5 Video Marketing Tips for Your Practice

If you're looking to create videos for your clinic or practice, bear in mind it does not need to cost you an arm and a leg. People will watch your videos for the informative content, not your moviemaking ability. Creating inexpensive videos is my method of choice when it comes to standing out among the competition.

Video marketing can be an inexpensive and powerful platform to showcase your business. With easy to use apps like Facebook Live, anyone can start streaming videos using their cell phone. Forward thinking clinics that create consistent videos on a regular basis, will not only gain more viewers, but patients. Here are five of my favorite tips to help you effectively use video for your medical practice:

•Education First: An effective video is one that not only educates, but explains. When I started my practice, I created a series of videos on frequently asked questions about my practice. Some of the questions I answered were on how I started start my own clinic, what made me interested in my medical specialty, as well as sharing patient success stories. Answering these questions helped build a level of transparency that helped bridge a comfort level with new patients.

•Keep Your Videos Short and to the Point: I like to keep videos no longer than 10 minutes. Make sure the video title matches exactly what the content of the video is going to cover. You can break up a long video into shorter and more succinct videos. Again, I love the format of asking common questions about your practice, and you can expand that to answering questions about procedures or medical conditions. 

•Give Your Viewers an Inside Look: One of the most effective ways that you can use video is giving prospective patients the experience of what it's like to become a patient. It can be nerve-wracking to be a new patient, a video can put them at ease by showing them the layout of your waiting room or exam room. Provide interviews of key staff members. Walkthroughs of an actual procedure have been known to get a ton of views in my experience.

•Take Advantage of Local Talent and Tools: There are big video marketing firms that can charge upwards of $10,000 to create a video. But did you know that it is easy to find local talent that can be had for pennies on the dollar? One particular resource I have used are wedding videographers. Most videographers aren't recording weddings seven days a week. On their off days, most will be more than happy to create an appealing video for you to showcase your business at an affordable rate.

If you are interested in creating a video yourself, there are an abundance of video editing software available. An easy way to create video quickly is by answering a commonly asked question using a few Powerpoint slides, and recording them using screen capture software. If you have a PC, I recommend Camtasia. If you own a Mac, the built-in QuickTime Player can create excellent screen capture videos. Personally, I use ScreenFlow on my Mac because it has great editing software and is pretty easy to use. A great online resource is Animoto, which can take still pictures and create dazzling videos on the fly.

•Grab The Viewers:Studies show you need to grab your audience’s attention in the first 10 seconds of the video. If done right, videos can be used as a powerful tool to attract new patients. Videos that teach something new, educate, or explain a concept can often get shared and bookmarked online. If you can get in the habit of creating compelling video, you can take advantage of a powerful an inexpensive marketing strategy for your business.