Event planning can be both extremely stressful and extremely rewarding. There is nothing like seeing all of your hard work pay off after throwing a successful event where attendees (and the client) are happy, engaged and having a great time.
Although we don’t typically put on events at Old Town Media, we’ve been working with Indian Motorcycle of Fort Collins to plan a unique event. This coming weekend, August 14 & 15, The Indian Motorcycle Demo Truck will be at Indian Motorcycle of Fort Collins from 9am-5pm. Motorcycle enthusiasts will have the opportunity to admire and test ride the entire 2016 Indian Motorcycle lineup. As a special treat, Indian Motorcycle of Fort Collins is hosting an after party on-site on Friday from 4pm-8pm.
While it might sound simple and completely straight forward on paper, there actually is a lot that goes into planning an event like this. So if you’re planning an upcoming party (by upcoming, I mean start planning for your holiday party) here are some practical tips & things to consider:
1. Plan Early
I recommend you start planning at least 6 weeks before the event date. Things to consider before even beginning: you need to decide if your event is going to be open to the public or RSVP only. You need to give your guests enough notification ahead of time to RSVP and get the date on their calendars and plan accordingly. In terms of holiday parties, remember this is a very busy time for people so if you want them to attend your party – plan early!
2. Food, Drink and Entertainment
Most people come to parties or events to socialize, drink and eat. Will your event be fully catered? If so, it is essential to start researching catering companies and costs early on. The same thing goes for drinks. Are you going to provide wine and beer? You’ll need to make sure that this is monitored if you are hosting a public event to avoid any legal issues and so things don’t get out of hand.
If you plan on having entertainment at your event, it is a good idea to set a budget and get that locked in earlier rather than later. If live entertainment is not in the budget, a great alternative is a playlist and quality speakers to give some background noise while your guests enjoy themselves. No one likes silent parties!
3. Marketing, Advertising and Invitations
How will you get the word out about your event? Email newsletters, press releases, social media posting, mailed invitations, print material and a landing page on your website are all great ways to spread the word and encourage maximum attendance. For social media, create an event on Facebook, start posting early and encourage your Facebook fans to spread the news about your event! Remember to use your cover photo (which is essentially free advertising) to promote your event!
Below is an example of the email newsletter that went out announcing the Indian Demo Truck Event:

We adapted this digital piece to make hard-copy postcards, which were handed out to customers at Indian Motorcycle of Fort Collins and Fort Collins Motorsports along with local businesses around town, geared towards engaging our target audience.
4. Logistics
Even after putting on hundreds of events and when you feel 100% prepared, it is always important to take a step back and think about the logistics of your event. How big is your venue? Will all of your guests be able to comfortably mingle and enjoy themselves? Will guests need guidance or a schedule for your event? Doing a walk through of how your event will flow and be set up is crucial to include in the event planning process.
5. Being Prepared for the Unexpected
The thing is, stuff happens. You need to be prepared for unplanned situations as best as possible and try to have a back up plan. What if you have more attendees than planned and food runs out? What if the caterer shows up late? What if the taps to the kegs are broken and your guests cannot enjoy beer? Things like this happens and when you are prepared with a back up plan, it makes things a lot less stressful for both you and your guests!
6. Have Realistic Expectations
If your event is open to the public, it is hard to gauge how many people will attend and what will constitute as a successful event. Try to set a realistic goal of attendance and outcome. If your goal is to spread awareness about your new business, I would gauge the event by attendance and set an obtainable goal.
7. Manage and Enjoy the Event!
Even though you are planning the event and will be technically working during the event, don’t forget to enjoy yourself! You are a direct representation of your business and if things go haywire, keep calm and try your best to keep a smile on your face.
Most of the time, guests are too busy in their own world to notice that the water pitcher has no ice in it, or the food is almost about to run out. Make sure to keep an eye on the small details such as this, but do so casually and still have fun! If anything truly bad happens, take it as a learning lesson and make note of it for next time.
8. Evaluate
Try to do a head count at your event to see how many guests attended. You’ll be able to tell pretty quickly the overarching feel of the event and if your guests enjoyed themselves. If the event allows, make sure to thank all of your guests for coming and keep them informed of any additional upcoming events.
Take note of things that went well and things you can improve on for next time. Whether your event was a huge success or an epic failure, there is always room for learning and improvement.
Video is an often overlooked method of connecting with future (and current) patients and building credibility, especially in the medical industry. Since the beginning of the pandemic, more and more services have switched from in-person to hybrid or 100% online and people are utilizing digital platforms more than ever for things like finding credible providers and hosting virtual visits.
Video marketing for doctors is becoming more necessary in helping form personal connections by allowing people to get a sense of their doctors before scheduling a visit.
In this blog, we will cover why you should use video marketing for doctors, types of videos to make, and tips for ensuring your videos are successful.
Why Use Video?
Video marketing for doctors isn’t just about making specialist introduction videos to post on a website. Patient testimonials, informational videos, introductory videos for doctors, and office overviews are great tools to engage your audience and turn curious viewers into lifelong patients.
The first and most important outcome of video marketing for doctors is establishing trust and credibility.
