It can be tough to market your eyewear business. In our industry, we are up against some big guns, i.e., the big box stores. They have the money and supporters behind them to spend big dollars on marketing, but we are here to tell you that you can be heard amongst all of those big box stores!
We have put together a list of three of the top, inexpensive marketing ideas to help you promote your eyewear business.
1. Social Media
Building up your social media is essential these days. Not very many people run around town without their cell phones in their hands, in their purse, or their pocket. You want to make sure that you have a Facebook Page, Twitter account, Instagram Account, YouTube, and even a LinkedIn account for the B2B side of your business.
On social media, you need to be sharing not only your latest deals and offers, but you should be sharing the personality of your business. Talk about the different customers you get to work with. Did something interesting happen, and you think people should know about it? These are just a few ideas you could do on your Facebook page.
You can also do Facebook ads. You’ll have to start with the Business Manager, and the site will walk you through everything else you need to know. There are many ways of doing ads on Facebook, and if you or your team don’t have time for it, you can always look into hiring a part-time social media expert.
On Instagram, you can share different frames every day, and make sure you are using hashtags to get noticed. For instance, for RED Friday, you can post a pair of your number one selling red frames and say something like, “RED Friday, Remember Everyone Deployed. We #support our #troops #military #REDFriday #remembereveryonedeployed #veterans #supportourtroops. When people search “military” on Instagram, there is a good chance they will see your red frames because you put #military in your copy.
When it comes to Twitter, you don’t want to blast them with just pictures of your frames; you want to post compelling content to keep your followers engaged. Your Tweets should spark some conversations. Here are a few tips from Twitter themselves:
- Keep it short and link your website or blog to the Tweet (this helps to get people to your site)
- Use pictures to catch the eyes of the on-lookers
- Be sure to use hashtags. Just like Instagram, but you have to remember, you are only allowed so many characters on Twitter.
- Run a poll or ask questions. This will help get your followers engaged.
- Retweet relevant content. This is a great way to maintain a healthy and active Twitter presence.
To help give you a better understanding of what your audience wants to see on Twitter, use the Tweet activity dashboard.
YouTube
Yep, that’s right, YouTube! Start a YouTube channel. Share how your eyewear is made. Create videos of the inside of your store. Share videos of how an exam works. Share, share, share! You can also share your YouTube videos on most of the social media platforms.
LinkedIn continues to be the industry standard for professional social networking. It’s where people go to find your business, and it’s the best online spot for marketing your eyewear business. Use it to your advantage to establish your presence.
LinkedIn is an excellent place for you to share original content, much like a blog on your website. By writing long posts or blogs on LinkedIn, you add your voice to the network of people who are listening. Writing original content on LinkedIn will help get you noticed as an expert in the eyewear world. This will also help boost your professional reputation, but you have to remember that it can take a while to build up an audience of followers and brand yourself as an expert.
It is also essential that you are sharing adjacent content from others on LinkedIn. This allows you to showcase other topics that may be helpful to your customers and clients.
You can also post videos and presentations on LinkedIn. Studies say that if you do post videos, 39% of people will likely finish watching the video or presentation. Videos are a great way to promote yourself as a leader in the eyewear industry.
Most of the social media platforms are free, so why not take advantage of tooting your own horn and share with the online world that you are an eyewear industry leader?
Many people go on Google when they need eyewear. Many will search, “eyewear near me,” “eye exam near me,” or “optometrist or optical services” when they are ready to spend some money. Can you be found on Google?
This is a channel you need to master if you want to be found. There are three places to focus on when it comes to Google:
- PPC (Pay Per Click)
- Google My Business
- SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
The first is pay-per-click (PPC) advertising. Here you bid on an auction system to rank ads for your target keywords. This is the fastest way to get on page one, and the only way to be in the top spots on page one. You have the most control over your ad copy and website landing page with PPC.
The second place is the “Google My Business,” also known as Google Maps. You set this up through the Google My Business platform. This way, Google knows where you do business, and they can list you when people do searches in your area. You can add photos, website links, and get reviews on this platform. When you get clicks from here, they are free.
The third is your organic SEO placement. This is also free clicks and appears below the places listings. By optimizing your website for keywords, gaining links, social media traffic, and having quality user metrics, this will help put you on page one of Google.
Newsletters
Newsletters are probably the easiest way to promote your eyewear business. The trick is to have people sign up for it! Whenever you ask for contact details, be sure to ask for their email on the paperwork they fill out when they first come. Let them know this is to let them that their new glasses are ready for pick up.
And then you want to ask them if they would like to sign up for your monthly newsletter. You’ll want to make sure that you let your customers know that you will be sharing the new offers, new frames, and there are always discounts involved in your newsletters. Your eyewear company will build up a list of emails in no time!
We have shared with you the top three marketing tips to start 2020 off on the right foot. The good news is the marketing tips we have shared with you are either free or inexpensive. You don’t have to spend a lot to get your eyewear business out there. You just need to be put your eyewear business out there!
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