Podcast Summary: Power Hour Optometry
Episode: Golden Nuggets of Marketing & Technology: Insights from Eugene Shatsman and Daniel Rostenne
Release Date: October 23, 2024
Host: Eugene Shatsman
Guests: Daniel Rastan (Icare Pro) and Daniel Brosten (Avalux)
Introduction
In this episode of Power Hour Optometry, host Eugene Shatsman welcomes guest Daniel Brosten to discuss the latest marketing and technology opportunities for optometry practices. Recorded live in Las Vegas, the conversation promises a wealth of actionable insights—referred to as "golden nuggets"—aimed at helping optometrists enhance their practices in today's fast-paced digital landscape.
1. Innovation in Optometry Marketing and Technology
Daniel Brosten opens the discussion by emphasizing the critical role of innovation and technology in the optometric industry. He highlights the significance of the Avalux booth at the Vision Expo, showcasing new products and services that drive industry advancements.
Notable Quote:
"Today's conversation is about innovation and technology, which is very appropriate that we're doing the show in the Avalux booth. This is a newer product for the industry as people are exploring it."
— Daniel Brosten [02:33]
Daniel Rastan adds that consolidation in the optometry sector, driven by private equity and large organizations, often reduces practices to the "lowest common denominator." This scenario creates opportunities for smaller practices to innovate and specialize, filling gaps left by corporatized models.
Notable Quote:
"There's only so much complexity that large organizations can handle, and therefore they tend to reduce the practice of optometry... the opportunity for practices to innovate and become specialty practices abounds."
— Daniel Rastan [04:26]
2. The Importance of Content for Google and Patients
The conversation delves into the dual role of content in educating both Google and patients.
Daniel Rastan explains that while Google primarily indexes written content (including transcriptions of videos), patients engage more effectively with video content.
Notable Quotes:
"Google still needs to be mostly written at the moment... as humans, we need video content."
— Daniel Rastan [06:08]
"People remember about 10% of what they listen to three days later, but with pictures, 65% sticks in their memory."
— Daniel Rastan [06:57]
Daniel Brosten reinforces the idea that video content significantly enhances engagement and conversion rates on websites.
3. Leveraging AI in Optometry Practices
AI integration is a central theme, with both guests exploring practical applications of artificial intelligence to streamline operations and enhance patient interactions.
Daniel Rastan suggests using AI to handle routine inquiries by feeding policy manuals into a GPT model, enabling staff to access information efficiently without burdening managers.
Notable Quotes:
"You can create a bot that can help you... save a lot of effort."
— Daniel Rastan [08:10]
Daniel Brosten adds insights on AI-driven call analysis, emphasizing how AI can assess incoming patient calls to improve conversion rates and overall phone handling efficiency.
Notable Quotes:
"AI can listen to each one and tell you how you're doing."
— Daniel Rastan [10:00]
"The technology is not so far away... focus on measuring capture rates."
— Daniel Brosten [10:17]
4. Optimizing the Marketing Funnel
The marketing funnel concept is dissected, focusing on optimizing various stages—from initial patient interest to conversion and retention.
Daniel Brosten explains the funnel stages and the importance of optimizing each touchpoint to maximize patient acquisition and retention.
Notable Quotes:
"Optimizing the funnel is key."
— Daniel Rastan [13:37]
"The funnel is so deep you can pick any couple areas to optimize will have a big impact."
— Daniel Rastan [30:46]
5. The Power of Reviews and Review Responses
Reviews are highlighted as a critical factor influencing patient trust and decision-making.
Daniel Brosten emphasizes the importance of not just accumulating reviews but also responding to them effectively.
Notable Quotes:
"More than half of the marketplace trusts Google reviews more than a recommendation from a close friend."
— Daniel Brosten [17:04]
"Responding to reviews increases trust by 1.7 times."
— Daniel Rastan [21:17]
Daniel Rastan advises treating review solicitation as a scientific experiment, using split testing to determine the most effective messaging strategies.
Notable Quotes:
"Treat your marketing like a science experiment. Split test, split test, split test."
— Daniel Rastan [20:17]
6. Enhancing the Google Business Profile
Given that 84% of patients interact with a practice's Google Business Profile (often referred to as the "Snack Pack"), optimizing this profile is paramount.
Daniel Brosten notes that the Google Business Profile garners significantly more views than the practice's website, making it a crucial area for optimization.