When a patient can watch a quick interview with their physician, they feel a connection and gain an understanding of the doctor’s background, qualifications, and personality.
Many people searching for a provider will automatically self-disqualify if they feel a practice or particular physician may not be a good fit, so providing them with a glimpse into a doctor’s personality will help them feel at ease, knowing in advance who will be trusted to care for them.
They may feel drawn to a particular physician based on personal or medical backgrounds, forming a bond that helps the patient feel at ease with their provider choice.
On top of building trust, video marketing for doctors establishes a platform for education. People turn to the internet to search for medical information that pertains to their situation, so being a source of accurate information is a valuable way to position your practice. It also helps deter misinformation, as these videos are being produced by experts in the field and hosted by credible sources.
Video Types for Successful Marketing
Informational Videos
Many people search the internet to learn about their diagnoses and potential treatments, which is where informational videos come into play.
As a doctor, you may often find yourself explaining complex concepts to your patients repeatedly. If there’s a topic that comes up often in your practice, it’s probably a great subject for an educational video.
People usually turn to the internet to learn about a diagnosis or treatment before visiting a specialist, so providing accurate information is a great way to help guide a patient on their health journey. As a bonus, you’re establishing your expertise while providing education.
Patient Testimonials
Patient testimonials are another great tool to show your audience proof of credibility. Since video is more personal than a text-based review, patient testimonials can feel more like a friend’s referral. The audience can see the patient’s genuine enthusiasm and may feel more invested, as a result.
Introductions and Office Tours
Introductions and office overview videos provide a glimpse into the world of your practice. Viewers can get to know doctors, their backgrounds, their personalities, and take a tour of the office before even scheduling an appointment. Providing this type of content is an important part of video marketing for doctors, as it establishes a welcoming atmosphere for anyone considering an appointment.
For example, check out this introduction video we did for a new doctor joining the team at the Orthopaedic & Spine Center of the Rockies.
This video is great because it’s short, informative, easy to embed on on a website, use for a social post, or include in an email newsletter.
Tips and Tricks for Great Videos
Sound
Consider recording audio separately from video. You can find inexpensive, great quality unidirectional microphones to use, and this is an easy way to automatically increase the production value and professional feel of your video. A great tip to remember is to use a clapboard or have your subject clap in front of their face when sound and video are both recording, as it helps when the time comes to sync audio to video during editing.
Lighting
Lighting is another simple way to increase production value and make your videos look more professional. Simple, soft lights are preferred (even a large ring light is a great investment for this) and will help fill in any dark shadows if you’re also using overhead lighting, which can be unflattering on its own.
There are tons of great resources online that explain three-point lighting, if you’re looking to step up your lighting game even further. If you don’t want to use separate lights, natural lighting is a great supplement. For this, place your subject facing a window (don’t place the window behind them) and the natural light will be much more flattering than overhead indoor lighting.
Framing
When framing your scene, keep it simple. Avoid clutter in the background, and have your subject stand slightly off-center. While we love visual interest, a lot of background items can be distracting, so it’s a good idea to stage an area so it feels welcoming and clean, without distracting from the subject matter.
Length
You may have a lot to say about your subject matter, or want to help a new doctor get a complete introduction out into the world, but keep in mind that most people do not have the attention span or interest to watch a long video online.
Keep it simple! Ask yourself, “what are the main points I want to get across?”
It’s always better to provide the necessary facts and invite a viewer to contact your office for more information, or refer to an article or blog post that explains your video topic in more depth.
We want to establish trust, get to the point, and invite people to interact with your content. Keeping videos under two minutes is a great rule of thumb. If you have a longer video, consider breaking it into shorter clips for social media.
Include a CTA
A CTA, or “call to action,” encourages follow-up from viewers. It’s as simple as listing your phone number or website at the end of the video and saying something like, “for more information, get in touch!” You may want to offer a link to one of your blog posts or to the contact page from your website. The point is to encourage people to do something based on the content you’ve provided. Video marketing for doctors isn’t just about getting your practice seen; it’s also about creating a comfortable space for interaction with people who may be looking for guidance or services you offer.
Why a Distribution Plan is Important
Once you make your videos, where do they go? If they sit on your website, you may notice very little interaction, so creating a distribution plan will ensure you make the most out of your videos. When deciding how to utilize your content, you should first establish the purpose of each video. Is it short and educational? This may be a great candidate for not only your website, but YouTube and social media. Is it a tour of the office? In addition to your home page, this may be a great video to embed in a marketing email for new or potential patients. For more information about full funnel marketing check out this blog we wrote.
Think about what you want your video to accomplish and where it could best achieve those goals. Don’t be afraid to post cross-platform, either! The more people your video can reach, the better! Video marketing for doctors can be tricky, so don’t hesitate to reach out to a marketing agency with a video production team if you want help figuring out a plan or managing distribution.
No matter where you are in your marketing process, video marketing for doctors can be an effective way to humanize your practice and establish your expertise. Video brings people together and offers a more personal experience, which is why people are often more receptive to video marketing. With these helpful tips and ideas to keep in mind, you’ll be able to up your game and see more online interaction with easily made, high-quality videos.