CooperVision Sets the Social Media Stage at Optometry's Meeting®

PLEASANTON, Calif., June 16 /PRNewswire/ -- At the 113th Annual AOA Congress & 40th Annual AOSA Conference: Optometry's Meeting® this week in Orlando, Fla., leading contact lens manufacturer CooperVision will highlight the company's continued efforts and focus on creating a robust social media ecosystem. CooperVision is holding two symposiums at the convention. During "Integrating Social Media into Your Practice's Marketing – The Pros and Cons" on June 17 from 6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. EDT and on June 18 from 4:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m. EDT, CooperVision will speak to how social media can help transform practices and improve the relationships between eye care practitioners (ECPs) and their patients, and provide suggestions for how practices can get started.

CooperVision will also highlight the strides they've made to strengthen its social media presence and increase its visibility this year:

• Over the course of six weeks, CooperVision worked with hundreds of eye care practices to build and implement social media strategies aimed at attracting and retaining patients. The practices had varying levels of social media experience and executed different plans depending on the networks already in use. Numerous social media platforms were tested, including Facebook fan pages, Facebook advertising, Google, RSS feeds and blogs. To date, CooperVision has worked with nearly 150 ECPs to build Facebook fan pages. As a result, each ECP's practice saw an increase in fans or followers – with an average of 60 fans per practice – and increased traffic to practice Web sites. "We are constantly looking for new ways to market our practice and better connect with patients – particularly through social media," said Dr. Jason Miller, who recently worked with CooperVision to build a Facebook page. "I think Facebook is a relatively untapped market, and practices that take the initiative to create a fan page may gain a competitive advantage."

• In early May, CooperVision launched Contact Sports – an education and community outreach program that focuses on educating teens about the relationship between healthy vision and athletic performance. A large component of Contact Sports is www.MyContactSports.com, a site that features sharable content and tools that help ECPs reach out to teens through various social media networks. This is a key element of the fan page program discussed above. At the practitioners' site, ECPs can download patient e-mails, local event guides, and a social media guide that can help them build their practice and become a resource for teen vision correction in their communities. "Becoming involved and showing that you are committed to your community is definitely viewed favorably by customers," said Dr. Alan Glazier. "This is what makes the Contact Sports program particularly appealing – it gives ECPs an opportunity to connect with their communities and it is fully managed by CooperVision." To learn more about Contact Sports and to submit a grant entry, people can visit www.MyContactSports.com.

• This spring, CooperVision introduced an ECP Facebook page and blog, ON EYE, in an effort to partner with ECPs, as well as a consumer Facebook page:
  • The unique ECP Facebook page can be accessed at www.facebook.com/coopervisionECP and offers eye care practitioners helpful tools and resources – from product information and rebates, to patient engagement and practice-building tips.
  • ON EYE (www.coopervision.com/us/blog) offers insights and informative discussions around contact lens fitting, technology and the overall industry. In addition, ECPs can find a Quick Start Social Media Guide that provides detailed instructions and tips on how to leverage and integrate social media into their practice.
  • CooperVision also launched its consumer Facebook page (www.facebook.com/coopervision) recently, providing consumers with access to product information, company news and updates, as well as free trial offers.

Looking ahead, CooperVision will continue to work to strengthen its connection with the vision care community through social media channels. "We are, and will continue to be committed to helping our customers build their businesses," said Janice Gaub, senior director of Marketing, Internet and Social Media at CooperVision. "We are excited to be able to share our learnings and resources on new and effective social media tactics with ECPs, and look forward to working more closely together as they become more ingrained in this space."

About CooperVision

CooperVision, a unit of The Cooper Companies, Inc. (NYSE: COO), is one of the world's leading manufacturers of soft contact lenses. Dedicated to enhancing the contact lens experience for practitioners and patients, CooperVision specializes in lenses for astigmatism, presbyopia, and ocular dryness. CooperVision manufactures a full array of monthly, two-week, and daily disposable contact lenses featuring advanced materials and optics. For more information, visit www.coopervision.com.

SOURCE CooperVision