Are you ready to attract new patients and increase bookings for your eye care services?
This article will reveal the 5 most effective digital marketing strategies to attract more Optometric patients.
These strategies have helped 7 Optometrist clients generate $100,000+ per month from new patients.
If you have any questions, kindly speak with one of our digital marketing specialists who will be happy to assist you.
The Optometric industry is growing rapidly. It’s currently valued at $22.4 billion.
In addition to performing eye exams and vision tests, a major responsibility of an Optometrist is to prescribe and dispense corrective lenses (i.e., eyewear).
According to Global Market Insights, the eyewear market will be valued at $170 billion by 2025, a CAGR growth rate of more than 5.5% between 2019 and 2025.
Having a proven digital marketing strategy in place is essential for attracting and retaining patients. It doesn’t matter whether you’re just getting started or you’ve been in practice for years.
By consistently implementing the strategies below, you can ensure a steady stream of patients coming through your doors.
What is Optometric Marketing?
Optometric marketing refers to various strategies that Optometrists employ, such as word-of-mouth referrals, social media marketing, and local SEO to create awareness and encourage patients to book an appointment.
This guide will focus on proven digital marketing strategies that you can execute quickly — they’re cost-effective, scalable, and most importantly, results-driven.
How to Attract More Patients to Your Optometrist Clinic
Here are the most effective digital marketing strategies that work well for Optometrists looking for new leads and patients:
1. Attract New Patients With Google Search Ads
If you’re an Optometrist looking to win more patients, one effective way to do so is by utilizing Google Search Ads.
Your ad will look similar to the example below when you pay Google about $0.10 or more to place your Optometric practice in their search engine.
The interesting part is that only potential patients near you or in your city will see and click on your ad.
This type of digital advertisement is known as Pay-Per-Click because you’re only charged when a prospective patient clicks on your ad.
For instance, if you specialize in eyecare services in Idaho, you might target keywords like:
- Best Eye Care in Boise
- Best Eye Exam Near Moscow
- Eye Care Clinics in Lewiston
- Best Eye Specialist in Idaho
Since you ONLY pay for the ad when someone clicks on it, you’ll be maximizing your ad spend.
You’ll never waste any money on impressions that don’t lead to engagement.
To get started, use the Google Keyword Planner tool to identify the most relevant Optometrist keywords that you can rank for.
Enter your primary keyword (e.g., Best Optometrist) and click on the “Get results” tab to generate a list of keywords.
You’ll then need to create a Google Ad Campaign, where you’ll have the opportunity to craft headlines and descriptions that speak directly to your ideal patient.
Note: Remember to check or choose “Search Network” when setting up your campaign. That way, your Optometrist ad will appear in the search engines ONLY.
When your ads are relevant to people who need eye care services or an eye doctor, you’ll increase the likelihood that they’ll click on them and explore your services further.
Ultimately, your ads’ goal is to increase phone calls and appointment bookings on your website.
Make sure that your landing page is optimized to encourage these conversions, and set up conversion tracking so you can measure the effectiveness of your ads.
Include a clear call-to-action (CTA) and call button in your ad so that patients can easily reach out to your clinic.
By following these steps and constantly refining your ads, you’ll be well on your way to attracting more patients to your Optometrist practice.
Ready to get started with Google Ads, Speak with a Facebook Marketing Specialist at Omnicore — and let’s set up your first ad today.
2. Attract the Right Patients in Your Local Area
If you’re an Optometrist looking to attract more patients, then it’s important to focus on local SEO or Local search engine optimization.
Local SEO is the process of optimizing your website to appear in local search results when potential patients search for eyecare services in your area.
By optimizing your website, you can improve your chances of appearing in the top results of Google’s map pack for local searches, such as “Best eye exam near me” or “best eye doctor in Houston.”
Here’s an example of a map listing in Google for the keyword, ‘best eye exam Houston:”
One way to improve your local SEO is by creating a Google My Business page.
This will allow your practice to be listed on Google in your city, and make it easier for potential patients to find you.
To create a Google My Business page, simply sign up with your Google email address and follow the steps to claim and verify your business page.
Make sure to include your practice’s NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) on your profile and across the web, and generate online reviews to help improve your ranking.
Here’s a good example of a NAP:
Perfect Vision Eyecare & Eyewear
2518 Richmond Avenue
+1 713-583-1836
http://perfectvisioneyecare.com
Pro Tip: Use a NAP that’s consistent on your website, Google My Business Profile, and anywhere you list your business. Don’t alter your practice name, phone number, or address. This is crucial if you want to continually generate local traffic from Google.
In addition to optimizing your Google My Business profile, ensure that your website is mobile-friendly and loads quickly.
In other words, your website should display properly on smartphones, laptops, and desktops.
By making it easy for users to navigate your site, you’ll increase your chances of attracting new patients.
With a well-optimized website and Google My Business profile, you’ll be well on your way to attracting more patients and growing your practice locally.
3. Encourage Happy Patients to Refer Leads
Did you know that your happy patients can become your greatest advocates?
By incentivizing them to spread the word about your treatments related to defects in vision, signs of injuries, and abnormality in the eyes, you can turn happy patients into ambassadors for your practice.
One effective way to achieve this is by implementing a patient referral program. Central Eyes Optical uses this strategy to increase sales of its contact lenses and eye care services.
