Vision Service Organizations (VSO) encounter unique challenges that are not a problem for individual ophthalmologists and optometrists. For example, VSOs need strategies that allow them to digitally promote multiple practices, sometimes under the same brand name.
As the number of practices under a VSO grows, so does the “scalability problem.” Specifically, how can a VSO scale up to efficiently manage dozens of websites at the same time? The solution to the scalability problem is implementing scalable strategies and technology, like a patient acquisition platform.
5 Scalable Marketing Strategies for VSOs
1. Multi-Location Local SEO
Multi-location SEO can be summarized as the application of local SEO to multiple locations. According to recent Google Trends, people are increasingly searching for “an eye exam near me” in the Google search box.
While traditional SEO focuses on attracting patients from anywhere on the web, local SEO aims to attract patients in close geographic proximity.
Suppose you have optimized your Google Business Profile for ophthalmologists. In that case, your clinic will rank higher in the search result which attracts more patients who live within a short radius of your practice.
How else can you boost local SEO rankings to attract ophthalmology patients?
- Keyword research. Knowing which keywords to use for your content can make all the difference in relation to how your web page ranks on the search engine.
- Develop and manage high-quality citations for your clinic online to boost your rankings.
- Take advantage of backlinks to direct visitors from other platforms to your website.
- Optimize, manage, and update your Google Business Profile by including essential information such as working hours, name, address, and phone number, sharing a complete list of all services offered, including a Q&A section, and adding updated photos of your practice.
- Lastly, remember to source and publish reviews from your patients. According to recent statistics, 90% of patients rely on online reviews to evaluate a healthcare professional.
2. Pay-per-Click Ads
Paid search advertisements are ads that pop up at the top of the results page for search engines such as Google and Bing. Pay-per-click advertising for ophthalmology/optometry is one of the fastest and easiest ways to draw in new clients because it allows you to reach out to them when they are already online researching their symptoms and searching for a healthcare provider near them.
When used appropriately, ophthalmology pay-per-click ads can have numerous benefits for your ophthalmology practice, such as:
- Generating traffic to your website faster than traditional SEO
- Guaranteed spot on the first page of Google
- Budget-friendly advertising because you only get charged when someone clicks on your ad.
- Generating measurable results.
3. Social Media Marketing
It can be difficult to navigate the complexities of social media in your ophthalmology practice. And if the pandemic has taught us anything, social media and healthcare are a potent combination. However, to successfully use social media, it is vital to have a solid digital marketing strategy. You should understand what people want and what sparks their interest to make it easy for you to tailor your communication according to their interests.
Social media has effectively transitioned into a “pay-to-play” environment. The major social media platforms want you to pay to reach your audience. And while this can be costly in the start, it offers a return on investment. The alternative is organic reach.
However, organic reach on all the leading social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, has significantly dropped over the years.
For example, the current organic reach on Facebook is 5.2%, meaning that no matter how many followers you have, only a small fraction will interact with your non-promoted content. To connect with a broader audience and generate more leads, you should take advantage of paid social media.
Leveraging Facebook Dark Posts is another way to reach more patients. This tool allows you to send specific, conversion-centered messages to a new target audience without annoying existing social media followers.
4. Content Marketing
In the simplest terms, content marketing involves writing content that offers your target customers the information they are looking for. If you want to provide the most relevant content, you must educate yourself on the questions your current and potential patients are asking and generate better answers.
Done right, content marketing can help drive traffic to your website. One way to leverage content marketing to rank higher on the search engine is to use commonly searched keywords in your industry.
5. Web Design
Excellent ophthalmology website design is paramount if you traffic to convert into leads and patients. Studies show that well-designed websites create a good first impression on current and potential customers. If your ophthalmology website is generating traffic but not leads, you need to do something about the design.
You can also take the following steps to build your brand through web design:
- Make good use of colors. Colors like blue, green, and white make patients feel safe and confident in the healthcare facility
- Use a credible, trustworthy and soothing voice when communicating with your audience on your website
- Your brand colors, logos, and other components of the web design should stay consistent across all platforms
How to Scale VSO Marketing Strategies
The most efficient way to implement the above strategies is to combine a healthcare-specific agency with a patient acquisition platform. Patient acquisition platforms for the healthcare industry are designed to automate many aspects of web design, SEO, SEM, reputation management, and social media marketing (SMM).
While the average healthcare agency can handle a dozen or two dozen local keywords, DoctorLogic’s patient acquisition platform leverages artificial intelligence to handle tens of thousands of keywords.
Learn more about our services by requesting a DoctorLogic demo.