“Most optometry marketing advice is garbage.”
There. I said it.
If I see one more “run Facebook ads” or “post more on Instagram” article, I might just throw a retinal camera through a window. Because here’s the truth:
You don’t need more eyeballs on your ads…
You need more money from the eyeballs already in your chair.
And that’s where 99% of optometry practices are leaving tens of thousands of dollars on the table every single year.
Story: From Feast-or-Famine to Predictable Profit
Meet Dr. Samantha Lee, an OD from Portland.
She had what most would consider a “good” practice:
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Healthy new patient flow
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Nice optical sales
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Loyal staff who’d been there for years
But the numbers told a different story.
Every quarter looked like an EKG chart — highs during back-to-school season, deep valleys in winter and spring. Marketing spend was increasing, but her revenue wasn’t keeping up.
Then she stumbled across BoomCloud™.
Instead of just pumping more dollars into ads, she built an in-house membership plan:
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$32/month
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Annual exam + retinal imaging
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25% off glasses & contacts
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Dry eye treatment discount
Within six months:
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320 members paying monthly (MRR = $10,240)
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$122,880 ARR locked in
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Membership patients were spending 2.9x more than non-members
No coupon flyers. No “back-to-school” ad blitz. Just a predictable, growing cash flow.
Why Memberships Are Marketing Gold
We think of “marketing” as billboards, PPC, Google reviews, social posts. Those are fine. But the smartest optometry practice marketing strategy right now?
Lock patients in with value they can’t walk away from.
When patients are paying you monthly, your marketing budget becomes retention-driven, not acquisition-driven.
Here’s why membership programs beat old-school marketing:
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MRR + ARR Stability
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MRR = Monthly Recurring Revenue = predictable cash every month
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ARR = Annual Recurring Revenue = the compounding effect that fuels growth
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Example: 500 members × $30/mo = $15,000 MRR = $180,000 ARR
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Patients Spend More
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Membership patients spend 2–4x more than non-members
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Why? Prepaid psychology + discounts = “I might as well use my benefits”
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Better Loyalty Than Any Punch Card
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Insurance ties patients to a network, not to YOU
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Membership plans tie them directly to your practice
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Here’s the “aha” most ODs miss —
You don’t have to outspend your competition. You just have to out-loyalty them.
Think about it…
Marketing is basically bribery for attention. Memberships are building commitment.
Once patients are paying monthly, you’re not fighting to “remind” them to come back — they’ve already bought in.
The Case Study: BoomCloud™ in Action
Dr. Lee’s numbers after year one:
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480 members × $32/month = $15,360 MRR = $184,320 ARR
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Membership patients’ average annual spend = $650 vs. $225 for non-members
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Marketing budget shifted — instead of chasing new patients, she used funds for:
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VIP member events
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Frame trunk shows
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Referral bonuses
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Result: She cut external ad spend by 40% and still grew revenue by 27%.
How to Build Your Optometry Membership Plan (and Make It Sell Itself)
Step 1: Build a no-brainer offer
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Annual eye exam
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Imaging/OCT scans
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Discounts on frames, contacts, dry eye services
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VIP perks (priority booking, exclusive events)
Step 2: Pick a profitable price point
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Optometry sweet spot = $20–$45/month
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Value stack > price perception
Step 3: Automate the boring stuff
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BoomCloud™ handles billing, renewals, reporting
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Tracks active members, MRR, churn rate
Step 4: Train your team like sales ninjas
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Every patient interaction is an upsell opportunity
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Scripts + benefit brochures make it a no-brainer
Cool Membership Perks That Boost Conversions
Family Bundles – Parents love one bill for the whole crew
Annual Frame Upgrade – Keeps optical sales flowing
Dry Eye Discount – Easy add-on for cash-pay services
Exclusive Imaging – Premium tech they can’t get elsewhere
VIP Trunk Shows – Members-only frame events = impulse buys
Why This is the Best Optometry Marketing You’re Not Doing
Most marketing channels are:
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Expensive to start
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Require constant feeding
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Get more competitive over time
Memberships are:
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Low-cost to launch
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Compounding in value
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More profitable the longer they run
Instead of throwing $3,000/month at ads, Dr. Lee put $1,000/month into membership perks & events… and got 3x the ROI.
⚡️ Real-World Data
BoomCloud™ internal client data shows:
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70% boost in annual cash flow for practices with 300+ members
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85–90% retention year over year
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20% insurance reduction = 10–15% higher profit margins
✅ Final Takeaway
If you’re looking for an optometry practice marketing strategy that actually builds wealth instead of just clicks, membership plans are your answer.
They transform:
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Lumpy revenue → predictable cash flow
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Price-shoppers → loyal superfans
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One-off transactions → lifetime patient value
The ads you’re running now? They might get people in the door.
A membership plan? That keeps them yours forever.
Your Next Steps:
