Video Marketing Blog - Strategy, Inbound, Agency Info

4 Ways Doctors Can Use Video for Practice Marketing

Written by Casey O'Quinn | June 30, 2017

Medical practices and doctors take note: According to a recent KPCB Internet Trends report, online video will account for 74% of all online traffic in 2017. 

Americans are looking for health-related content - 80% of adult Internet users, (93 million) have searched for at least one of 16 major health topics. Health research is one of the most popular online activities. (Pew Internet Research)

How can doctors marketing their practices take advantage of video and leverage its potential?

Use Video to Educate

Give viewers and patients information and help them understand issues they may be facing.

Don’t try to solve specific medical issues or give treatment plans. Content is still king, and it’s all about information. Providing a view with foundational information to help them understand symptoms they may be experiencing and causes of conditions and diseases is a great place to start and it provides real value. Keep it general so it appeals to as many viewers as possible and encourages the viewer to visit a medical professional for their specific situation.

Example: What is Facet Syndrome?

  

Use Video to Entertain

It can be intimidating to think about using humor in videos for a medical practice, but it can be done. When pulled off correctly, a humorous video has the potential to reach a LOT of people. We call this “virality”. Here are a few tips to get started.

  • It needs to relate to the business and the viewer.
  • Hook the viewer early.
  • Don’t offend people. (There is a line. Don’t cross it.)

Looking for ideas? Take a look at the stereotypes in the industry. Can you make fun of yourself and have fun with it?

Example: Dodgeball Danny

Use Video to Put Patients at Ease

A visit to the doctor can cause anxiety for patients. Particularly for a new patient. A “what to expect” video is a great way to walk a patient through their first visit or a procedure/treatment. Also, by setting a patient’s expectations before their visit, the practice is positioned to meet or even exceed those expectations… and that creates a positive patient experience.

Example: What to Expect 

Use Video to Maximize Exposure

Video is a commitment and requires resources. But, that video becomes an asset. Here are a few ways to get more out of it.

  • Publish and distribute: Host the video on your website, publish it on YouTube and Facebook (natively).
  • Create a transcript: Google loves videos with a transcript, so include it on YouTube and your site. There are plenty of services that will create a transcript for your video.
  • Create a blog post or article: Many people find it’s much easier to talk on camera than to sit down and write an article. After you have a transcript, clean it up and make a blog post or article.

Conclusion

Video is daunting from both a creative and techincal perspective. With so many Americans looking for health-related information online, and a huge demand for video content, doctors using video for practice marketing will be well positioned.