After almost a year of following and absorbing content by Donald Miller and his team at StoryBrand, the OTM team decided we were ready to take the next step in our adoption of the StoryBrand framework. As an investment in our agency and my ability to implement the StoryBrand framework, I jetted off to the StoryBrand Guide Training in December of 2019.
And let me tell you this: as an agency owner, leaving the office for an entire week, approximately two weeks before Christmas and three weeks before New Year’s Eve, is one hell of a commitment.
Was it worth it? Absolutely – but in more ways than I had expected.
The training, held in Downtown Nashville, was a 4-day intensive hands-on experience. It not only reminded me of what it’s like to be a student, but also the importance of being a good teacher to my team.
Over the past 13 years, I’ve transitioned from being the person who “does the things”, to the person who helps our team members “do the things.” To say that it’s been a difficult transition would be a massive understatement.
However, the opportunity to experience being a student again taught me two vital things that every creative industry leader needs to know:
New things are scary and being creative is being vulnerable.
As a leader, we must remember that the people we are leading want to succeed. Period. They want to feel like they are a part of something and that their work matters, and a lot of times that means that they’re doing something that they’ve never done before and that is scary.
As a part of the StoryBrand Certified Guide Training, we were asked to split into groups, create a fake business and then develop all of the StoryBrand assets for that business. We were creating everything from the name and brand story to the elevator pitch (which we call a one-liner), website homepage wireframe and sales copy. All with a small group of people that we had just met, in less than an hour – and to top it all off, we had to present it in front of Donald Miller and his team.
I have literally created thousands of marketing plans over more than a decade and this scared the shit out of me. Why? Because it was new and because being creative is being vulnerable.
How has experiencing that helped me as a leader? I forget that not everyone on my team has 10+ years of marketing experience. Many of the things I am asking them to do are new to them and everything I am asking them to do requires creativity. Doing those things requires courage and a good leader must encourage risk, embrace failure and inspire trust in the process.
Sometimes, you have to ship it.
Almost every part of the StoryBrand Certified Guide Training was hands-on creative work. We were creating the stories, writing the copy, designing the websites – “doing the things.” However, many of the guides-in-training got hung up on sections of the program because they wanted things to be perfect.
There is no such thing as perfect when it comes to creativity. I know that!
Perfect creativity is completely subjective. This means that as leaders, we need to embrace when our team’s creative vision is different from our own. As an Enneagram 3 (Type A, Lion, Disc High-D – whatever your flavor), this is not easy for me to remember. But as I watched other guides struggle over one word or one connotation, I realized that it’s not about being perfect. It’s about being clear, iterative and flexible. A good leader doesn’t scare their team into a perfection spiral. A good leader knows when it’s ready to ship and supports their team throughout the iteration process.
If you’re a leader, no matter what industry you’re in, I encourage you to find a way to be a student again in 2020. Whether it be a course, certification, or even something outside of work (like learning to play a new instrument). Find a way to channel your inner student and pay close attention to the feelings you have and the things that scare or excite you.
Being a leader is about being inspiring, and the best leaders are those who inspire and teach at the same time.
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.