THE EFFICIENT OPHTHALMOLOGIST

Is your marketing building relationships?

Understand the opportunities the web and social media present.

By Steven M. Silverstein MD, FACS

For many of my physician colleagues, marketing in medicine remains distasteful and almost taboo. That’s despite the fact that ophthalmology led the charge in advertising beginning in the 1970s. This lead has only lengthened as the result of being the first specialty to legally balance bill — that is, provide patient-paid services third-party payers do not cover.

Regardless of our feelings about the ethics or appropriateness of marketing, all will agree that this multibillion dollar space is here to stay. The object of this column is not to serve as a forum for debate but rather to provide insight into the current foundation of effective marketing if your practice chooses to participate.

IT’S ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS

Marketing is about developing a relationship between patients and your practice. Influential marketing focuses on this relationship by utilizing a variety of marketing mediums.

Traditional “outbound” marketing such as print, television, radio, direct mail and, more recently, websites, have served as the foundation of medical marketing. The most progressive and ambitious practitioners amplify their marketing via touch points to reach their prospective patients with digital and social media to further build relationships in newer environments.

Digital marketing continues to evolve and provides great opportunities for doctors and practices to build these relationships. A strong ophthalmology website that will lead to new patient visits and grow revenue should employ three principle elements: responsiveness, compelling content and “inbound” marketing.

MOBILE USERS ARE KEY

A responsive website functions on computers, tablets and smartphones to accommodate Internet access and assist the research performed on these devices. The shift toward mobile devices from laptops and PCs to access the Internet is exploding exponentially and is expected to reach 60% of Internet visits in 2014.

RELATE TO YOUR WEBSITE VISITORS

The content featured on your website must be important to the user, rather than simply project the attributes of the practice. In other words, the content must be about the patient, not about ourselves.

The website is likely to be the prospective patient’s first touch point with your practice outside of traditional one-way marketing. Users respond to photos, videos, blogs and reviews in an easy-to-read and logical format. The content should educate them about your practice, doctors and staff, and the medical topics of interest to your target demographic, and establish why you are relevant to their lives. The subject matter should be fresh with new content added regularly to optimize search engine responsiveness.

START A DIALOGUE

To take your website to the next level, inbound marketing should be implemented to provide relevant content in a proactive manner. This content should be constructed upon what information the patient is interested in researching on your site. This method of lead generation allows you to create a dialogue with prospective patients engaging your site. It is a crucial opportunity to begin to build a relationship before the patient even visits the practice.

Social media is one such powerful method in establishing this relationship. The presence of companies on social media platforms has evolved significantly over recent years from an impersonal, one-sided conversation to a more genuine dialogue with customers.

Social media is just that: social. It is about sharing. Consumers do not want to be “marketed to” in our current environment. They enjoy talking with one another, sharing news, experiences, photos and ideas that nurture their relationships.

Companies must listen to their customers across social platforms and be ready to respond. Your posts on social media should be about people, events and opportunities relevant to prospective patients. Posts should be gems of information to share with family and friends.

PAY ATTENTION TO REVIEWS

Complementing a responsive site and a well-orchestrated social media plan is a deliberate feedback strategy. Be aware of — and manage — the reviews about you and your practice online. Be especially mindful of the most influential review sites such as Yelp and Google+.

Encourage your patients to post reviews on these sites as well as on your practice Facebook page. These will help establish trust and build your reputation. They will be a powerful complement to personal referrals from patients and from your OD/MD network. OM

Steven M. Silverstein, MD, FACS, is a cornea-trained comprehensive ophthalmologist in practice at Silverstein Eye Centers in Kansas City, Mo. He invites comments. His e-mail is ssilverstein@silversteineyecenters.com.