SOCIAL MEDIA

Many social media options exist for optometristsNathan Bonilla-Warford, O.D.

any optometrists, watching marketing costs climb

Mand marketing returns decline, are looking for newmethods of reaching patients. Going beyond the

traditional methods of phone book, newspaper, and maga-zine, optometrists have started using Internet marketingtechniques to connect with current patients and reach out topotential patients. This is not unique to optometrists.

Optometrists wishing to connect withcurrent and potential patients must de-cide which social media tools are bestfor their practice.

A recent study has found that going into 2010, 74% ofsmall businesses planned to increase e-mail marketing, and68% planned to increase social media marketing.1

For a number of years now, it has been common foroptometrists to include Internet marketing in their compre-hensive marketing plans. Patients have grown to expect anoptometrist to have a Web site that, at a minimum, providesbasic information. Patients use this information not only toselect a vision care provider initially but as a reference tore-engage their chosen provider at a later time.However, the landscape of the Internet grows and

changes quickly. Tools are constantly being developedthat allow for much richer and more targeted methods ofcommunicating with potential and current patients. Thispresents an exciting opportunity for the optometrist whowishes to take a leading role in the local community,developing a reputation as a ‘‘high-tech’’ and knowledge-able community member. However, the large variety ofWeb sites and networks that exist can appear confusing andintimidating to those who are not familiar with them. Thisarticle introduces several of the types of communicationoptions and provides examples of how they can be useful tothe relationship between optometrists and their patients.

Nathan Bonilla-Warford, O.D., is the originator of Foursquare Day, which

has been acclaimed the first social media holiday, and a widely published

author of articles on social media. A member of the American Optometric

Association (AOA) Social Media Committee, he practices at Bright Eyes

Family Vision Care in Tampa, Florida. Dr. Bonilla-Warford can be con-

tacted at doc@brighteyestampa.com. Opinions expressed are those of the

author and not necessarily those of the AOA.

1529-1839/$ - see front matter � 2010 American Optometric Association. All r

doi:10.1016/j.optm.2010.09.006

These interactive communication tools are called ‘‘socialmedia’’ networks. Kaplan and Haenlein2 define social me-dia as a ‘‘a group of Internet-based applications that buildon the ideological and technological foundations of Web2.0, and that allow the creation and exchange of user-generated content.’’2 Web 2.0 is the name given to Web pa-ges that are interactive. They allow site visitors to write aswell as read the content. Moreover, it allows them to createthe content together in real time, providing for an ongoingdiscussion on a subject.There are thousands of social media networks and

applications, but the majority of them can be classifiedinto a few distinct types. Differences include what kind ofpersonal information is shared, how detailed and complexthat information is, and how frequently the users tend toshare. Below is a description of several types of socialmedia and how optometrists can use them to market theirpractices.

BlogsCommon examples: Wordpress, BloggerDescription: Blogs arose from Internet-based journals

(Web logs). They consist of frequently updated contribu-tions from 1 or more people, presented with the most recentpost listed first.Utility: Blogs allow for an unfiltered presentation in a

long format, allowing the optometrist to present informa-tion about eye care, specialty areas of the practice, eventsrelated to the practice, and even personal stories. Thishelps to reinforce the image of the optometrist as a trueexpert in state-of-the-art eye and vision care. In addition,through the use of keywords, maintaining a blog can in-crease the amount of Internet traffic directed to the prac-tice Web site.

MicroblogsCommon examples: Twitter, Tumblr, PosterousDescription: Microblogs disseminate short, frequent up-

dates, such as a news item or Web link, to interestedreaders. These networks have mechanisms to share orpass along an update, making them the fastest way to sharenews quickly to many people.Utility: Microblogs can be used to share updates about

eye health news or office events. Content can be shared eas-ily with and from other optometrists, health professionals,and the general public.

ights reserved.

614 Practice Strategies

Social networksCommon examples: Facebook, LinkedIn, MyspaceDescription: These social networking sites allow users

to connect and form relationships, send messages, andshare content in self-contained, full-featured online com-munities.Utility: When it comes to social network features and

functions, Facebook has it all. Facebook is the biggest so-cial media network and presents an easy way to connectwith patients. The ability to create a stand-alone identityfor the practice, separate from the optometrist’s identity,is important. Events, photos, new products, news items,and success stories are all items that can be shared on a so-cial network.

Content communitiesCommon examples: Youtube, Flicker, Ustream.tvDescription: Content communities allow users to share,

organize, and comment on pictures, video, and other formsof media.Utility: Photos or videos allow the optometrists to let

potential patients experience their practice before cominginto the office.

GeolocationCommon examples: Foursquare, Gowalla, BrightkiteDescription: Allows users to ‘‘check in’’ and inform

others where they are. Some applications have games andrules.Utility: By encouraging patients to check in when they

visit the practice, they develop both a stronger relationship

with the practice as well as advertise the practice to theirfriends.

Review sitesCommon examples: Yelp, Angie’s list, Merchant CircleDescription: Review sites have systems for publicly

rating elements of a product or service.Utility: People tend to trust reviews that they read online,

and a collection of positive reviews can be very impressive.The occasional negative review can hopefully point to areasthat could be improved.There is no single formula for promoting a practice with

social media, and there is no reason to use all of the toolsavailable. Success depends on the individual interests of thedoctor and unique characteristics of the practice. It isimportant that optometrists carefully select the social mediatools with which they are comfortable and feel will beuseful. Satisfied patients can be the best cheerleaders for apractice in the world of social media–so practices shouldconnect with their Web-savvy patients now.Editor’s note: Optometrists, optometry students, and

paraoptometrics are all encouraged to explore the AOA’ssocial media site, AOA Connect, at connect.aoa.org.

References

1. Marketing Charts. Available at: http://www.marketingcharts.com/direct/

small-biz-big-hikes-in-email-socnet-spending-for-2010-11118/. Last ac-

cessed July 8, 2010.

2. Kaplan AM, Haenlein M. Users of the world, unite! The challenges and

opportunities of social media. Business Horizons 2010;53(1):59-68.