Here is a post from Jim Schneider from Eyes Of Faith about Seeing the Long-Term Benefits of Social Networking through Eyes of Faith. It is a very interesting and informative perspective.
Read the story and make a post about the article or your experience with social marketing to receive a free frame of your choice from Eyes of Faith (Go to the end of this post and see “Leave a Reply”) But be quick as we only have a limited number of frames to give away and you must have an optical retail shipping address to qualify! It is a very informative article about social marketing and how Eyes Of Faith, a brand new optical company, is using sites like Facebook and Twitter for building the business.
Seeing the Long-Term Benefits of Social Networking through Eyes of Faith by Jim Schneider
You don’t form long-lasting relationships during a brief introduction at a party. To know someone, really know them, you have to be willing to invest in them, learn about them, spend time with them. Real intimacy and friendship are built over time. Eventually, you learn what motivates that person, you learn about their values, their hopes, their goals.
The phenomenon we now call “social networking” is no different. When Amy and I started a new eyewear company called Eyes of Faith, we wanted to share the growing process—from conception to completion—with both those who understood and were on board with our mission and those who might want to learn more. Facebook and Twitter provided the perfect vehicle to do just that.
We post messages routinely on social networking sites and these posts focus on the three pillars of our branding strategy: purpose, passion, and style. At Eyes of Faith, we talk a lot about purpose and passion. Our purpose is rather unique. We have pledged to donate ten percent of all gross sales to charity. Our passion is to be a brand of hope. However, if not for our style, purpose and passion would be left to fend for themselves. Thus, we use Facebook and Twitter to regularly inform our followers about new developments with our fashion-forward eyewear collection.
Amy and Jim Schneider with Mandisa who has many Facebook Fans
Marketing guru Seth Godin called social networking “a process, not an event.” He’s right. While social networking has brought attention to Eyes of Faith, it has only been part of our overall strategy. We’ve used events like Disney’s Night of Joy and Vision Expo West to officially launch our brand.
Our social networking effort has two goals: to build brand awareness and to gain acceptance. Acceptance is particularly important for a niche brand like Eyes of Faith. As is the case with any brand of eyewear or clothing, not everyone is going to like it or want to wear it. However, if we can show our retail optical partners that our brand will be embraced by their customers, they will accept and feel comfortable carrying it. For this reason, we posted our video from the Night of Joy launch on Facebook simply because the video features hundreds of people screaming, “I want Eyes of Faith!” When you are battling for legitimacy in the marketplace, there’s no better endorsement than potential customers demanding your brand.
Building brand awareness takes more than social media but networking sites have helped us spark conversations among our fans and retailers. For example, we have made numerous calls to eye care professionals to tell them simply, “Your patient is a fan of Eyes of Faith and wanted us to contact you.” We were even contacted by a new retail partner who is prepared to carry our brand because he’s already had several requests from visitors of our Facebook page. And we have yet to ship a single frame.
For those of us who weren’t raised on the Internet, social networking sites might seem like dark, scary corners of an unexplored universe. They need not be. There are entire civilizations thriving in places like Facebook and Twitter and for those of us in business, we can either declare our citizenship or limit our potential by refusing to join in.
Social networking will not make you an overnight success. You won’t see double-digit increases in sales simply because you’ve decided to enter a world with which your kids are already very familiar. Recognition will be gained and respect will be earned over the long haul. It takes time and effort to really get to know someone. Of course, any meaningful relationship is worth the effort.
Jim Schneider – Eyes of Faith Optical
Thousands of eyecare professionals follow Vision Expo…you should too. Become a fan (or follower) of Vision Expo on: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube. Fans get special offers, enter contests, post questions and share information. Vision Expo shares information about the ophthalmic community at large, not just about the show.
Similar Posts:
- Do You Facebook, Twitter Your Optical Business?
- Social Networking-How Much Is Enough?
- Managing Social Media For Eyecare
- Social Media-Eyes By Crystal- Should EyeCare Be On Facebook?
- Free Seminar- How to Use Social Media to Attract More Customers
Hey, this is a very interesting concept here – on a variety of levels. Thanks I’m now following Eyes of Faith them on Twitter and have passed along the link via Twitter and Email.
-Nate
Thanks for the shout out on your blog roll. It will be interesting to see where this goes. See us on facebook too!
Thanks for the shout out on your blog roll. It will be interesting to see where this goes. See us on facebook too!
I think this is a great Idea. I look forward to more articles and to doing business with Eyes Of Faith.
Thanks,
Clestel Riffe
VISUAL EYES
111 S. Hwy 59
Livingston, Tx 77351
I have heard about social networking as being the latest form of communication and advertising, but never could figure out how to integrate it into my practice. Thanks for creating this page for those of us in the optical industry!
Great article. In my experience, social networking is constantly evolving, but slowly growing into a mature medium to reach, engage and, most importantly, to interact with customers.
Downtown Eye Associates
126 High Street
Boston, MA 02110
Great article. In my experience, social networking is constantly evolving, but slowly growing into a mature medium to reach, engage and, most importantly, to interact with customers.
Downtown Eye Associates
126 High Street
Boston, MA 02110
Jim and Amy,
Been in the business 30+ years and for some that means not willing to change ways and thoughts. Marketing is the key and anything that works should be embrassed. Change or get steam rolled. As a person of faith my compliments to you and your Eyes of Faith concept.
I do not want a pair of glasses as I am not a retailer. I do however rep a case and accessory company and if I can serve you in any way do not hesitate to reach out for me!! deichelberger@navaus.com
Dave E.
