SOCIAL MEDIA IS a powerful tool for eyecare practices. Platforms like Facebook and Instagram help ECPs reach potential patients, build trust, and grow their businesses. Because social media functions like your second website, it’s important you drive traffic, build awareness, and get people interacting with your business.
Running a successful social media campaign requires:
- Careful planning
- Strategic content
- Focused effort
Blast-Off: Boosting
Boosting FB and IG posts is an easy and cost-effective way to increase visibility. But you need a strategy to make the most out of your boost. (1) Choose high-quality posts. Only boost content that aligns with your goals and audience. (2) Set a budget. Start with $10–$30 per post, monitor performance, and scale up if the campaign delivers results. (3) Customize targeting. Use Meta’s targeting options to focus on specific demographics, such as people aged 25–55 within a 10-mile radius of your practice. (4) Include a call-to-action (CTA). Every boosted post should have a clear and compelling CTA, whether “Book Your Appointment Today!” or “20% Off Frames Now!”
Choose the Right Content
Your content directly impacts the effectiveness of your campaign, so it’s essential to pick content that looks good and connects with your audience. (1) Share visually appealing posts about your offerings like eye exams, contact lens fittings, or stylish frames. (2) Educate your audience with eye health tips, facts about common vision problems, or the benefits of routine exams. (3) People appreciate valuable information, which builds trust and authority. (4) Testimonials and before-and-afters of satisfied customers (with their permission) can humanize your practice and encourage others to visit. (5) Videos have higher engagement on social media — create quick clips showcasing your practice’s equipment, an office tour, or quick “day in the life’s.”
Remember to lean into your brand tone and voice, and use consistent imagery, fonts, and colors.
Focus on Business Goals and Content Pillars
Are you looking to increase bookings? Boost awareness of a product or service? Drive traffic to your site? Your goal will determine your content strategy and performance metrics. Once your goals are defined, create content pillars — categories of content that align with your objectives. For ECPs, your pillars could include:
- Promotions and Discounts: Special offers, discounts on frames, or back-to-school eye checkups
- Educational Content: Eye health tips and the importance of exams
- Behind-the-Scenes: Your friendly team, advanced equipment, or eyewear collection
- Patient Success Stories: Testimonials or reviews from happy patients (where regulations allow)
- Event Highlights: Trunk shows, new product launches, or community outreach programs
- Content pillars ensure your campaigns remain consistent and diversified while aligning with your business objectives.
Find Your Audience
One of the advantages of Meta’s ad tools is audience targeting. Here’s how to determine your ideal audience. (1) Demographics. Use location targeting to focus on people near you. Combine this with factors like age, interests, and income. (2) Behavioral insights. Target users who have recently searched for or interacted with content related to eyecare or fashion eyewear. (3) Custom audiences. Upload a list of existing patients to retarget them on FB and IG. (4) Geo-fencing. If you’re running a campaign for specific local promotions, define a tight area around your practice to ensure you’re targeting only those who can visit you. (5) A/B testing. Experiment to learn which audience segment yields the best results. For example, test ads targeted at younger audiences interested in trendy eyewear versus ads aimed at older adults seeking medical eye exams.
