even videos.

• Create videos more easily

Video has taken over the digital media landscape and Capcut.com has made it very easy to create professional-looking videos, with easy effects and formats for both desktop and mobile devices. Do you have a video showcase for your practice? It has historically been a very expensive endeavour but, with a few photos and some general creative thinking about how you would like to engage your audience, you can produce some stunning results.

Once you have a message to promote, it’s important to consider how to reach your patients and prospective customers.

Practice-to-patient communications

Do you communicate with your patients between appointments? How about before they are due for their next appointment? What about an after-care follow-up? Most would agree that all communication can help to strengthen your practice experience but unless you use some automation it becomes a big task.

• Between appointments

The idea of customer nurturing has been adopted by many retail industries and is commonplace for gently staying in touch. Customers who intend to remain customers are willing to receive periodic communications, especially if they help them without any additional cost. Educational patient newsletters help to build awareness about the benefits of investing pro-actively in their health.

• Before appointments

Most patients need to be reminded when it’s time to return for their next appointment. Digital communications, such as SMS or email, are now commonly acceptable for recalls; however, a personal phone-call is likely to get the highest response rate, so consider what is the right balance of each method for your practice.

• Online re-ordering

Make your website a patient destination for convenience. Offering a portal for contact lens re-orders or cleaning kits can be just the starting point to what is possible.

• Online booking

This simple technology add-on allows your patients to self-schedule, which can really help those with busy schedules book appointments with you after hours.

Patient acquisition communications

Finally, the most challenging yet lucrative aspect of practice-building activities includes the following important areas:

• digital ads with video or images, plus a website to match
• point-of-sale materials with window posters
• promotional flyers.

Most practice owners and management teams are still finding their comfort zone with the upsides and downsides of exploring the many startup AI services and various ways of producing marketing materials. Think of it as an ‘efficiency engine’ whose effectiveness largely depends on who is driving.

OptomEdge has recently launched OptomVA.com, a virtual assistant programme enabling practices to fast-track their to-do lists and navigate the world of AI efficiency tools, and OptomInspire.com is a turn-key patient newsletter service. You can also get free access to the to-do list application at OptomReady.com

Robert Springer is the managing director of OptomEdge, an optometry-focused marketing and technology services provider, covering new patient campaigns, patient loyalty programmes and e-newsletters, digital advertising, e-commerce and local area marketing. To get in touch and learn more, call: 09 889 3179 or email [email protected]