A while back, we were all in awe of the marketing genius of Taylor Swift. Now, we have YouTube’s Dr. Seuss with more than 100 million views, racking up millions of dollars in revenue, and seemingly endless streams of merchandising. What happened? How did this popular, educational content creator become one of the most recognizable brands in entertainment? It turns out that Seuss had some pretty astute digital marketers and social media strategists behind him, and they used the platform to perfection.

According to TikTok’s chief marketing officer, Andy Chen, the app’s popularity is driven by a combination of factors. First, there’s the platform’s focus on entertaining and engaging users. Second, there’s the fact that its content is both humorous and educational. Third, Chen points to TikTok’s massive user base in the United States as a key reason for its success. “Most people in the U.S. have a smartphone, and the average user spends about an hour and a half per day on the app,” he says. With more than 300 million users across the globe, TikTok has established itself as the global leader in digital content creation and consumption.

How Can Eye Physicians Market Online?

If you’re reading this, I assume you’re either an eye physician seeking to become more efficient or a marketer seeking to better understand the needs of ophthalmologists.

For those seeking to better understand the needs of ophthalmologists, we’ve compiled a list of the top digital marketing tactics that eye physicians, ophthalmology practices, and ophthalmic research centers can leverage to market their businesses online.

• Create engaging content that draws potential patients into action
• Use digital channels to spread news, insights, and educational material about ophthalmology and the medical practices that serve it
• Join relevant forums and engage with other physicians
• Establish yourself as a thought leader in your specialty

The Trend Toward Online Visits

The trend towards online visits is certainly not new. Thanks to the widespread adoption of video chatting applications and platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Skype for Business, it’s never been easier for patients to connect with their doctors via webcam, and many are likely to opt for this type of visit rather than an in-person one.

The vast majority of internet users now visit websites, videos, and apps via mobile devices. As a result, healthcare marketers can more effectively reach large populations of patients through digital channels, rather than solely relying on traditional methods, such as print publications and radio ads.

Why Should You Market Online?

The benefits of marketing online extend beyond just generating leads. Marketers can measure the effectiveness of each marketing channel and optimize the allocation of funding and resources to yield the greatest results. Furthermore, by understanding an individual’s needs, behaviors, and goals, marketers are able to craft more effective marketing messages, and tailor-made websites, to draw the user toward a purchase, or action, such as joining a membership program or making a donation.

The Importance of Mobile Marketing

With the rise of mobile apps and games, consumers have grown to expect more from their devices. To keep up with the trend, many businesses have adopted a mobile first strategy, placing a high priority on developing engaging content for smartphones and tablets.

This trend toward mobile marketing should serve as a wake-up call for healthcare marketers. To attract and retain patients, ophthalmologists must develop a presence on digital channels. However, given the current state of affairs with regards to the COVID-19 pandemic, many ophthalmologists are finding it challenging to attract patients to their practices. While the situation is certainly evolving, as of April 2020, less than 10% of eye physicians and less than 5% of ophthalmology practices are marketing online.

Now is the time to ramp up your mobile marketing efforts, before the pandemic takes its toll and your practice is forced to close its doors due to lack of patients.

Use Personal Stories to Humanize Medicine

When marketing online, it’s important to connect with users on a personal level. In an attempt to create a more empathic connection with potential patients, many healthcare businesses have turned to storytelling. Personal storytelling has several advantages. First, it allows the listener to relate to the storyteller’s experiences. Second, it allows healthcare businesses to humanize medicine, showing the benefits of their services in a way that can be easily understood by the general public, especially during uncertain times.

Use Video Content

Video content is more engaging than text content, and it’s easier for potential patients to relate to. Video content is also more likely to be shared on social media channels. As a result, videos can have a much broader reach compared to traditional methods of marketing, such as print publications and radio ads. Moreover, online marketplaces, like YouTube, make it even easier for healthcare businesses to find and gain traction with video content.

Create an Online Presence

With so much competition, it’s essential that eye physicians and ophthalmology practices develop an online presence, either on social media channels or through standalone websites. The ability to reach a broad audience is invaluable, and it can help with generating leads and boosting practice visibility.

Use Analytics and Measurement

To determine the effectiveness of their marketing efforts, healthcare businesses can leverage analytics and measurement. With so much competition, it’s essential that healthcare businesses determine which marketing tactics work and which ones don’t. Analytics can help identify patient engagement metrics, like the number of views, shares, and downloads, to determine how effective particular tactics are.

In addition, measurement is important, as it allows healthcare businesses to track the success of their marketing strategies and determine the ROI of their digital marketing efforts.

Use Online Resource Libraries

To learn more about ophthalmology and the medical practices that serve it, patients can turn to online resource libraries, which are collections of books and medical articles.

Whether you’re seeking to better understand the disease or want to find out the best way to treat patients, there’s a directory or article that can help. By educating yourself about ophthalmology and the medical practices that serve it, you will be able to provide the best possible care for your patients, helping them to live long and happy lives.