Eyecare Marketing-Build Your New Practice with Email

If you’re just getting started in the field of optometry and you’re trying to build your practice, you probably know that using email is a helpful tool for attracting and retaining patients. But how should you use email in your eyecare marketing efforts? Used well, email can help your practice skyrocket, with new patients lining up for appointments; used poorly, it can be a waste of time and resources.

Email can be used in a variety of ways for the convenience of you and your patients. Content might include newsletters, appointment reminders, electronic coupons, and educational information—communications that patients benefit from and look forward to receiving.

But how do you build that list of patients in the first place if you’re just starting out? You might have all kinds of good ideas for eyecare marketing by email, but without having a list of contacts, you can’t very well send emails. Here are a few key steps to building that list—your patient base.

First and foremost, don’t seek out random email addresses to market your practice. There are several reasons not to do this. Patient leads obtained in this way tend to be unqualified; in other words, uninterested in your offerings. Furthermore, this opens the door to violating the CAN-SPAM Act, which regulates bulk email communications.

Instead, contact potential patients who opt to receive your eyecare marketing communications. This might seem easier said than done, but it’s not as difficult as you might think to build your contact list for potential patients—and therefore build your practice itself. Here are five ways that you can obtain qualified patient leads for your new optometry practice:

1) Use email to communicate regularly with your existing patients. They’ll appreciate the convenience of using email for questions or appointments scheduling, and they will be the core of your word-of-mouth eye care marketing campaign.

2) Send these patients electronic coupons for their family members or friends. This is a great way to get new patients in the door—everyone is always looking for a deal, especially for necessities like glasses, during times of economic uncertainty.

3) Be sure that your website includes an easy way to opt in to email communications, and give potential patients an incentive to do so. Offer an interesting newsletter, an email series of questions and answers on visual health, or other information of benefit to patients.

4) Include your email address on your other marketing materials, making it easy for potential patients to contact you with questions—and for you to get them into your office for exams.

5) Publicize a contest with a good prize—a free pair of glasses or a year’s supply of contacts—and notify winners via email. You’ll get contact information for potential patients who need your services.

Be sure to target local audiences; although the Internet enables you to email people in Taipei, it won’t do you any good (unless, of course, that’s where your optometry practice is located.) Use email to put your patients first, by making it easy for them to schedule appointments and get questions answered; a growing practice is sure to follow.

Most doctors use less than 20% of the potential of their website for gaining new patients. A great looking website is only one part of getting patients from the internet. Are you getting as many patients as you can from yours? You may find the free expert guide, '7 Mistakes Doctors Make When Getting Their Website Done', a valuable resource.