Have you ever seen a movie based on your favorite book and been terribly disappointed? There are two ways, we think, that this can happen. Either the movie is completely unfaithful to the book (in that case, what’s the point) or the movie was too faithful to the book–it tried to capture every single sentence and, as a result, fell flat.
The best book-to-film adaptations (Jurassic Park or The Lord of the Rings, for example) honor the original work while simultaneously bringing something new to the table, creating something that’s faithful to the book but perfectly suited for the screen.
This approach is successful because films and books are just, well, different. They can’t (and never will) tell exactly the same story. Do you see where we’re going with this?
It means that your medical video marketing strategy works best when it’s specifically tailored to the strengths of video as a medium. Video is unique–and success comes down to figuring out how to deliver your brand messaging–in a new and different way.
The Future of Audiology Marketing: Video Marketing for Doctors and Hearing Specialists
Broadly speaking, the internet has become a very visual place. Video is easily accessible–and often expected. As a result, audiology practices can expect some concrete benefits when you use video in your marketing campaign.
Some of the most prominent include the following:
- Visual media can do a better job of creating empathy in patients.
- Showcase your knowledge and set you up as an expert. Videos can also help you start building relationships with patients early–they might like you even before they set foot in your office!
- Video can also very easily showcase your personality a bit. It adds a personal touch (more personal than a blog article, for example).
- Grow your visibility online. The more videos you make, the more people will watch your videos. (Many people may even share the videos on social media or subscribe so that they never miss one of your videos.) That’s good for your SEO and provides you with more opportunities to show up high on Google search results.
One of the reasons videos are so powerful is that they tend to convert viewers to leads more often than other forms of media or marketing will. Landing pages that contain videos tend to have an 86% higher conversion rate than those that don’t.
It’s easy to see how video can (and should) quickly become one of your most reliable marketing tools.
Challenges of Video Marketing for Audiologists and ENTs
Of course, there are some challenges that come with adding a video content creation pipeline to your marketing campaign. Creating video marketing for audiologists or ENTs isn’t as easy as posting a new reel to Instagram or recording a selfie for TikTok.
In general, some of the most significant challenges include:
- Resource management: Creating well-crafted video marketing for doctors and hearing specialists takes both time and money. As a result, you need to use your video budget wisely and effectively (which means you also need to have a video budget). The right tools combined with the right strategy can really help!
- Getting started: Video can be a big project–whether you’re creating something for TikTok, YouTube, or crafting a cinematic masterpiece. As a result, you can often encounter resistance–both from within and from external stakeholders. As a result, you may not be sure where to start. The solution is usually to focus primarily on your patients’ needs–and brainstorm with staff on how to create videos patients will find helpful!
If you ever get stuck on your video journey and need medical video marketing ideas, it’s useful to work with an audiology marketing partner who is experienced (like MedPB).
Creative Medical Video Marketing Ideas for Promoting Your Practice
Once you’ve decided to position your practice to focus on video marketing, you might naturally start to wonder: what do my patients want to know about? What should I say in my videos?
At MedPB, we help audiologists and ENT doctors come up with all kinds of medical video marketing ideas to improve the reputation and reach of their practice. We usually put these video ideas into these informal categories:
Patient-Centered Education Videos
These are educational videos that consist of questions your patients should be asking. For example, you could create short five-minute-long videos that answer questions like:
- When should I see an ENT?
- Aren’t all hearing offices the same?
- How do I know it’s time to get a hearing test?
- What happens when your tonsils are removed?
And so on. Each video should be limited in scope and touch on only one of these patient-centered education topics.
FAQ Videos
There are videos based on questions that patients usually ask during a visit. For example, you could create videos based on:
- Why do hearing aids cost so much?
- How long does it take to recover from sinuplasty?
- Do I need hearing aids?
- Do I really need nasal surgery?
You get the idea! If several patients have asked you a specific question, it’s likely that lots of patients want answers (but aren’t brave enough to ask).
About the Practice Videos
You’re a person! This means your patients probably want to know a little something about your personality or how your practice works. You can create videos that showcase what makes your practice stand out from the competition. If nothing else, people love getting to know more about you and your practice.
How-Tos and Demonstrations
One of the most popular uses for video today is as a step-by-step guide. (For example, if you want to swap your old kitchen faucet for a new one, you usually start by searching for a YouTube video that explains the process.) The same is true for your patients. They’re looking for easy guides to typical health or hearing-related tasks.
You can demonstrate:
- How to change a hearing aid battery
- Syncing a hearing aid to a smartphone
- How to properly insert a hearing aid
If you record demonstration videos with patients, make sure the patient in question has signed the necessary paperwork (usually a model release or something similar) to ensure the video is HIPAA compliant. You don’t want anyone showing up in a video without their consent (even if you can’t recognize their face).
Video Marketing for Doctors Starts with a Plan
No matter what kind of video marketing you want to create, the first step is to make a plan. When you create these plans, ensure you’re taking the time to set realistic goals and identify your overall objectives. (Are you going after likes? Shares? Engagement? Education? Do you just want to generate leads?)
You also need to know how you’re going to maintain a sense of authenticity throughout your video campaign (this is especially important for any videos that will live on social media, where authenticity is king). And, of course, remember that these videos should first and foremost be a service to patients.
Best Practices for Creating Engaging Video
To create engaging videos, remember to:
- Keep it short! People tend to tune out after about five minutes anyway.
- Don’t forget about HIPAA. Don’t share (or invite patients to share) any confidential medical information.
- Tell a story. Every video should have a beginning, a middle, and an end.
- Post regularly. People will get used to looking for your videos at a certain time.
Avoid These Common Mistakes
When you’re making a video, it’s easy to make mistakes. Don’t beat yourself up about it!
You can get a head start, though, by avoiding some of these more common errors:
- Videos that are way too long. Viewers have a pretty short attention span these days.
- Poor audio: Most people think about lighting, but if no one can hear you, they’ll tune out.
- Poor lighting: At the same time, you want to look your best! If you can’t afford lights, find a window with some nice natural lighting and make sure you’re easily visible.
Reach More Patients With Video
Once you’ve made the video, people really need to see it! YouTube is one of the most popular places for video to live, and with a little optimization, you can ensure it’s visible and embed it on your website (this can help your SEO, too!) You can even use auto-captioning to make your video more easily accessible. And once all that is done, it’s imperative to share your video on social media.
In other words, your video marketing campaign is like any other Hollywood blockbuster: the more people see it, the more successful you’ll be.
We can help make your next video marketing campaign more successful–and easier to accomplish.
Call us today to get started!
