OUR DIGITAL WORLD has made connecting easier than ever before. Whether it’s friends or family, reaching them is simple. The same is true for businesses and consumers, which creates a new problem… Reaching consumers has never been easier, but it’s also never been harder to get their attention.
Consumer behavior is always changing. But it has been accelerated by advancements in technology.
Tailoring your patient-reach tactics is key for your practice to succeed in the digital future.
The Digital Consumer Explained
It is easy to say COVID-19 drove consumers to live digitally. However, the pandemic didn’t create this movement. Your patients and potential patients have been turning to digital platforms to shop and find answers to their questions long before the pandemic.
Before you create digital offerings for your practice, it is important to understand who is consuming them and what purpose they serve.
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The digital consumer is no longer solely an online shopper. Consumers have become reliant on digital content to educate, entertain and support themselves. These need to be taken advantage of by your practice.
This reliance on content has created an overflow. This problem isn’t specific to the eyecare industry; consumers are being blasted on all their devices from businesses desperately trying to get their attention. The attention of digital consumers now must be earned by content.
Reaching Them Digitally
If your practice has continued to be successful in 2021, you’re likely communicating with consumers digitally. Whether you’re keeping it simple with a website or have developed other strategies, such as social media, there are many aspects to consider when trying to reach the digital patient.
When attempting to reach consumers outside of your practice, every piece of content doesn’t have to have the goal of booking an appointment right away. Securing the digital consumer can be a longer journey than you once thought.
Don’t Follow
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When trying to decide how you want to reach consumers, it’s easy to fall into the trap of looking at what your competition is doing and simply following them. This is a dangerous cycle to fall into. Evaluating why you are using certain communication methods is a good place to start. Ask yourself if they fit into your practice and goals or are they just what everyone else is doing?
Educate Consumers
With consumers spending more time at home, they are leaning on the internet for new information, to keep them entertained and educate themselves. This is an opportunity to bring forward your passion as an eyecare professional.
Using your expertise to educate and entertain digital consumers is an easy way to build your practice’s online presence. Although it may seem simple and mundane to you as a professional, consumers are not being exposed to this kind of information regularly and will swarm to it. Don’t underestimate the power of your niche knowledge to patients.
Aim for Consumer Attention
Earning and maintaining the attention of a digital patient is difficult. Consumers are no longer likely to fall for quick promises—they want to be assured their time won’t be wasted. Given this inherent doubt, it’s important to remember the truth is always the best story.
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Use Your Story
In addition to being honest with consumers online, another great way to earn their attention is by leveraging your story. Although your practice likely has different advantages over your competitors, no advantage can match that of your story. Sharing your story helps digital consumers connect with your practice, even if they haven’t visited you … yet.
Answer Questions Before They’re Asked
Reaching the digital consumer shouldn’t just be reactive, it should be proactive. Share your practice with the digital world and grab the attention of patients before they visit your practice. Practicing honest and authentic communication with digital consumers will always benefit your practice, no matter how consumer behavior or digital communication changes.
