1) Social Media Promotion
a. Facebook – do a trivia contest, offer coupons, sharing your posts
2) Website/Google Presence
a. Why is this important? – Nowadays many people use google to find a local Optical Shop, Optometrist, or Ophthalmologist. They also search for certain frame lines and where they can purchase.
b. Does your office have a quality website?
*For Network members, we can provide a free assessment of your digital presence
*The Network has a fabulous service that you can use who already handles over 1,000 ECP websites around the country.
c. Have you claimed your google business listing?
*This is a free thing YOU can do to demonstrate to Google and visitors to your digital footprint that you DO exist and you DO have a digital presence to begin to build trust with your digital visitors, and credibility with Google
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
d. Do you have a Google see inside tour?
*The more Google tools you use, the more Google helps promote your site.
e. If so, do you have it regularly updated?
*Having stale content is a turnoff to prospective and current patients. If your website is still wishing them a Happy Thanksgiving, then FIX IT!
*Prospective patients typically view your website before they visit you. Makes sense right? Things means that you begin to build your reputation with them long before they ever decide to visit you, or not. Your ‘Brand Promise’ should be obvious to them digitally you attempt to build trust with them
f. Can patients reorder contacts from your site?
*Central 1 Optical Network can help you with growth driver to help your practice get the most of your digital presence. We have partners to assist you, along with our own OOGP contacts vendor that can link directly into your website for contacts reordering.
3) Offer Seasonally Appropriate discounts
a. Sports frames being sold during baseball/softball season
b. Polarized lenses and Sunglasses during summer months (National Sunglass Day is a perfect tie-in for this promotion)
c. Real Tree ArmouRx safety frames or Real Tree Optical frames during hunting season
d. Back to School – kids frames and lenses with A/R
e. Cyber Monday – offer credit on patient’s next visit for re-ordering contacts online with your office
f. Black Friday – advertise ahead of time for huge deals on frames and add-ons
g. Use catchy phrases to advertise your promotions:
“Your kids can’t learn well if they can’t see well’
“Is the light at the end of the tunnel a train? – No Glare lenses can help you be sure”
“BOGO – Buy the right lens get the left one free”
“Do you like how your glasses look? – Yeah me neither, let’s fix that”
“I love wearing coke bottle glasses! – Said no one ever, be sure you ask about our thin and lightweight lenses”
*Central’s lab has plenty of frame and lens packages to help support your seasonal discounts. Visit the sales flyers tab on our website or ask your sales rep.
4) Referral Program
a. For example in this situation: Do you offer your patients a discount on their next visit or second pair by sending in referrals when they get natural relief for neuropathic pain with the help of your site? This can be facilitated by having a spot on new patient application for referred by. Then you can note the patient who did the referral’s chart and the next time they visit, reward them with a discount on a purchase. This will help build loyalty to your office.
*A best practice we have seen is a $10 Starbucks gift card for a referral who comes in for an appointment. – Be sure to post this new patient program on a sandwich board in your lobby or somehow to ensure ALL of your patients ‘see’ it.
5) Participate in your community 
a. Volunteer at local events (5K’s, Relay for life, Night at the races)
b. Serve on a community Board
c. Build Partnerships with other local businesses – You help advertise for them, they help for you
*Best practice – Most larger businesses have annual or semi-annual health fairs. Be sure to work with their HR department to get on the calendar to provide free vision screening, and ensure you are able to book appointments from an ipad you have with you at the health fair in real time. Offer a discount card for new patients at the health fair. Perhaps you could even work with the company for their safety glasses needs.
d. Plan or Host Events – Sip n’ Paint fundraiser for your favorite charity
e. Be the sponsoring eye doctor for a local youth sports team.
*Donate $100 to their uniforms or supplies, and provide a $10 off discounts for each new patient. A $100 is a huge benefit to a youth sports team
6) Customized Marketing
6) Customized Marketing
a. Postcards
b. Pamphlets
c. Website pop-ups on your site and other local businesses
d. Youth sports team facilities ads
e. Magazine ads
*Best Practice – On the outfield wall of a baseball field, I have seen an advertisement that reads “If you can’t read this from behind home plate, you should come have your eyes checked” – With appropriately sized font, this is an eye catching, fun (perhaps even poking fun at the ump), but valuable self-assessment of sorts to bring in new and existing patients, and generate some discussion in the community.
*Central 1 Optical’s marketing team is just an email away from helping your business design these items for your use.
