Running an optometry practice comes with a unique set of challenges, especially when it comes to marketing. Most owners and managers I’ve met with say it’s important, but it often takes a back seat to other priorities, including staffing challenges and the day-to-day of running the practice. Another challenging aspect of modern-day marketing is that thanks to the internet, marketing moves quickly and requires more expertise and content than even a decade ago.
One of the most effective strategies to stay organized and consistent with your marketing efforts is to create a marketing content calendar. A well-structured content calendar helps you plan your content marketing to ensure your marketing efforts are focused on helping you achieve the outcomes you want.
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to set up a marketing content calendar for your optometry practice.
Step 1: Define your goals
Before diving into the calendar setup, it’s crucial to define your marketing goals and priorities for the year. I recommend 3 – 7 SMART goals. Here are a few examples:
- Increase new patient exams by 10% over the next six months.
- Convert 2% of existing female, over 50 patients seen within the past 3 years to dry eye treatments.
- Sell 10 pairs of Neurolens glasses each month.
- Increase capture rate in the optical by 5% this year.
Clear goals guide your marketing strategy, including the tactics and types of content you need. Without clear goals, you may inadvertently frustrate your team and not see the results you’d hoped for from your marketing.
Step 2: Identify your target audiences
Consider the demographics of your patients, their interests, and the type of content they are likely to engage with. This information will help you tailor your content to meet their needs and preferences.
Here’s how it can work.
In one of the sample goals I listed above, we identify our core demographic for a new dry eye treatment to be women over 50 because we know they are more likely to be dealing with dry eye due to hormonal fluctuations and other age-related health conditions. Adding blogs to your website about dry eye, sharing Facebook posts, running a Facebook ad campaign targeting women over 50, and sending email campaigns to this group of patients in your database are all good marketing tactics to reach this target audience associated with your goal.
Step 3: Choose the content platforms
Decide where you will be publishing your content. For optometry practices, this typically includes a blog on your website and social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube or TikTok. Each platform has its strengths, so choose the ones that align best with your audience’s behavior.
Step 4: Plan content themes and topics
Create a list of content themes and topics relevant to your practice and the goals you’ve set. There are so many opportunities each month to create good marketing content for your practice! There are typically 1 – 3 eye care observances each month, holidays, optical observances (“National Sunglasses Day”), community events, and more. Adding behind-the-scenes looks at your practice and promotions for any special events you’ve got in the works are all great things to add to your content calendar.
Step 5: Establish a posting schedule
Determine how often you will post content on each platform. A common strategy is to post on social media 3 times a week and publish a blog post at least once a month. Consistency is key, so choose a schedule you can maintain without sacrificing quality.
At Optometry Marketing Services, we create and publish customized blogs every month based on the goals our customers share with us for practices at the GROW and DOMINATE levels, ensuring that the blogs are aligned to their goals and removing the burden of writing the blogs from the practice team.
Step 6: Create a content calendar template
Now it’s finally time to set up the content calendar! I like using Excel, but Google Sheets also works! Your calendar should have each month in the year with the correct dates plugged in.
Step 7: Fill in the calendar
Start populating your calendar with content ideas. Assign specific dates for each piece of content based on your posting schedule. Include details like the topic, keywords, call-to-action, and any visual elements needed. For example:
- July 5: Blog Post – “The Importance of Regular Eye Exams for Children” (Website)
- July 7: Social Media Post – Patient Testimonial (Facebook)
- July 10: Social Media Post – Eye Health Tip: How to Protect Your Eyes from UV Rays (Instagram)
Step 8: Prepare content in advance
Where possible, create and schedule content in advance. This not only ensures consistency but also allows you to manage your time more effectively. We’ve used Sendible for social media post planning, but there are other tools including Hootsuite, Buffer, or even your Meta Business Manager.
If you plan to email your patients, I recommend a quarterly cadence or a very targeted email campaign to a subset of patients speaking directly to their needs to minimize the possibility of “unsubscribes”.
Step 9: Monitor and adjust
Track the performance of your content regularly. Use analytics tools to measure engagement, reach, and conversions. This data will help you understand what works and what doesn’t, allowing you to adjust your strategy accordingly.
Step 10: Stay flexible
While having a content calendar is essential, it’s also important to stay flexible. Be prepared to adapt your content to address current events, industry trends, or any immediate needs of your practice.
Wrapping it up
Setting up a marketing content calendar for your optometry practice is a proactive step towards building a consistent and effective marketing strategy. If this sounds like a lot of work, the most important thing you can do is set clear, measurable goals. At Optometry Marketing Services, we partner with practices to help them accomplish their vision. Need help? Reach out to us today!
