Instagram Reels, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, it seems like short form video is everywhere right now. You’ve probably seen them when scrolling on your personal social media, and it’s very likely you’ve seen businesses posting them too. So you’ve probably asked yourself: should I be using these for my clinic? And how can I get started?
Well, you’re in the right place to get the answers to your questions. I’m Huyen Truong, an expert marketer with over a decade of marketing experience working with medical practices, and today I’m going to give you 3 reasons why you should add short form video to your content strategy, and reach more prospective patients online.
If this is your first time watching or listening, welcome to Online Marketing For Doctors TV and Podcast show. We’ve been helping hundreds of medical clinics thrive with our proven patient generation system, and on this channel we share tips, advice and the latest information you need to know for your medical marketing.
So, in today’s episode, let’s get started on the 3 ways Short-form video can supercharge your clinics marketing. But first, let’s cover the basics:
What is short-form video content?
We usually describe short form video as a video that’s under 90 seconds long, and is designed to be viewed on mobile phones. This means filming in vertical format, shot on mobile phone, and typically following a simple storytelling format.
Here’s why it needs to be part of your content strategy:
Reason 1: Your prospective patients are watching short-form videos for their research
The first and most important reason is that we are seeing a trend of prospects doing their pre-purchase research via social media and videos – not just search engines.
In fact, according to Hubspot’s 2024 State of Social report, 22% of online users say that they research via social media more than search engines.
- 22% of online users say they research via social media more than search engines]
Incredibly, this is a 47% increase since they asked online users the same question last year.
So what does this mean?
Well, it tells you that short-form videos are a great way to build organic brand awareness. Just like your existing medical SEO strategy, short-form video for your clinic or practice can help you reach prospects when they’re early on in their research. By creating short-form video content answering your prospects’ queries, you have an opportunity to demonstrate your expertise and the unique value of your clinic.
Not only that, but investing in short-form video production now is a great way to future-proof your marketing if this trend continues.
Reason 2: They provide great ROI
I know what you’re probably thinking: videos take a long time to produce, you need fancy lights, cameras, and expensive editors.
But that’s where short-form video is great. The best short-form content is usually shot on a mobile phone, with the subject speaking directly to the camera. This means they’re cheap to produce, which means they can provide great ROI for you.
In fact, in Hubspot’s research, they found that 36% of social media marketers say short-form video offers the highest ROI, the highest of any video format.
The other bonus is that a lot of the social media platforms are prioritising this type of video in their algorithm. That means it can be easier for your short-form videos to get more organic reach than regular posts, and they also make for great ad assets too.
Reason 3: They’re versatile, and great for customer testimonials
When we work with our clients, we see how effective honest and authentic customer testimonials are. I often ask clients: how are you generating your customer reviews? Your happy patients are your biggest champions, so what steps are you taking to use them in your marketing?
Well, short-form videos are the perfect format for that. They’re a simple way to ask your patients for genuine and authentic reactions, and because they’re fast and easy to produce, they’re very versatile.
If you’re a hair transplant clinic, you could try checking in with your patients 1 week, 1 month, and 1 year after a procedure and asking them to film a short selfie video about their experience and results.
If you’re a cosmetic surgeon, you could ask your patients to talk about any improvements in confidence they’ve experienced since their procedure.
It’s no surprise then to find that this type of content is really popular. You can use them in so many places, like on your landing pages, as ads, as organic social content, on your Google My Business profile, or in your email marketing.
If you don’t believe me when I tell you how versatile they are, here are a few other ways medical practices are already using short-form video:
And these are just a few small examples of doctors getting great reach and results through using short-form video.
So are you convinced? I’m sure by now you are. But I’m sure you’re also asking: what should I say in my first short form video? Well, remember earlier when I said they typically follow tried-and-testing storytelling formats? Here’s one you can try.
And I know it can be daunting at first, but just trust me. Start by grabbing your phone, opening it on the selfie camera, and record yourself answering these questions:
- Hook: So, in one sentence, what’s 1 thing patients should know before planning a procedure? This might be “If you’re considering a hair transplant, here’s 1 thing you should consider when deciding between FUE and FUT hair transplants”
- Introduction: Who are you, and why are you an expert in this field? Take a few sentences to introduce yourself and your qualifications.
- Explanation: Can you go into some more detail on the question you mentioned in your hook? Keep it short, to 2-3 key points in as few sentences as possible. In our example, maybe you specialise in one type of hair transplant. Tell us why!
- Engagement: Ask your viewers to ask any questions they have about the procedure in the comments section.
- Call to Action: What’s the easiest way for prospects to get in touch with you?
There you have it, a simple structure for your first video. You probably won’t nail it on your first try – and that’s normal! – so give it a few tries.. When you’re ready, you’ll want to edit it so it’s got a good pace and fits within 90 seconds. You can edit it easily with an app on your phone like CapCut. Congratulations on your first short-form video!
Short-form video is a powerful tool that can supercharge your clinic’s marketing efforts. It’s not just about jumping on a trend; it’s about adapting your marketing strategy to meet the evolving needs and preferences of your target audience. By using its ability to reach potential patients where they’re already spending time, generate impressive ROI, and showcase authentic patient testimonials, you can increase your clinic’s visibility and attract more new patients.
Of course, if you want support with creating a content marketing strategy which includes short-form video, or even creating a series of videos for you to use, our team at Online Marketing for Doctors are ready to help.
If this is something you’re interested in please reach out to us and book a 15-minute discovery call and we’ll show you the opportunities that you might have with your practice’s marketing. I’ll leave a link to it in the show notes below.
That concludes the 3 ways you can use short-form videos to supercharge your clinic’s marketing. Thank you for joining us on this edition of the Online Marketing for Doctors Video and Podcast. If this was helpful to you, please subscribe to the OMD TV and Podcast Show so you don’t miss any future episodes. And please share this episode with your staff and colleagues.
Thank you so much and hope to talk to you on a discovery call soon. 🥳
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