We just joined Facebook and started writing blogs and have been reviewed on Yelp. At my last growing business place, Yelp did wonders for referrals to our office. I am hoping it does the same here at my new workplace especially since we are on Facebook.
Social networking has been around for a long time (think interrest groups, community events….), what a great idea to use the new electronic resources to bridge long distances and borders in our industry. Have your site under favourites now!
John Shelswell
Licensed Optician
Campbell River, B.C.
Interesting article!
Great article. We are working on social media marketing and showing success. Thank you for reminding us that it is not a QUICK FIX, rather an ongoing process.
Good luck to you!
I enjoyed the article, and I got to see your fantastic product at Expo! Our practice also has a Facebook page, and I am looking into Yelp as well. I appreciate the info!
Valley Eyecare & Eyewear Gallery
1644 Hwy 395, Unit B-1
Minden, NV 89423
Fantastic article. No question that social networking will have impacts to the industry. Yelp/ Twitter/ Facebook/ my space… the list continues to grow and the coming generations will demand that business be done in this way.
I have “eyes of faith” that social networking will have a positive and lasting impact.
~Steve
I enjoyed the artical very much and the Eyes Of Faith line of eyewear looks great. Can’t wait to see more of it.
Tawnie Musgrove ABOC
Physicians Optical
McMinnville OR 97128
Your are so right about social media. Social media has brought a more level playing field to the business environment by making it easier for small companies like your Eyes of Faith and our office, Total Eye Care, to market directly to the public.
A company’s internet presence is their “brand”. Most patients now have “checked us out” on the web before they make an appointment. Small businesses will do well to have an up to date website and blog, however they should not stop there. They also need to interact with their “customers” via social media through the likes of Twitter and Facebook, to name just a few. Small business must also monitor their online reputation by continuously monitoring review sites such as Yelp and Healthgrades.
There is so much to social media no business person can be an expert in it, however we should not let that deter us. We should participate in this new business model because the old way is falling by the wayside.
I love this website, I look forward to visiting often to get inspiration for sales ideas and training topics.
I am also very interested in this new “Faith” eyewear and would love to receive a sample frame.
Thanks!
Eyes of Faith, thanks for sharing your story & what you do as a company. It’s nice to see suppliers in the industry who do great things for others succeed and be supported.
And you’re absolutely right, social media is such an integral part of a business’s inbound marketing plan, and unfortunately only a small part of it. Having great content on your website, email marketing your patients, driving traffic from all mediums that your resources allow you to integrate and use are such an important aspect of the success of businesses today.
Many ECPs are unable or simply don’t take advantage of some of these things that can truly help them. I am glad to see such positive feedback from others in the optical industry on here.
I am not an optical retailer, but work for a company that offers business solutions for smaller optical companies, so a free frame is not needed. However, if anyone would like some help with contact lens order management or patient communication or other needs, thanks in advance for visiting our company website: http://www.optiport.com
Love the idea of giving back. It is so important in life to share our gifts. There are so many in need. I work with a Health Center and provide them free eyeglasses. Actually they pay $25 dollars for a complete pair then I give the $25 back to the Center. I have received donated frames from a couple of frame companies and my lab will make the lenses at no cost to me. I just put it all together.
Best Wishes to you and your company!
Madeleine
This is a wonderful idea! I will follow you on Facebook!
I’m always looking for new and interesting ways to market…social networking is certainly cutting edge.
Thanks for sharing! I look forward to following you on FB!
Good information. Gives me the push I need to go foward with taking steps to move in this direction. Love the frame line too!
We are looking into getting our company on Facebook but I did become a fan of yours on my personal fb! Look forward to following you.
This has been a great day for this thread. I’ve really enjoyed seeing the comments roll in and getting an idea who has been involved in social media.
Don’t forget – blogs count as social media, too! That interactions is what has made this post so cool. Good work everyone!
we are implementing this in our office right now .. become a fan of ours om facebook gordon weiss vision institute thanks for sharing !
sharp…..very sharp
Social networking is free or low-cost… but it does take time investment. I’m not sure my small practice is up to the demands, but it’s definitely something worth considering. Thanks, Jim, and God bless your new business!
Wow..Thank you all for the words of encouragement! Special thanks to the Optical Vision Site. This has been a huge blessing for us. Keep those posts coming.
With the new generation and connected through the phone, social networking is a great concept. Looking forward to seeing your product at Vision Expo East.
Very timely post. I just attended a workshop on social media. Hopefully it will help keep our office connected to our patients. Love the frames! I will definitely consider that line for my office.
I think your article is great, and I’d like more information on your frames.
Thank You for this wonderful article. We are all Christians at our store. I would love to see us put in your line of frames. We have a group on facebook and I think that social networking can help you build your business. God Bless, Brent
Heritage Vision Center
6096 US Hwy 98 Suite 1
Hattiesburg,MS 39402
Thank you for the article. I am not on facebook as of yet,
but I am considering joining.
I visited your booth at Vision Expo West and I think the Faith line will do great! Looking forward to more news about Faith and I will be checking on Facebook for you! BTW, love love love the concept!!
This is a very interesting concept. We are just thinking about using social networking for our office, but I use it all the time personally.
I’m a huge fan of the concept of integrating charitable contributions with necessary purchases. I think FB, Twitter, etc have really enhanced the idea of a global universe where we can all stay connected, informed and provide help where it is needed most.
Thanks for the email invite. I look forward to seeing your frame line at Expo West 2010!
Thanks for your insight. I am not yet on any of the social sights as I’m not sure how they work but your article is compelling. Will you be at vision expo east?
Social networking has made it easier and faster to communicate with our own-that is, people. Giving proceeds to charity from the sale of such a common item is a great idea and is socially responsible.