I recently read an article from OptometricOffice.com (http://www NULL.optometricoffice NULL.com/ME2/Audiences/dirmod NULL.asp?sid=&nm=Insight&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&tier=4&id=83119E3068384619B4911014125BFBAE&AudID=1AC4CE93CB9C4BD0B8C7453C38B66F68) that addressed having a Facebook page for your clinic.

While the majority of optometric offices have or plan to have a Facebook page, I was very surprised that over 30% of the practices that responded do not intend to create a Facebook page for the clinic. What made this percentage especially unexpected was the fact that 91% of respondents indicated that they felt that social media was an important tool for our industry.

So why the discrepancy in statistics? One sentiment was that it takes too much time to maintain an up-to-date Facebook page. If, as the article indicated some do, the doctor/owner takes sole responsibility for all posts, then perhaps that feeling could be justified. However, that obstacle is easily overcome by delegating the responsibility to one or more staff members, or if no one is interested or capable in-house this can easily be managed by an external marketing company.

Then with a little communication about what content the doctor/owner would like to have on the page, as well as a clear understanding of the practice’s brand image, this should be an easy task to delegate. You just need to find an internal employee or an outside company that has the passion and the expertise to get the job done easily and efficiently. If you do opt to outsource, it is important to remember that with Social Media you should not just go with any remote entity that you have no interaction with and no control over; but rather seek a company that works with you as an extension of your team.

So why do so few Eye Clinics use Facebook and Social Media? Some offices did not have plans to create a Facebook page because they do not personally use Facebook or they felt it was unprofessional. The offices that do have Facebook expressed a realization that this is the way to connect with the younger generation. However it is becoming more and more apparent that Social Media Marketing is essential to remaining competitive in today’s marketplace. It’s time to jump on board. Go ahead and get started today!

Follow Uptown Eye Care on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/DrHappUptown (https://twitter NULL.com/#!/drhappuptown)

Like Uptown Eye Care on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/UptownEyeCareMN (http://www NULL.facebook NULL.com/UptownEyeCareMN)

 

Uptown Eye Care delegates their social media and online marketing to OxRun LLC (http://www NULL.oxrun NULL.com/).

« »