Making Your Practice Visible to Patients
Part of an effective digital media presence is to find continuous ways to let patients "see" your practice for themselves.
Via your website, or your social media pages on Facebook and Twitter or with links from review sites like Yelp, videos are becoming an important new tool to help people learn more about what you do, how and why you do it, and to "connect" with you as an eyecare practitioner or optical retailer.
We highlight some examples of video profiles this month. We also take a look at how one very high-profile social media optometrist, our own CLICK contributor, Alan Glazier, OD, believes that "groups" of docs can leverage their buying power through a new weekly deal site created exclusively for them: Eyedeal.ly.
CLICK, Vision Monday's e-newsletter, continues to be an essential resource in its twice-monthly briefings to ECPs about web technology and Internet developments. Past articles, featuring specific examples, programs and tips that you can use today, are available in our CLICK Archive. Don't forget the CLICK Archive features dozens of Cool Tools and important Sites to See which offer content and resource ideas for your sites and your social media activities. The easy-to-access Archives are located under the CLICK button at
www.visionmonday.com.
Have you tried something new on your website or launched a special social media campaign?
Tell us about it and we'll consider it for an upcoming feature in CLICK.
—The Editors
Practice Videos Build Strong Connections to Current—and Prospective—Patients
RIDGEWOOD, N.J.—The web is all about visibility, conveying information and building one-to-one connections. Video profiles are now serving that purpose for a growing number of eyecare professionals, including optometrists and opticians/optical retailers.
Erik Liljegren, whose EyeCareVideo company has been working with dozens of practices and retail shops via Jobson's ECP Business Solutions Group, pointed out, "There are so many ways to utilize a well-shot, high-quality practice video today—via practice websites, for social media like Facebook, video sites like YouTube and others. As a whole or in parts or segments, there are now so many ways to use and distribute video."
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Liljegren told CLICK, "As more people search online for healthcare information, video provides options and solutions based on what type of care they need. Practice Profiles, from EyeCare Video, provide a level of comfort to the patient, especially those that feature the practitioner or members of the practice team. Once practices have a Practice Profile, it's an asset that that can be edited into shorter segments for use on TV, in other office locations, or for a video library explaining tests, procedures or vision conditions. In addition, the Practice Profiles can highlight dispensary and other product features. "We go through a pre-production consultation process with the practice owner which outlines the goals of the practice, so our on-site crew can highlight and focus on the products and services that are most important to the practitioner.
A range of diverse eyecare practice and optical retail videos are posted at the EyeCareVideo YouTube channel. Among these are optical boutiques such as Boca Raton, Fla.–based Grove Opticians.
EyeCareVideo is also a preferred partner of Vision Source offering specially-priced arrangements for Vision Source members. One such partnership is highlighted in the practice video of Jonathan Cargo, OD, of Cargo Eye Care, Las Colinas, Texas who features their video front and center to introduce the doctor and his practice philosophy to patients.
The company also participates with such professional practice groups as IDOC and OD Excellence and EyeCareVideo also offers its extensive video production, editing and consulting services to partners via Carl Zeiss Vision Rewards Program.
Added Bill Scott, president of Jobson's ECP Business Solutions, "EyeCare Video is a perfect example of the type of products and services we provide that advance better communication with current and prospective patients and also enhances a practices' presence on the web and in their electronic patient communications."
How Can ODs Benefit From Special Group Deals
via Eyedeal.ly?
By Alan N. Glazier, OD, FAAO
ROCKVILLE, Md.—Since the dawn of the internet, few websites have made as big an impact as Groupon, a website offering significant discounts on products or services to a wide net of people in exchange for a portion of the profits. It is typical to get a Groupon for a product or a service at discounts between 50 percent and 80 percent. It is the participants' hope, whether product vendor or product retailer, that social deal purchasers turn into regular clientele and, thus, many are are willing to make less profit, or even take a small loss in order to increase their exposure.
Personally, I have purchased several Groupons. Our practice used a Groupon competitor to run an optical deal early on in the craze. We opted not to start with Groupon, but a smaller competitor in order to "test the water" on what was then a new concept. We went with PlumDistrict.com, a social deal network directed toward working mothers. The deal was 50 percent off a complete set of eyewear with eye examination. Response was small, as the network wasn't nearly as large as Groupon.
But, we learned several important things. First, people who purchase these deals expect to patronize your business and leave with exactly what is offered. In other words, upselling is a no-no. Secondly, be ready for a huge response. Nothing reflects worse on your business than an offer that you can't handle and nothing is worse than having to turn away business due to lack of preparation. Thirdly, have an offer on hand incentivizing them to return next year; your value in offering these discounts is in the potential for repeat business, have a "hook" in place to get them back and be sure to collect information enabling you to market to them subsequently. Done properly, a Groupon can be a huge hit for your business. Without these three pieces of advice, Groupon is likely at best to be a wash and at worst a total disaster for your business.
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A few months ago, Daniel Rostenne, CEO of EyeCarePro.net, suggested a "Groupon" model where eyecare businesses benefit via vendor discounts. I analyzed the potential for such a model to help my practice, and after some thought and many discussions EyeDeal.ly was born! (Read VMail's exclusive story about the May 16 launch.)
Since then, Rostenne told CLICK, "We've had 2000+ visitors and 500+ registrations to the site to date. ODs are asking specific questions about the purchasing process, returns, exchanges, warranties, etc. which is understandable for a frame related deal, which was our first deal. The industry interest has been very positive with numerous requests to participate in deals, ranging from small start-ups to well-established big names. Their questions are mainly focused on exactly how the process works for them. I find that the most explanation is required to paint a picture of what a deal featuring their products and services might look like. Overall, everyone is very positive about it and has bookmarked the website, and EyeDeal.ly itself as something to keep an eye on."
Rostenne also said, "The most common question we've received to date revolves around whether or not we represent any competition to the buying groups. The answer there is a resounding no! While we plan to offer a variety of relevant products and services at good discounts, there's no way to replace a buying group with EyeDeal.ly, a practice simply has too big a need for products on an ongoing basis. We're serving a niche. Our plan in the near future is to join the buying groups and provide them with a platform to provide their own deals to their own members, allowing them to participate in the group buying model even more so and benefit from what EyeDeal.ly is doing. At the same time, we plan on providing ODs with a platform so they can offer their own deals to their patient base. Many ODs who are afraid of doing a 'Groupon' feel more comfortable with a group offer to their own patient base."
So, be sure to sign up on the website to get notified of future deals, "like" us on Facebook and connect with us on Twitter @Eyedeally to hear buzz, provide feedback and let us know any specific types of deals you would like to see us run.
Alan N. Glazier, OD, FAAO is the founder/CEO of Shady Grove Eye and Vision Care in Rockville, Md. A search and social optimization consultant,
he is now a regular contributor to CLICK and also writes a regular blog for
SightNation.com. Glazier is at
aglazier@youreyesite.com and his regular
posts can be found via his Twitter handle: @EyeInfo, his blog:
eyeinfo.wordpress.com and his website:
YourEyeSite.com.
Author: Searchial Marketing: How Social Media Drives Search Optimization in Web 3.0.
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