Paid advertising has its place, but referrals should be an integral part of your optometry marketing plan. Let’s talk about three simple ways to increase your chance of referrals.
Deliver Outstanding Care
We won’t count this as one of the three ways to boost referrals because it’s too obvious — and it’s a crucial component for any sustainable referral system.
But it must be said: Providing excellent care, personalized attention, and a positive experience sets the stage. A warm and attentive demeanor in conjunction with helping patients feel educated about their eye health and satisfied with their treatment plan is the best thing you can do for positive referrals.
And there’s nothing like a personal recommendation. How many times have you been in the market for a contractor, a tradesperson, a doctor, or a babysitter, and asked around in your social circle? Even in our digital age, that’s still the first move.
1. Partner Up
Establish a system of cross-referrals. This requires a little networking, but it’s advantageous to prioritize relationships with other healthcare providers — GPs and/or specialists — who can refer patients with vision needs to your practice. And I’m not just talking about ophthalmologists. As we’ve mentioned before, ODs play a crucial role in systemic disease diagnosis and referral, which means there’s opportunity to get your name in front of a lot of different doctors. Even connecting with nutritionists could be beneficial.
Here is an easy, actionable step to implement if you haven’t already:
Sharing information with the patient’s primary care physician can generate referrals. For example, I always send the patient’s PCP their diabetic eye exam information. Doing so tells the PCP that you have provided high-quality eye care to his or her patient and that you are able to deliver that care to their other patients, as well. This is a way to advertise yourself indirectly. It also is a good idea to call the PCP after a few weeks (get your name out there) to discuss the patient’s treatment options.
Refer patients to PCPs — a lot of patients don’t get regular check-ups. At the very least, refer them to the PCP to get their blood pressure checked [Ed note: Or bloodwork done.]. (Source: Networking with Other ODs and MDs: A Referrals Booster)
Good communication in cross-referrals is key. Keep in mind that studies show PCPs prefer a report of the eye exam summary in a format that non-ECPs can understand.
Related read: Ways to Increase Optometry Referrals from Primary Care and Specialty Providers, Eyes on Eyecare
Offer corporate vision screenings and education and/or screenings to local schools. This is a low-key, organic way to get your name out there and establish yourself as a community resource. Think like a small business owner and aim to increase brand awareness, so to speak. If you have the means, consider donating glasses to your partner school.
Don’t be afraid to reach out in person when trying to establish connections with doctors, schools, and local businesses. A face-to-face impression goes a long way. And it doesn’t have to be awkward; you’re bringing quite a bit to the table in these arrangements, so proceed with the confidence of knowing it’s a good idea for all parties.
2. Help Patients Find You
Is there a particular issue you find yourself treating frequently? That’s a natural invitation to make it one of your “things” from a marketing perspective. If you find yourself doing a lot of pediatric care, sports vision, or treatment for dry eye disease, think of that as a specialized optometry service you offer and post about it as such. Make sure those particular SEO keywords are on your website — patients looking for help in specific areas will have an easier time finding you.
Another easy, actionable step is to create online business listings. This is a must-do. Even if you’re currently listed, take this as a cue to revisit your listings and check for accuracy.
First make sure that your office is listed on all the major search engines (Google, Yahoo, Bing), and perhaps even more important is to make sure that the listed information is 100% correct. If your business is already listed, look into claiming that listing as the business owner to make sure the information remains as accurate as possible. Along with SEO and PPC, controlling your business listings can help ensure that potential clients find your practice at the exact moment they need it. (Source: 19 Optometry Marketing Ideas to Help Grow Your Practice)
Use Apple Business Connect to help people find you on Apple Maps and across Mac products.
3. Establish Brand Ambassadors
Identify loyal patients or staff members who can act as brand ambassadors, promoting your practice through word of mouth or online communities. This doesn’t have to be a formal arrangement, although it can be.
The most important step is to ask. Ask for the positive Google review. Ask for patients to share your name. It’s a call to action. And if you know your patient has had a good experience, it’s an easy ask. Satisfied patients are happy to help — they just need the go-ahead.
Anytime a patient expresses satisfaction, that’s an opening for you or anyone on your team to confidently ask them to spread the word.
Related read: How To Turn Your Patients Into Brand Ambassadors, AOA
3 Things to Remember
If you’re handing out a card, ask the patient if they know anyone who could benefit from eye care. That immediately gets them thinking about specific people to pass your name along to vs. passively waiting for a friend to ask for an OD recommendation.
Track your referrals! Designate someone on staff to track metrics of success so you can establish a working system.
A note on incentives: Some practices offer gift cards, money, or discounts for referrals. This can happen at the cross-referral level with doctors, too. Aside from potential ethical implications, be sure to investigate the legality of various incentives in your state before getting involved.