Source: Eyecareinhartsdale.com
Such programs reward existing clients (with credits, cash, or free service) for referring their friends and family members to your practice, allowing you to acquire new patients without incurring the cost of traditional marketing.
Here’s an example from Envision Eyecare:
Source: Envisioneyecare.com
Incentives such as gift cards, discounts on future services, or entries into a raffle can encourage patients to refer others.
Note: The success of a referral program hinges on a collaborative effort between staff and patients, so it’s essential to develop a documented plan and assign a staff member to oversee the program’s progress.
Once you have a clear strategy for your patient referral program, it’s time to promote it through email, social media, and other relevant online channels.
Ultimately, ensure that you’re targeting the right demographics to maximize the impact of your referral program.
4. Acquire New Patients With Content Marketing & SEO
If you want to improve your Optometric local SEO performance and attract more targeted leads, there are some key strategies to consider.
One of the most important is content marketing. Does it work?
According to HubSpot, businesses that do content marketing saw 5X sales leads compared to businesses that ignore it.
Source: 1827marketing.com
Creating high-quality blog posts is a great way to generate organic traffic and establish your credibility in the field.
Additionally, it can be helpful to incorporate different forms of content, such as videos, podcasts, and animations, to better engage potential patients.
Source: CFCommunications
It’s also crucial to optimize your website for SEO, which involves including relevant keywords in your page titles and meta descriptions.
This will help search engines understand the content of your page and rank it higher in organic search results.
Another powerful tool for boosting your Optometrist’s local SEO is generating online reviews from current and former patients.
Positive reviews can significantly impact the trust consumers have in your practice.
Online users usually visit Google and Yelp whenever they want to read reviews about a practice or business.
Source: Reviewtrackers
So encourage your patients to leave positive reviews on popular review sites like Yelp, Google, Bing, and Facebook as this can influence prospective patients’ decisions to visit your office.
A 2023 BrightLocal Consumer Review Survey found that 98% of consumers are more likely to choose a business with multiple positive reviews.
Let’s help you with your website design and SEO today. You’ll increase your traffic and attract new patients. Speak with a Facebook Marketing Specialist at Omnicore — and let’s set up your first ad today.
5. Leverage Online Video to Get Optometric Patients
As an Optometrist, you want to be proactive in your marketing efforts.
One effective way to do this is through video content marketing. You can reach new audiences through engaging videos, according to HubSpot. That’s why 36% of marketers are creating videos.
Source: HubSpot
By creating videos that help people solve their problems or answer their questions, you can establish yourself as an expert in your field and gain the trust of prospective patients.
Video content marketing can also increase your brand’s authority in search engines like Google, as well as reach a wider audience on platforms like YouTube and Instagram.
Using videos on your website and social media can also help boost your SEO and build trust with potential patients.
Showing videos of you performing an eye examination or debunking common myths about Optometrist treatment, for example, can be an effective way to attract new patients and build a reputation as an experienced and professional Optometrist.
A useful tool for attracting new clients is patient video testimonials. You can find some eye treatment video testimonial examples from Dr. Silani Optometry:
Source: Dr. Silani
You can encourage your patients to share video testimonials about their experiences with your clinic.
Share this video content on your website, and YouTube, and even repurpose them as images for Instagram and Twitter.
By sharing these reviews with your existing patients and their friends and family, you can also create a positive customer experience and build loyalty.
Overall, video content marketing is a powerful way to attract more Optometric patients and grow your practice.
With the right strategy and tools, you can establish yourself as an expert in your field and gain the trust of prospective patients.
6. Generate Leads and New Patients via Facebook Lead Ads
Facebook Lead Ads provides a highly efficient way to get new leads, patients, and clients for your Optometrist practice.
One of the main benefits is that you can capture potential patients’ information without them having to leave the social media platform, which reduces bounce rates and leads to more leads for your business.
Starting with Facebook Lead Ads is simple.
You just need to visit the Facebook Ads Manager, set your budget, and choose your ad type and campaign objective.
Facebook provides a helpful guide to walk you through the process.
Once your Facebook lead ad is ready, it will be displayed in news feeds and messengers on Facebook.
When someone clicks on the ad, they will be directed to your lead form, where they will be asked to submit their contact information and demographic data.
This information can be used to target the right audience and increase your chances of converting leads into new patients.
Facebook Lead Ads also offer dynamic ad variations that can be personalized based on factors like age, gender, interests, and location.
This allows you to create ads that enhance your leads’ quality and boost sales.
To make the most of your Facebook Lead Ads, you can use tools and integrations to automate the process and respond to leads in real time.
Don’t know how to get started with Facebook Lead Ads, Speak with a Facebook Marketing Specialist at Omnicore — and let’s set up your first ad today.
Conclusion
As an Optometrist, embracing digital marketing strategies is crucial for several reasons.
Firstly, it can significantly boost patient volume, but more importantly, it provides an excellent platform to educate patients on vision care and eye care services.
With so many different strategies for generating patient interest in your eye care services, having a mobile-responsive website with strong SEO is the most effective way to attract potential clients.
A mobile-optimized website makes it easier for patients to find and book appointments, as well as leave reviews on platforms such as Google and Yelp.
It’s essential to keep up with the ever-changing landscape of the internet if you want your Optometric practice to remain relevant.
A professional digital marketing firm can help enhance your online presence, set up your digital ads, and help you grow your revenue.
Speak with a Facebook Marketing Specialist at Omnicore — and let’s set up your first ad today.
Photo Credit: Unsplash
