Many ECPs say they talk about back-to-school every year but never really get around to executing on it. Sound familiar? Here are a few questions to consider to get you thinking about back-to-school promotions: When do you start and stop your marketing push for back-to-school? Some ECPs begin planning for back-to-school as early as January. While many companies think of the season ending in early September, ideally you should continue marketing into October, as this is often when parents get feedback from teachers and realize their child may have a vision problem. What's your digital marketing strategy? Email campaigns, social media, blog articles, paid ads, and more can help you reach more people in order to educate the public on the importance of an annual eye exam and promote your back-to-school sales. Check with your vendors on any resources they have available to share with you as well. What kind of back-to-school sales or promotions do you run? There are some excellent promotional ideas out there, such as a book drive (where discounts are given in exchange for donated books), partnering with suppliers on a giveaway, and working with schools to do vision screenings or send flyers home about annual eye exams. Back-To-School 'Wow' Facts
Only 50% of parents take their kids for an annual eye exam, while nearly 75% take their kids to the dentist annually
37% of parents said they skipped eye exams because their kids already have their eyes checked in school
Vision screenings at school can miss 80% of vision problems, as they only test for distance vision and visual sharpness
Discuss this and more marketing-related challenges facing the ECP at Opti-Port's annual Marketing Mastermind Meeting this summer! Click here for more information.