A first-person, inside look at the importance of building a personal brand on social media in corporate optometry

SMALL BUSINESS GURU Marla Tabaka says it best: “If you don’t brand yourself, someone else will.” The good news is that building your personal brand in corporate optometry has never been easier…or more important. Plus, with social media platforms that have active users, your potential reach is broader than ever.

WHAT IS IT?

Your personal brand is how others perceive you. One challenge with corporate optometry is that your personal brand can be perceived as that of the corporate optical entity. You should make sure your personal brand is differentiated from the corporate optical. For example, I don’t want to be known as the Doctor at For Eyes, but as Sampalis Eye Care.

Here are some key points to help create that personal brand.

» BASICS. Patients review a doctor’s profile before they come to the office. Make sure you have the information they are looking for and an image you want!

» FACEBOOK. A Facebook page can build your personal brand. It should include the practice name or, if employed, your name with the title “Dr.,” along with a professional headshot.

» CONTENT. It’s a great way to illustrate your accomplishments, knowledge, and patient experience. Content should engage and create an experience for your audience. You want community “fans” who see you beyond the exam room. Content can help by creating loyalty to your brand as your audience is exposed to information you share—whether that be about their eyes or how you provide a service like no other. You can also partner with the corporate optical to co-brand and increase exposure on Facebook.

» WEBSITE + BLOGS. In the age of digital, everyone should have a website and blog. Writing about eye care can be an easy way to promote yourself as well as to target potential patients. In addition, positioning yourself as an industry expert will also help build your personal brand.

When writing blogs, use “keywords” that patients would search. In my case, that could be “best eye doctor in Cranston, RI” or “quality eye exam in Rhode Island.” Those keywords should also reflect your personal brand.

» REPURPOSING. Content that you create for your blog can be repurposed and put on your Facebook page. You can also create a short video to put on your website and then promote on your Facebook page.

However you go about it, the point is to invest in yourself by building your personal brand through digital media. COT! —Maria Sampalis, O.D.