Eyeworld

I WHAT OPHTHALMOLOGISTS SHOULD BE DOING TODAY N FOCUS Ms. Boling said one thing her practice has learned is that "if you want positive reviews from your happy patients, you have to ask them directly." Unlike business pages, posts on personal social media accounts still enjoy broad circula- tion, Mr. Miller said. "For this reason, it's more important than ever to encourage patients to share their positive experiences with your practice." Facebook and Instagram empower patients to share both a numerical rating and text review of their experience in your clinic, he said, adding that email and text reminders are important, but a personal request for patients to share their experience online may be the most effective strategy. While it's possible that patients will spon- taneously share their experience, more formal testimonial programs will yield better results, he said. "For some clinics this means professional filming sessions several times each year," he said. "For others, social contests can motivate patients to talk about you online. But clinics must take care to observe FTC guidelines and avoid directly compensating patients for reviews." How to handle a negative social media post Ms. Boling said she recommends that every practice develop a proactive plan and be sure to respond, even if the poster's perception of the events is not accurate. It's important to be intentional about having a plan to disengage on a post that isn't going to be productive. There are times that someone will try to "argue" their point. "This is why we typically try to take a proactive approach from the beginning by acknowledging the comment, apologizing for their experience, and letting them know that someone from the practice is going to be reach- ing out to them directly to discuss further," Ms. Boling said. "We always remind them of what our practice mission is and that we look for- ward to the opportunity to turn their experience around in the future." Negative social media will happen, Ms. Jacobs said. "You're dealing with the public and solve the issue—as well as professionally while not violating HIPAA or other privacy policies. Ms. Boling said another potential con could be that a practice might spend money on brand awareness through social media that never di- rectly results in a single patient coming through the door or scheduling an appointment. How- ever, she said not to worry. "This is a way to spread your positive message, build community engagement, show off the unique personality/ culture of the practice, and bring the practice out into the community." Where social media makes a difference Social media can attract prospective patients and affirm their decision to choose your clinic, Mr. Miller said. "Effective posts, ads, and promotions will allow you to reach prospects unfamiliar with your clinic," he said. "Patient feedback and your own participation in the so- cial conversation can make you look like a smart choice for their care." Ms. Jacobs said that social media can help build awareness and community, but you can also use it to promote optical sales and trunk shows or specials that may be happening in the practice. You can make announcements such as a grand opening or if the office will be closed, she added. "We've also used social media to promote job openings in the practice," Ms. Jacobs said. "Really, there is no reason not to utilize social media in almost every area of the practice." Encouraging patients to share positive experiences First, you just have to ask, according to Ms. Jacobs. "Everyone in the practice should be empowered to ask and know what platforms you are on," she said, adding that it's important to make it easy for the patient. "Our appointment cards have all of our so- cial media sites on the back with an ask to share their experience," she said. After an appoint- ment, patients receive an electronic survey to complete about their experience that also links to Facebook, and Twitter. "Recently we also integrated cards with QR codes that the patient can scan and quickly do an online review," she said. continued from page 57 About the sources Ryan Miller Etna Interactive San Luis Obispo, California Carrie Jacobs, COE Chu Vision Institute Bloomington, Minnesota Hayley Boling, MBA, COE Boling Vision Center & INSIGHT Surgery Center Northern Indiana continued on page 60 58 | EYEWORLD | OCTOBER 2019

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