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Use social media for word-of-mouth advertising
Old-fashioned marketing can be implemented with today’s technology
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As much as social media has created a buzz in recent years, we cannot deny the power of face-to-face endorsements, otherwise known as “word-of-mouth” or WOM advertising.
Professional marketers and doctors alike recognize that WOM recommendations are perhaps the most effective method of attracting new patients and retaining them. We all recognize that social media and online advertising are effective tools to engage and promote continued communication with patients, but to make the best use of social media we must be cognizant of the various methods available to obtain our patients’ endorsements.
Undeniably, face-to-face endorsement begins with the doctor and the patient or the staff and the patient. So, as marketers, we must look at the final objective when using social media to capture that WOM endorsement.
Marketing and advertising your office online work best when you view WOM as part of your combined effort with social media and positive online reviews. Simply put, nothing beats the power of WOM.
You can do several things to improve face-to-face promotion and WOM referrals.
Source: Gonzalez AL
Start with a measurable plan. Establish your desired results, such as increasing patient referrals by X amount every week or increasing referrals from MDs by X amount every week. Have a baseline number and a measurable goal, and track your results.
Implement consistent actions and track results. Use a regular pattern of communication with your referral sources, be it other ODs, MDs or patients. Evaluate the efficacy of your message and see if different methods get better results.
Use social media to keep in touch. Direct emails, Facebook and Twitter are great avenues by which to remind people you are there when they need you. They are also good venues by which to validate relationships and request new ones. A message in your direct emails, on your Facebook wall or in your tweets openly thanking patients for referrals accomplishes three things: reminds your patients that you acknowledge their loyalty, thanks them for the continued trust and reminds them that you are never too busy to see their friends and families.
The referral process starts when you and your office staff ask for and inspire referrals. Empower your patients to tell others if they had a positive experience.
Many patients are willing to share negative feedback, especially in social sites. Patients are also willing to share positive experiences, but they may need to be motivated to act. When you deliver a positive patient experience, ask for a testimonial.
In our office, we use specialty printed postcards with a “be social” motto and instructions encouraging patients to use Google+, Yelp, Twitter or Facebook to post their experience. We deliver these postcards when patients check out and inside the bags that contain their boxes of contact lenses.
Many patients do not appreciate what they do not know. Explain in a simple and direct way what is it that makes your office unique. It can be as simple as how you deliver care to how your office helps the community. Let patients know you as well as you know them.
The concept of creating an atmosphere that facilitates old-fashioned WOM advertising has never been easier. Directly asking for referrals can be seen as distasteful and demeaning by some doctors, yet think of all those who would benefit from your unique experience and expertise. If your mission is to take care of patients’ eyes and make sure they see their best, you have to let patients know why you are the best option.