Marketing for the New Practice

Let's talk about marketing for your brand-new practice. In the opening video, I shared definitions of marketing, but I want to start off here with the understanding, the clarification that marketing and advertising are not the same thing. Advertising is certainly an important component of your marketing plan and in the beginning, it may be a big part of that plan, but advertising is just one component. Just one spoke on the wheel, of the marketing wheel. Marketing has many things that will create and drive interest. A combination of many things. There's no one silver bullet.

Your image matters. Your brand is your image. It's how you will tell your story. Your brand began when you chose your trade name and logo design. You have to know your story and stay true to it and I think you do.

And just a refresher here on target market. You probably recall information in your demographic report regarding your target market. So, just a reminder that the primary target market for healthcare is females between the ages of about 25 to 54,55. They are the decision makers for the family. So, as you make marketing and advertising decisions, really think about what is the message that will attract my target market?

During this course I will focus on initial marketing for your startup practice and have broken this down into three stages: pre-opening, now open, and grand opening. Let's take a look at what should be going on during each of those stages. Pre-opening it's never too early to begin networking and getting involved in your community. You will build relationships that sell yourself-first strategy. Support other small businesses and community groups and they will remember you when you open your new practice. So, get out and network and get involved in the community. At this time, you will be working on your website and social media platforms, going live as early as you can. Going live a couple months prior to opening, if you can. The same with your building signage. Start creating interest as early as possible. A temporary sign or banner is a great interim option until you get your big sign on your building. People are curious, aren't they? So, curious and so capitalize on that curiosity. Just make sure to check your lease or check with your landlord to get approval and check with your city as well to make sure you're not violating any regulations. And then this is the time that you would send a letter to your patients, if applicable. And then friends and family day, friends and family, well this isn't directly marketing, it's a part of the pre-opening plan. So, I wanted to include this topic. This is your dress rehearsal opportunity, so you are show ready for that first patient. Depending on your construction and your equipment delivery schedule, this usually happens the week prior to opening. So, this friends and family usually happens a week prior to opening. You can do one day, a couple afternoons or evenings, there is no right or wrong here. Just do it. Your staff will be so appreciative and everyone will feel more prepared for opening day. 

Just an example here, I’ll share some pictures during this course. I think the visuals are really helpful. This practice did a great job on their signage. If you look closely there, you can see the sheetrock through the windows, so build out was just beginning. This practice is in a walkable district and the doctor was, I just think, really wise in getting that temporary signage up early to begin creating awareness. Another example of temporary signage with the coming soon sign. 

Now open. This is the point where your external marketing and advertising will kick up. More networking, right there, top line. See a theme here? Look at your community website for information on networking, volunteering, speaking, or just community events to attend. Building relationships is the best competitive advantage you have in today's marketplace. Stop in for a visit at your local Chamber of Commerce, let them know about your new business, inquire about a membership. If you decide to join the chamber, most will do a ribbon-cutting and that activity is usually included in your membership fee. A ribbon-cutting does not have to be done the same day as your grand opening event; it can be done anywhere from day one to week four and the good thing is that you don't typically have to do much, just show up. So, ask the chamber if they contact the newspaper and the mayor's office. If not, you need to make the effort to do this to yourself. Designate someone to take pictures and post to your social media platforms for that ribbon-cutting event. And then, yes, we’re going to have that external marketing going on and then lastly your internal marketing machine revs up. So, the strategies that you learned about in the patient management course start with your first patient. 

Another picture of great window signage. This is after the practice is open. Again, just really capturing the attention of people driving by, walking by. Chalkboard signage; if you're in a walkable area, a center or strip mall, a downtown area or mixed-use area. Sidewalk signs are a great way to attract attention. Just have some fun with it. Again, check first to make sure they are allowed. Just build community relationships. You definitely see a theme here, right? Just get involved in the community, you know, and I love this example, because we think about smaller communities as having so much opportunity to be involved in the community and there's truth to that certainly, but this stock is in Chicago. So, just a neighborhood in downtown Chicago and so there are opportunities in those big cities as well, just have to look for them. She just did a little speaking to a classroom. Get out and meet your neighbors, your business neighbors. People remember people that bring food, don't they? So, a box of donuts or cookies is easy and affordable. Like these examples, you can affix your business card and make it a nice and memorable presentation. So, just to give you some ideas here. Have some fun with it.

More community events. Health fairs, business fairs, women's expos. Keep your ears and eyes open for those opportunities as they've been very worthwhile for our doctors. I hear success stories often. So, you can see just some fun pictures here of those networking events that I just referenced. A document will be provided for you, so you’ll have a document to download that will include ideas for you to create interest in your new practice. But let’s look at some more inspiration pictures here. Fun little messages on the sidewalk signs.

