The Optometric Minute

Optimize Social Media to Grow Your Practice

Jan. 6, 2016

Justin Bazan, OD, recommends taking a proactive approach to social media, using it as a tool to increase interaction with past, current and prospective patients. When social media is used effectively, it can give potential patients a taste of your practice, and can remind existing patients why they should visit again.

Build Your Practice with User Reviews
Social Media Reflects Your Practice Personality

Justin Bazan, OD, says social media has been key to the growth of his practice. “Word-ofmouth used to occur just on a one-on-one basis, your friend tells you something and gives you a recommendation,” he says. “Now more people are realizing they can research their eyecare providers first and read what other experiences were given to their peers and colleagues, not necessarily their friends.” Dr. Bazan says prospective patients doing this kind of research is a primary driver of patients into his office over other ECPs in the neighborhood.

Build Your Reviewer Base. Take a proactive approach, monitoring the different social media platforms your patients use, such as Facebook, Yelp and Google Reviews. Respond in a timely manner, and most importantly, give patients the kind of positive experience in the office that they will want to share online.

Gauge Patient Loyalty. One way to measure patient loyalty is to note which patients post positive online reviews, and spur others to respond, and refer friends and family through their social media networks.

Create & Reinforce Bond with Patients. Train staff to be aware of how their in-office actions get reflected in online reviews and other social media. “We view social media as a way to increase the bond between our past, present and future patients, and we try to have our office culture come through,” says Dr. Bazan. “It’s the actions, behaviors and personas of what we do offline being transformed into an online experience.”

Social media is a great way to reflect your practice personality outside of the office, says Dr. Bazan, who points out the help to his outreach to patients that his associate, Jessi Lee’s, OD, YouTube video on multifocal contact lenses has provided. “It’s been wonderful content to source out to our different social media channels,” he notes.

Focus on Top Social Media Sites. “There is one clear leader in social media, and that’s Facebook,” says Dr. Bazan, “and Facebook is something that we put our primary focus and attention on, so much so that our web domain, www.parkslopeeye.com, forwards people to our Facebook page.”

Target Advertising. You can use the paid advertising available on Facebook to target patients with specific needs, such as those wearing contact lenses. “It’s amazing what you can achieve in hyper-targeting ads to desired patients,” says Dr. Bazan.

Closely Monitor. Focus on the social media platform your patients use the most, but don’t neglect the others. “Our primary focus is on Facebook,” says Dr. Bazan, “but if we note that our Google Reviews are falling behind, then we’ll put more emphasis on that platform. If we see that Yelp is stagnant, we’ll put an emphasis on that platform. So, we monitor and pay close attention, and adjust as needed.”

Justin Bazan, OD,  is the owner of Park Slope Eye in Brooklyn, N.Y. To contact him: dr.bazan@parkslopeeye.com.

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