Video can be a valuable tool for any medical practice. Here’s how to make this marketing channel work for you and your organization.
Of all the digital marketing channels, none deserve the hype as much as video. Video is a fantastic way to raise awareness about medical issues, engage and educate viewers, and hopefully turn them into patients. In fact, a recent Forbes article reports that including video content on a website’s landing page can increase conversions by up to 80%. But, like other channels, video has rules that medical marketers must follow to maximize ROI.
Whether your medical organization is creating its first video content for a website or starting a channel on YouTube, these are the things you need to know.
If you’re going to launch a video marketing strategy for your medical organization, ensure that you’re willing to invest the necessary amount of resources to produce quality content. A low quality video will perform poorly, no matter how informative it is.
Good videos start with a clear message. Pick a theme and write a script that conveys that message effectively. Remember that potential patients don’t have medical degrees — keep your script short and digestible so viewers don’t get confused. If your video will live on your website, make sure that it includes a call-to-action (CTA) or gives visitors information about your business or services.
During the content creation process, pay special attention to the video’s viewing and listening experience. Bad sound — where the audio is grainy, muffled, or poorly balanced — can destroy your video’s chances of success. Whenever possible or relevant, try to employ a variety of high-quality images or animations to keep viewers engaged throughout.
Once you’ve created your video, use tags, keywords, and metadata to maximize the chances that viewers find and share it. The first — and most important — step is choosing your video title. Titles entice the viewer to click on your video; without a good one, you won’t get the attention you’re looking for. Make sure your title is short — fewer than 66 characters for optimization purposes — and eye-catching.
After you’ve chosen your title, focus on the keywords you want to emphasize. Keywords can include the name of your practice, your specialty, or your practice’s location. To ensure that your video shows up when users search for these keywords, pepper them throughout the video description. Turn five to seven important keywords into tags, which help video platforms like YouTube associate video with text.
There are some additional steps you can take to increase engagement on your video once it’s gone live. Subtitles and closed captions (CC) can be especially useful for medical videos, since many patients are hard of hearing or don’t speak English fluently. YouTube also offers a “cards” feature to make videos more interactive; you can include links to your website or additional patient resources.
One of the most important things medical practices can do is encourage feedback via likes, shares, subscriptions, and comments. You can do this through CTAs within the video or in the description, within cards, or as a commenter. Make sure to moderate your comments and respond to questions or negative feedback professionally. By building a relationship with your audience, you’ll encourage them to trust you and maybe even turn a viewer into a patient.
With stellar content and the right optimization techniques, any medical practice can make video work for their business. Though the initial cost for quality video may be high for smaller organizations, these tips will help your investment pay off in the long run.