Social Media for Optometrists Creative Ideas to Use

1. Social Media for Optometrists: Creative Ideas to Use Social media lets people interact with each other. So, why not let it help your optometry practice engage with your patients? Using some of these tactics could humanize your optometry practice and assist your patients. Include how-to videos Who hasn’t visited YouTube to learn how to do something? Since people are already going online for that reason, optometry practices should consider adding some how-to videos to their social media platforms to attract viewers. Optometry-related content might include videos about how to Insert contact lenses correctly and how to clean them. Choose the right protective eyewear for different activities. Log onto and use the practice’s online patient portals to see, share, and use information. Videos provide visual images that could make it quicker for people to grasp certain concepts, especially if they learn better by seeing things. Moving images might capture people’s attention. They could engage people who don’t like to read or don’t have time for it. As videos are playing, they could keep people focused on the particular sites that are hosting, maybe even encourage them to visit other parts of them. Educate users People who are watching how-to videos want to learn. In addition to such videos, optometrists could provide all sorts of learning opportunities through social media. They could be as basic as providing the who, what, and where about their practices: who they are, what kind of education they received, what they treat, and where their offices are located.

2. Beyond those basics, optometry offices could also consider providing all sorts of content. For example, we often celebrate special days, weeks, and months. Why not acknowledge those times in social media posts? On Valentine’s Day, we could explain how making optometry appointments and taking other steps to protect our eyes could show how we care about ourselves and the people we love. This post might include helpful tips for talking with friends and family members who are reluctant to see eye doctors or pursue other sorts of assistance. Another post could explain how the month of May is Healthy Vision Month. To discuss this link, you could link to reputable sites like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and its facts about eye health and disease. Some of these facts are startling and discuss what happens when people don’t receive proper eye health. While you’re not trying to scare people, a few sobering statistics from an authoritative source might be what it takes to nudge people to find assistance. Discuss current events. Acknowledging what’s going on in the world could be another timely way to engage on social media. During the pandemic, we’ve faced shutdowns and multiple changes regarding safety measures. If optometry practices are experiencing those kinds of developments, they could talk about them prominently on social media. Offices that are already posting how-to videos about eye health and eyewear might want to add instructional videos that teach people how to sanitize items or why face masks could protect against COVID-19, the flu, and other conditions. They could add updates from the CDC and other health officials that provide the latest, more accurate information. By discussing other current health-related issues, you could help patients relate to your social media platforms and your practice. Such messages indicate that patients’ overall health is important, not just their vision and eyes, and that you care about all of them.

3. Answer questions Another way to incorporate videos and education content into optometry social media platforms is by answering questions. Tell readers on social media sites that you’re going to make videos to answer any questions they post or address questions they might have. Then, create an area on your sites where you’re going to post these videos. Make and post videos at regular times. You could post videos of you answering questions every other Monday, for instance, and call the segments something catchy and memorable, such as Monday Mailbag. The videos might include addressing specific questions and concerns about your optometry practice and how it operates. They might include answers to more general queries about eyes, vision, and health in general. As you’re providing answers, make sure that you’re being discreet and following privacy regulations to protect patients’ health-related information and their identities. Whatever you discuss, it could serve as evidence that you’re listening and responding to current and potential patients. Ask questions to start conversation Answering questions engages patients who are using your social media platforms. So does asking them. You could use the questions and answers in upcoming videos, for one. When you ask questions, you’re encouraging people to think about things. The questions could prompt them to think about things with new perspectives or things they’ve never heard of or considered at all. This is also true for you. Your patients’ feedback could spur you to think of things in a new light or about entirely new things. Patient responses could help you determine if you and your patients are seeing things similarly and have similar goals. If there are differences, your patients’ comments could provide guideposts on what changes you might need to make and how to make them.

4. Make things fun Optometry sites don’t have to be entirely serious. Incorporating some fun and games into your social media platforms could interest current patients and potential ones. Think about including some contests. For example, around Halloween, you could fill a large see-through jar with several small pieces of wrapped candy. Be sure to count the pieces as you fill this jar. On your practice’s Facebook site, post a photograph of this jar. Ask readers how many pieces of candy are in it. The person whose guess is closest to the actual number could win the jar (and the candy) or another prize, such as a small gift card to a local coffee shop. With this post, you’ll be acknowledging current happenings (Halloween) and including readers in a fun game. You’ll be showing that your practice has a fun side in addition to a competent side that addresses their medical needs. If you need assistance yourself, contact Eye Care Leaders. We’ll help you develop technical and management solutions that will help your optometry practices and the patients you serve.