So, your grand opening. So, for purposes of this course, I'm defining the grand opening as an event, an open house to get people into your new practice. I typically see a grand opening in the second month or about six to eight weeks after opening your practice. So, it gives you just a little bit of time, takes a little pressure off. You will be provided with a grand opening marketing packet as well as an overview plan of action, but let's take a look at the big picture here as many of you likely have not attended another business’ grand opening. You’re going to need to set a date. To clarify, this is not an all-day event, but rather a few hours during a time period that would appeal to the majority of people. Hours between 3 and 4 p.m. to 6 to 7 p.m. during the week with Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, usually working the best for a practices grand opening, but we can talk about your specific area and what would work best for you. Then you're going to need to promote the event. A direct mail postcard and yes, if done well, they still work. So, a postcard mailing, distributing flyers to local businesses, and promoting the event on your social media are all good options. Additionally, take one of those postcards or flyers to your hairstylist or your barber or your networking groups. Just get creative, get that word out there. A couple examples of postcards.

So, what happens at this grand opening event? Well, you’re going to have food, beverages, prizes, product savings, you’re going to need to entice people that don’t know you to come in to see your beautiful office and meet you. Doctor, you should not schedule eye appointments during this time as you need to be front-and-center greeting your patients, so this is the one open house event that I don't want you to have scheduled appointments. Leading up to your opening, you will have done a lot of business with vendors, right? You know. So, ask those frame, contact lens, and lab reps for donations for your event. Most have budgets for this and are happy to contribute. So, they’ll donate products, so frames, sunglasses, vouchers for lenses, contact lenses, some will donate cash, which is great, you can use them for the food and beverages, that kind of thing. Just a fun picture to give you some inspiration of what this event might look like. So, have some fun with the decorations, and sidewalk sign. I do love sidewalk signs, if you can have one. So, really great way to publicize the event. Showing you what the food table, food and beverages can look like. No right or wrong here. This is your party. If it were me, I would just make sure it's not food that's real messy, right, to have this beautiful brand-new office. So, just some non-messy foods, keep it pretty simple. There's just an idea and we have another one, isn't that pretty? Just a pretty and inviting scene, isn't it? So, that's exactly what you want, that welcome message, come on in, we’d love to meet you.

And you're not, after the event is over, you’re not quite finished yet. You can achieve additional marketing bang from your event, if you do some follow-up. So, post pictures on your social media platforms. Announce winners, so if you have drawing, announce the winners. Send an email thanking the attendees for coming, cause you're going to have captured those email addresses, right, little drawing slips for your door prizes and your drawings. So, send an email thanking the attendees for coming. And that concludes the timeline from pre-opening through your grand opening event. So, we'll have some more conversation about your specific each of your events, but I wanted you to see what this looks like. 

So, let me just introduce a few other topics and ideas for marketing your new practice then beyond the grand opening event. You will be faced with many advertising options as it becomes public knowledge that you've opened your new business. We can help you evaluate whether those make sense and are the best use of your marketing dollars. So, there’s just some examples. Electronic newsletters; I love newsletters and with the option of sending them electronically, they are very low-cost. Couple things, they should be short and sweet and kind of get to the point and that will give you the best chance of readership. So, newsletter should be sent three to four times a year to keep your patients loyal and referring, so about three to four times a year. I know some of the patient communication systems will tell you once a month, but that, you know, we also want to be respectful of our patients and not bombard them with too many marketing messages. So, I stand by that about three to four times a year.

So, other marketing pieces, early on you're going to have your business cards printed, but you might need a brochure to take to those community events, such as health fairs that I mentioned earlier. Perhaps another postcard mailing specific to the optometry calendar or promoting specialized service or product that you have in your practice. Whatever piece you are incorporating, resist the temptation to include a lot of information. A piece that is text heavy simply will not get read. Today's consumer wants an at-a-glance understanding before deciding if they will invest the time to read further. So, use a photo, use your trade name, and logo, and emphasize your practice website address, where the reader can go to find more information. 

Practice website. Just get it done. So, we'll continue to talk about that. Always, I’ve probably said this to each of you, it always takes longer than what you think. So, just get it as far as you can, even if you're at a point where you don't want that to go live or be published. Just start writing your content, so just get it done. So important today. 

Vision benefits program; this is an internal program where you can offer small to medium-sized businesses your own vision program, offering savings to their employees. There are multiple ways to accomplish this and we can discuss this with you individually. Today, I just want you to remember a couple things. I love vision benefits programs, I think they provide a really great opportunity to capture that private-pay patient, but you cannot compete with other vision insurance plans in which you are a provider. If you are a direct provider for vision insurances, it's best to first inquire if the small businesses that you're approaching offer vision insurance first.

Every practice's marketing plan will look a bit different. So, I will work with you on establishing yours. So, we're going to have a little homework, a little task and that is for you to complete a marketing plan workbook. So, I’m going to provide a download for that. So, your initial task is to complete the assignments in that marketing plan workbook and then get that back to me and we'll work together on creating your own marketing plan.