What Does Your Optometry Practice Need To Achieve Top Of The Mind Awareness (TOMA)
The ultimate goal of your Optometry practice marketing is to achieve high awareness. Most Optometrists and practice owners know that word-of-mouth is one of the most effective ways to achieve recognition. It worked for senior optometrists and it still works to our present day. Word-of-mouth is important because it influences a patient’s or customer’s choice. If over the years you were able to provide patients and customers with products and services that exceed their expectations, a better price, greater value, and exceptional experience you increase your chances of retaining them as well as increase word-of-mouth traction and awareness. When anything related to eye care is mentioned your patients and customers think first of your practice. You become the brand they first recall wherever and whenever the topic of eye care, eyeglasses, contact lenses, sunglasses, etc is opened. This level of awareness of a brand is called Top of Mind Awareness (TOMA).
Other than TOMA, there is another type of brand awareness called Aided Awareness and while TOMA consists of the immediate brand recall from the customer, Aided Awareness consists of recognizing your brand from a list whenever the subject of eye care is opened. There is a huge difference between TOMA and Aided Awareness. You want to be the first and only brand the customer recalls. Every company looks to make new customers pass from being unaware of their products and services to becoming aware, recognizing the brand, recalling the brand, and TOMA.
There are several factors affecting your practice to become a TOMA:
1- Location: remember that “location-location-location” is one of the most used words in real estate. However, it has a great influence on your brand awareness. If your practice is located in a premium location, know that many people already know about your practice before they or a member of their family need eye care.
2- Visual Elements, Logo, signs, and displays: communication of a story and values through different visual elements.
3- Digital Marketing: a website that is appealing, informative, and interactive website that ranks high on search engines, provides content, personalized content and responses, and schedules. Moreover, content should be differentiated on weblogs, forums, newsletters, … Social media presence as well as accurate responsiveness on Facebook pages and Instagram.
4- Referral programs: both online and in the office.
5- Outbound marketing: that should be integrated with your marketing strategy and its effect should not be underestimated.
A very important note to remember is that brand recognition or recall depends on whether you are providing eye care services or selling products like eyeglasses. For example, whenever you are selling a product that the customer can see, brand recognition will greatly affect the customer’s choice, whereas whenever you are providing a service like a comprehensive eye exam or contact lens fitting, then brand recall plays a more significant role. Brand recognition is highly affected by changes in external factors like fashion, technology, and trends. Brand recall is highly affected by the taste, need, and perception of the customers which you should meticulously work to understand and satisfy.