WHETHER IT’S THE first day of kindergarten or parents sending their child off to college, back to school is an exciting but stressful time for parents and sometimes eyewear and eyecare can be put on the back burner. So how do you ensure that your eyecare practice stays top of mind during the busy back-to-school season?
Here are five marketing campaigns for the back-to-school season that you can utilize as an eyecare practice.
1. Social Media Contests: Consumers often spend over two hours a day on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and others. That means, for hours a day, you have the opportunity to target customers with your products and services in a way that’s easily digestible.
Create a social media contest that encourages people to engage with your practice. You could post an announcement of your back-to-school eyewear collection and host a giveaway for anyone who shares it in their Instagram story. Or maybe, hold a contest where people post first-day-of-school outfits and tag you.
No matter what your contest entails, offer a prize — such as a free eye exam or a discount on glasses — to the winning user.
2. Back-to-School Packages: During a season when people are flooded with back-to-school expenses and busy schedules, an eyecare package can offer people an easy solution. Your practice can offer special back-to-school packages for a bundled price that include eye exams, glasses, and other eyecare products. Advertise the packages on your site and socials, and promote the importance of regular eye exams.
3. School Visits: Partner with local schools to visit classrooms and give presentations on the importance of eye health. You could offer free eye exams to students while leaving informational materials for the teachers and parents to ensure you’re reaching as many audiences as possible. Not only does this expand your reach, but it can also help build your practice’s identity in the community.
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4. Teacher Appreciation: Teachers play a critical role in the education and well-being of students and while Teacher Appreciation Week is late in the school year, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t appreciate teachers year-round.
Consider offering them a special discount on eye exams and glasses at the beginning of the school year. You should advertise the offer on your website and socials, of course, but also reach out to local teachers’ organizations if possible.
5. College Student Specials: Many college students on a tight budget are in need of eye exams and glasses, so consider offering them a discount during the back-to-school season. It’s essential to advertise the offer and build as much awareness around it as possible. Always utilize your website, social channels, and other relevant platforms, like campus publications or local student organizations.
Back-to-school is a key time to bring families into your practice, but with schedules getting busy again as summer breaks come to an end, how can you remind parents that visiting their optometrist is essential? And how do you ensure you are the one they visit? The key is prioritizing patient education and focusing on the benefits that regular eye exams and glasses can provide for students, teachers, and families alike. Whether it’s highlighting how they can make children more successful in school or making parents aware that children may not know when they’re experiencing vision symptoms, there’s a variety of messaging you can use to remind current and potential patients of the value you provide.