Remember life before the pandemic? Although it seems like forever ago, there was a time when life was somewhat “normal”. Crazy, right? Before the proverbial mess hit the fan, so to speak, I had the opportunity to sit down with Dr. Kurt Jung from Colonial River Eye Care in Midlothian, Virginia. We had a great and eye opening (get it… eye care?) discussion about digital marketing.

About Colonial River Eye Care

This small optometrist’s office in central Virginia, near Richmond, has a very small team. The only people who work there are Dr. Jung, the optometrist, and the office manager, who has been a fixture of the practice since well before Dr. Jung purchased it. What started as a joke between him and a family member about purchasing a practice here in Virginia actually turned into a promising opportunity. The longtime optometrist who owned the practice was ready to move toward retirement, and Dr. Jung’s brother-in-law, who also owns a business in Midlothian, contacted him about the possibility of purchasing it.

After having worked in practices owned by others, Dr. Jung recognized the importance of a positive workplace climate. Owning his own practice allows him to set the climate and expectations. It also ensures that he doesn’t have to conform to an overseer’s restrictions or meet quotas that cause him to feel rushed during appointments. Being his own boss allows him to schedule patients for as long as necessary based on their individual needs. This way, he can truly take care of each patient, whether for routine care or for more complex issues. Owning Colonial River Eye Care also allows him to control his setup, permitting him to design his workspace exactly the way he needs and wants.

When asked about his ideal patient/client, Dr. Jung quickly stated that he loves working with people who are engaged in their own health care. His favorite patients buy in to the process and want to see improvements in their vision health.

Digital Marketing

One of the obvious goals of marketing at Colonial River Eye Care is acquiring new patients. In a culture where people tend to believe Google reviews even over recommendations from family and friends, Dr. Jung realizes the importance of positive reviews. For that reason, he lists Google reviews and location services as his most valuable digital marketing tools. He also has a website that allows users to find him, learn more about him, and reach out to schedule appointments. In order to avoid having to fill out endless forms at their first visits, patients can also find the forms on the website to complete ahead of time. He has a presence on Facebook but admits that it’s not a huge priority for him.

With such a small staff, it’s no surprise that having the time to allocate to digital marketing remains a challenge. With patient care as his top priority, digital marketing such as social media and email marketing tends to end up on the back burner. Dr. Jung also focuses his time on learning emerging eye care practices, leaving little time to keep up with digital marketing trends.

If you live in the central Virginia area and need comprehensive eye care, it would be difficult to find better individualized attention. Dr. Jung strives to ensure each patient receives the time and attention necessary to achieve optimum eye health.