Highlights from Wendy Coulter’s interview on Light Source Education podcast with Andres Quintana.
Hummingbird Creative Group’s Founder and CEO Wendy Coulter enjoyed an insightful discussion with Andres Quintana, owner of Light Source Eyewear and Accessories. The topic of this educational podcast was: Smart Branding For Eye Care Professionals. During a 30-minute high-level discussion, they covered several marketing and branding challenges facing eye care professionals. Coulter shared some industry secrets… and provided a road map for eye care professionals to develop a smart branding strategy.
Eye care products are expected to have a worldwide market of over 74 billion by 2024. This is driven, in part, by fashion trends (such as colored frames and contact lenses), online shopping and value additions such as free eye exams.
The sheer number of options and choices for patients today is far greater than it was 20 or 30 years ago… And when markets change, businesses must innovate. Eye care professionals are no different. With so much competition, Coulter discussed why smart branding is vital for economic growth and survival.
Smart Branding, The First Steps
When asked how eye care professionals can develop a plan to stand out in private practice… Coulter replied:
We have a really effective way of developing brand messaging. It starts with talking to your patients and finding out what really makes you unique. This revolves around your culture, core values and differentiating your business from market competitors.
The first step is developing a positioning statement, which is Marketing 101. A positioning statement helps to identify your target market and determine how to enhance your unique sales proposition.
But finding your ideal patient is not so easy… It involves both demographics and psychographics. Research.
In developing a smart brand, Coulter stresses the importance of core values and finding your own unique voice. These are what will help define your specific brand.
Brand Consistency
Presenting a consistent message—from your online presence to when patients walk in the door—is smart branding. It’s not just having a catchy slogan or phrase… It’s connecting with every patient on a real level, whether online or in person.
Search engine optimization metrics (SEO) are important… But when it comes to online presence, Coulter reminds eye care professionals that their social media profiles can sometimes outperform their websites.
She also explained that many businesses are unaware of all the different places they show up in search results. Therefore, it’s critical that your voice is consistent, your character is consistent and all of your information is accurate.
Consistency across media platforms is key in creating a strong online reputation.
Connecting With Your Ideal Patient
It does no good to identify your ideal patient (and message) if you don’t know where to reach them. For example, if your ideal patient is a baby boomer… sending posts on Instagram is probably not going to reach them. Surveying your current patients to find out what platforms they frequent is a first step. From there, you can figure out where to engage them.
Customer reviews are often overlooked. Coulter speaks about asking for referrals, especially from satisfied customers. She notes that it’s easy for someone who has had a negative experience to express themselves online… But happy people often stay quiet—unless you ask.
This Is Where Hummingbird Creative Group Comes In
Eye care professionals are busy… with patients, scheduling, accounting and more.
Who has time for branding or marketing efforts?
Indeed…
At Hummingbird Creative Group, Coulter and her team take charge of these initiatives so you don’t have to.
With a full team of marketing experts—for less than the price you would generally pay for a marketing director—you get:
- brand strategy experts
- professional writers
- creative designers
- social media experts
- digital experts
- expert content message creation
A $1,000 Iron??
You don’t have to be limited by restrictions from the insurance industry. If you serve your target audience with a smart branding campaign, Coulter wants you to know that “price does not have to dictate the success of your business.”
Listen to the full podcast below to hear the story of a $1,000 iron… and Coulter’s full insights.
where ideas take flight
At Hummingbird Creative Group, we build business value through better branding. Contact us to find out how we can build your business’s value:
919 854 9100 | info@hummingbird-creative.com