Eyeworld

I About the authors William Rabourn Founder and managing principal Medical Consulting Group Springfield, Missouri Chase Rabourn Digital marketing manager Medical Consulting Group Springfield, Missouri JULY 2019 | EYEWORLD | 55 Lead the conversation Renowned businesswoman Elizabeth Arden once said that repetition makes reputation and reputation makes customers. Ophthalmic businesses must be aware of what is being said about them in the place that reaches the widest audience. They must join that online social arena to manage their reputation effectively, directing the dialogue in a positive direction. The ease in which this is done varies from business to business, and not every practice will have the necessary amount of time available to dedicate to monitoring reputation management software and regularly creating new content for social media and keeping the website up to date. Regardless, someone has to. Whether it involves creating a new position within the practice or outsourcing to a specialist, it is time for oph- thalmic businesses to get social. services, but the best will always provide the following services: • Monitor all review sites, such as Google, Facebook, Zocdoc, WebMD, Yelp, Vitals, Healthgrades, and Rate MDs. • Send the business immediate notifications once a review is posted about it, allowing for a quick response from the business (con- flict resolution if the review is negative or a "thank you" to positive reviews). • Collect analytics to provide an overall grade/ ranking of the online brand (A+ through F, 1–5 stars, etc.) based on the business' reviews from each website and to show from which sites the reviews are coming most often. In addition to monitoring reviews with software, an ophthalmic business that regular- ly engages with followers on social media will build relationships, trust, and credibility, all of which help practices retain current patients and attract new ones, leading to new business.

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