This isn’t the “digital age.” This is the “interactive age.”
In today’s consumer driven environment, vein and vascular practices need a video marketing strategy — this idea isn’t new. What has changed is how important video has become on every platform and channel. It’s no longer just one piece of your overall marketing plan. It’s central to your outreach and campaign efforts … especially your social media strategy. In 2018, video has absolutely dominated social media. Facebook recently predicted that the platform will be all video in less than five years.
Patients want content that gets them involved, keeps them interested and feels personal. You can give potential patients the confidence and knowledge they need to see you by creating engaging video content(i.e., virtual office tours, provider introductions, patient testimonials, pre- and post-procedure instructions, etc.).
By the time 2019 rolls around, an estimated 5 billion people will have a smartphone on or near them at all times – roughly two-thirds of the global population. Your medical practice cannot afford to miss the mobile trend which is heavily reliant upon video content.
Look at the following facts surrounding video-based marketing and advertising:
- Spending on mobile video marketing will increase by nearly 50% in 2018 across all industries;
- It is estimated that 82% of traffic on the internet is going to be video-based by 2020;
- Videos go viral on the internet everyday – other forms of media do not;
- Patient video testimonials are 12X more likely to be shared than the same information communicated in text;
- In a recent national consumer survey, 43% of respondents prefer video marketing and advertisements;
- In another survey, 52% of marketing executives believe video content has the highest return-on-investment (ROI) potential.
Getting in front of your audience is the key to successful video marketing. Getting in front of your audience means getting your video marketing materials where that audience is already looking – your website, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Your video marketing content needs to be visually engaging so that your core message isn’t missed.
After Google, the most popular search engine isn’t Bing or Yahoo – it’s YouTube. Paying for your healthcare videos to play as ads before other videos people are watching is a smart strategy. Create a video advertisement highlighting your practice’s clinical excellence. Set parameters so your ad only plays in front of viewers who live in the geographic area of your practice and are searching for videos with keywords like “varicose vein treatments”.
People Act Instantly, Not Spontaneously
If your practice isn’t in front of a patient’s eyes right when they need you, the odds of your practice being contacted by that patient reduces dramatically. Smart ad placement that integrates innovative, inviting video content can fix that problem. Along those same lines, keep your video content brief and to the point. 30 to 45 seconds is ideal. 60 seconds is OK. Anything beyond that is probably too long to be watched in its entirety.
While we’re talking about getting ahead of the competition, it’s worth evaluating your patient portal … Is it serving you as well as it could? Video marketing can be integrated into your patient portal to keep patients’ attention focused on your clinical services available. You can use this digital space to explain how to navigate your website, make appointments, talk about new services offered, new providers, introduce your administrative team, offer payment plans, and more.
Video Marketing Is Growing – Are You? Patients rarely search for medical help “just in case.” They search because they have a need. And video marketing can help your practice highlight its capacity to meet those needs.
