Marketing in your local area is crucial to growing your practice.
Marketing serves to drive both new and returning patients back to your practice. There are lots of different options for promotion, but have you considered public relations?
Public Relations or P.R is where a media release is provided to an outlet; website, newspaper, magazine or radio station who proceed to publish the release in the form of an article or interview. This type of third-party coverage is extremely powerful.
The goal of your media release is to create a positive story about your practice. Importantly it will appear in the editorial section of the magazine, newspaper or website. This gives the article authority because it has been endorsed by a trusted local outlet. Local publications and websites are often looking for content from ‘local experts’ to provide regular comment and information. Many have regular columns and may not have delved into an optometrist’s perspective on vision and eye health. This is where you and your practice come in.
How to create a Public Relations Media Release?
- Send an introductory letter summarising your key contacts and practice
- Customise a media release focusing on a single subject
- Maintain communication with key contacts through regular emails and phone calls
Approaching the right publications in your area
Think about your ideal patient and research the locally based publications (print or online) that they are most likely to interact with. Each of these presents an opportunity. You know your market best. Look at the opportunities in your local area; assess their relevance to your practice and ideal patient. If the answer is YES, reach out and send them a media release.
2 for the price of 1: Advertising alongside an editorial
Many local magazines will profile your practice on the condition you advertise with them. This is very common and may be the only way you can initially appear in local media. In this instance you get to place an advertisement where you completely control the message and enjoy a story endorsed by a trusted outlet.
With ProVision’s ready-to-go PR release templates and step by step instructions, we found a lot of the ground work had been done for us. We could focus on selecting the right media publications to feature our messages in.” – Optikus, QLD
