The Two Key Elements To Practice Growth And Business Success

You often hear people saying, ‘keep it simple’. It’s a phrase that I have heard on numerous occasions throughout my business life. 

It is a concept that I can fully appreciate, however if I’m being honest, is something that I used to have difficulty with. 

My busy mind and imagination always tended to overcomplicate the simple, mainly based on the fact that if it appeared to be so simple I automatically believe there needed to be more to it. 

The same applied when considering the growth of my practice in that I needed to be doing all things and covering all angles in order to achieve success and growth. It turns out that in fact, in order for my practice to grow, I actually needed to step back and do less. 

To simply focus on the essential.

The need for overcomplication and busyness is quite possibly a growing pandemic that is fuelled by our fast-paced lives, connectivity and expectations of things being done instantaneously. 

I feel; however, that this can blindside us into not focusing on the essential aspects that will really influence growth.  

I have discovered two key factors of influence when wanting to specifically grow your optical practice. Indeed, the same principal can apply to any healthcare business. 

Identifying these two key influencing factors has come from 11 years in practice and from my recent training with one of the leading digital and social media marketing experts.

So here it is…in order to grow a successful optical practice or any business for that matter you need:

1.    To differentiate.

2.    An effective social media strategy.

Simple, yes?

It is simple. But the simple fact is that the vast majority of practices are focusing so much on their clinical work and offering that they are blindsided to these two factors. 

And the practice owners that are aware of this need are either too busy to focus time and attention to these areas or are paying an external marketing agency with no actual in practice experience and are frustrated by the results, or lack of!  

Differentiate

You must know what you stand for and you must be in a position to differentiate yourself in a saturated marketplace. 

This applies across all industries but is particularly apt within the optical industry and especially so if you are an independent practice. 

The vast majority of opticians appear to be trapped in a price and brand war with each other that has been caused by a shift in the market, influenced mainly, by the gradual takeover by the larger multiple companies.

In my opinion, us opticians are a confused lot. We are toiling with mixing our clinical service with the retail sale of eyewear along with trying to please anyone and everyone who attends our practice. 

There is no key differentiating factor and we have no clear identity in what we stand for. 

This has to change if you want to grow and thrive. The most effective way to differentiate your practice is through your product offering. This is the one thing that has the biggest influence on your bottom line and one of the easiest things to change. 

Social Media Strategy

In the age of social media driven culture and society the business world has a lot of catching up and re-learning to do when it comes to marketing their businesses. 

There are a few key components that should be adhered to in order to get it right with social. And when I say get it right I’m not meaning the perfect set up or best lighting for your latest Instagram post.

I’m talking social media driven, growing your business, that relates directly to bottom line, results.

The power of an effective social media strategy is still to this day overlooked by the majority of healthcare practices. 

This is crazy when you consider between 65% – 80%+ of your current and potential clients will be present and active on social.

I will go into more depth on each of these aspects in the coming weeks and have an exciting 7-part video series focusing specifically on effectively setting up and optimizing your social media accounts for Healthcare Practice. 

In summary: 

I would advise any Optical or Healthcare Practice owner to take a step back from their current practice and take a long hard look at what exactly it is they are traying to achieve from their business. 

Is it just a job that puts money in your pocket or is it an investment to grow and potentially sell as part of future wealth creation. 

If it’s the former and you are happy with your situation, then keep on going. 

If it’s the latter, then you really need to reassess your market position and your strategy for growth. 

As always, I would love to hear your thoughts and comments. 

Let me know if there is any aspect of your business growth or marketing that I can help you with. Contact me on Instagram: @thedigitalpractitioner, on Facebook: The Digital Practitioner, or email me on support@thedigitalpractitioner.

by: Alan Bryden