Notable Quotes:
"84% of people are going to see your Google Snack Pack listing."
— Daniel Brosten [21:53]
"Google Reserve Book now link... proving to have a 20 to 30% increase on appointment conversions."
— Daniel Rastan [25:58]
Daniel Rastan introduces Google Reserve, a new feature that allows patients to book appointments directly from the Google Business Profile, resulting in higher conversion rates.
7. Website Optimization through Split Testing
A recurring theme is the importance of split testing to optimize website elements for better conversions.
Daniel Brosten shares findings from tests where adding videos to webpages resulted in a 68% increase in conversion rates.
Notable Quotes:
"Pages with video drove a 68% increase in conversion rates."
— Daniel Brosten [34:09]
Daniel Rastan echoes the sentiment, encouraging practices to continuously test different website elements to discover what resonates best with patients.
8. Appointment Scheduling and Online Schedulers
The availability and optimization of online appointment schedulers are discussed as significant factors in patient acquisition.
Daniel Brosten points out that around two-thirds of patients prefer booking appointments online, and lacking an online scheduler can result in missing out on potential patients.
Notable Quotes:
"About two-thirds of all patients prefer to book online."
— Daniel Rastan [31:23]
"You're missing something like 20% of appointments if you're not using a scheduler."
— Daniel Rastan [32:10]
He advises practices to ensure that their online schedulers are user-friendly and prominently displayed to facilitate easy booking.
9. Effective Use of Google Ads
The strategic use of Google Ads is examined, highlighting common pitfalls and best practices.
Daniel Rastan explains that the effectiveness of Google Ads depends on the practice's current appointment availability. Ads are most effective when they align with open appointment slots within a 24 to 72-hour window.
Notable Quotes:
"Most of the appointments generated by Google Ads occur within 24 to 72 hours after the ad."
— Daniel Rastan [41:16]
Daniel Brosten cautions against blindly spending on Google Ads without considering appointment availability, as misalignment can lead to wasted budgets.
10. Future Directions and Continuous Learning
Both Daniels advocate for ongoing experimentation and learning to stay ahead in the competitive optometry market.
Daniel Brosten proposes the idea of "golden elevator nuggets"—short, impactful insights that can be quickly implemented.
Notable Quotes:
"Treat your marketing like a science experiment... keep testing and optimizing."
— Daniel Brosten [27:57]
Daniel Rastan emphasizes creating "aha moments" for practitioners, ensuring that each insight provides a deeper understanding rather than obvious information.
Notable Quotes:
"Aha moments are those 'I didn’t realize that' insights that are truly valuable."
— Daniel Rastan [43:22]
Conclusion and Future Plans
The episode concludes with both guests expressing enthusiasm for continuing to share bite-sized, actionable insights to aid optometrists in growing their practices. They encourage listener feedback to tailor future content to the audience's needs.
Notable Quotes:
"Let's challenge ourselves to make it a real aha moment. Not a duh moment."
— Daniel Rastan [43:20]
"It's great to help educate the industry and support overall growth."
— Daniel Brosten [43:53]
Key Takeaways
- Innovation is Critical: Smaller practices have opportunities to innovate and specialize amid industry consolidation.
- Dual Content Strategy: Balance written content for SEO and video content for patient engagement.
- Leverage AI Effectively: Use AI for handling routine tasks, improving call handling, and analyzing patient interactions.
- Optimize the Marketing Funnel: Focus on enhancing every stage of the patient acquisition funnel to boost conversions.
- Harness the Power of Reviews: Actively solicit and respond to reviews to build trust and improve online reputation.
- Maximize Google Business Profile: Given its high visibility, invest in optimizing the Google Business Profile with features like Google Reserve.
- Continuous Split Testing: Regularly test and refine website elements to discover what drives the best patient engagement.
- Implement Online Scheduling: Facilitate easy appointment booking through user-friendly online schedulers to capture more patients.
- Strategic Google Ads Usage: Align Google Ads campaigns with available appointment slots to ensure effective budget utilization.
- Ongoing Learning and Adaptation: Stay ahead by continuously experimenting with new strategies and learning from results.
This episode of Power Hour Optometry serves as a comprehensive guide for optometrists seeking to enhance their practice through strategic marketing and technological integration. By implementing the discussed "golden nuggets," practitioners can significantly improve patient acquisition, retention, and overall practice performance.