And yet, our relationship as new patients when we meet a physician generally starts out in just this manner.
As healthcare marketers, we have an opportunity for a win-win in the doctor-patient introduction. The physicians who perform surgeries and care for patients at your hospital are not only your clients but your best marketing tools. They are the gatekeepers, the ones who decide to bring patients through your doors. They are also the people who establish, and hopefully maintain, relationships with the patients and their families who will continue to use your hospital’s services.
So how can you, as a healthcare marketer, encourage and nurture the physician/patient connection? Brief physician videos that you can use in a variety of ways are a small investment with a big payoff.
Well-crafted, professional physician videos tell the story not only of their medical practices but also of your hospital community. Here’s why physician videos are critical for your hospital marketing plan:
1. Video humanizes your physicians.
You can use the short interview scenario to ask questions not only about their medical background but their interests and hobbies as well. Does your lead orthopaedic surgeon spend his free time roofing homes for Habitat for Humanity? Does a referring family medicine physician play trombone in a jazz band? You are giving your physicians a way to connect before the patients make that very first phone call.
2. Smart interviewing and professional editing showcase the best aspects of your physicians.
Both you and your physicians have a vested interest in presenting the very best takes and the very best information. Patients and their families will have the opportunity to get to the heart of what makes your physicians top-notch quickly.
3. Relatable video creates clicks and contributes to conversion and strong ROI…
Anyone seeking a doctor can search the internet today and find facts. Many times, a physician’s CV and even a head shot are posted on a hospital or physician office’s website. But videos are dynamic; they encourage clicking. Future patients want a meaningful honest glimpse of the person who will be advising them on critical health concerns.
4. …which you can track and measure.
Analytics experts will help your videos rise in the SEO rankings. Those video clicks, if shared in a targeted way, can be measured. The email addresses patients share are lead generators. And you, as a marketing director, will have in your possession a tidy report detailing the return on your video investment.
5. It’s a win-win.
Patients aren’t the only ones who love physician videos; physicians love physician videos. When physicians are asked to appear in a hospital video, they are able to share a piece of themselves and do a little marketing of their own. They have something online to share that they didn’t have to create themselves in the midst of their hectic schedules. And when you allow them to link their websites to the video on your site, you can capitalize on their traffic.
6. Brief time = big benefits.
Working with a professional production company, you can videotape several physician interviews per day. Soon you will have a library of physician videos to choose from. A worthy line item in your marketing budget.
7. Re-purposing your production can earn you dividends.
The footage from one physician interview can be used in a multitude of additional ways. For example, you can use the video for e-blasts, as part of a social media campaigns or incorporate it within a larger patient story video. Different clips from the interview can become parts of other projects if you plan ahead.
8. Media relations becomes a little bit easier.
If your physician is part of a new study or is pioneering a new technique, you can share the video as part of a public relations campaign. Generating awareness about physician expertise in certain procedures could result in local (or national, depending on the topic) media picking up your strategically crafted story.
9. Going pro pays off.
While working with a team of video professionals, you will be introduced to many possible uses for your physician videos. Not only will the team work on detailed concepts and production plans, but each member will ensure a quality result.
A new patient is deciding right now whether a physician is the best fit for her and her family. Get the conversation started. Begin by cordially introducing your care providers with customized physician videos.
Contact Contrast Creative for a free quote on your next physician video project: (919) 469-9151.