As I write this essay, we’re 3 weeks into the Coronavirus quarantine in the United States.
It stinks, but we gotta get through it.
It’s time to get a little creative.
Which is why I’m talking about video today.
You probably already know video plays an important role in modern marketing.
In case you don’t (or if you do but don’t know why), here are a few key stats:
- Mobile video consumption doubles every year.
- Viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it in a video, compared to 10% when reading it in text.
- 7 out of 10 customers would rather learn about a product or service by way of video.
And of course there are all kinds of stats to support video specifically on social media, including:
- Over 1.9 billion people use YouTube (about 1/3 of the internet)
- Social video gets shared 1200% more than text and images combined.
- Facebook has over 8 billion video views per day.
Despite all that, practices don’t create enough video. I hear a few common reasons for this, maybe some of these sound like you:
- I don’t have time.
- I don’t have a good set-up to create great-looking video.
- I don’t like being on camera.
I want to address each of these:
Time – You have it now.
If you aren’t doing surgery for the next few weeks, you have extra time. And doing video the way I recommend only takes a few minutes anyway. (more on that later)
Good set-up – You don’t need one.
Yes, there’s a time and place for polished, high production video. If you have those, awesome.
But those aren’t the kinds of videos I’m talking about today. People want to see your raw, real, in-the-moment comments.
(Especially in times like this, when it feels like the world is spinning off its axis. People want a leader, and they want a human connection.)
This looks better filmed on your iPhone or your laptop camera vs. a fancy studio set-up with perfect backdrop and incredible lighting.
Don’t like being on camera? – Neither do I. Neither do most people.
Which reinforces why video is so powerful.
I get it, you’re a doctor, not a TV host.
But if you can get on camera and just be mildly engaging, it lends you instant authority and credibility. Partly because you’re doing something most people are uncomfortable doing.
What I’m saying is, the bar is pretty low. And as an expert in your field, you’re more than equipped to get on video and do an adequate job.
Alright, now that we’ve addressed the reasons why most practices don’t do video…
It’s time for some new video content.
“What kind of videos should we do, Troy?”
So glad you asked.
You want to create what I call Simple Social Videos – bite-size pieces about one piece of one individual topic.
Here’s an example:
I work with a lot of LASIK surgeons, who might think, “Well, I could do a video about LASIK.”
But that’s big topic. So break it down.
- How Much Millennials Save When They Have LASIK in their 20s
- Can People with Astigmatism have LASIK? Here’s the Truth…
- LASIK vs. Contacts – Which is *Actually* Safer?
- Virtual Consultations – Get a LASIK Evaluation from Your Couch? (super-relevant at the moment if you aren’t seeing patients in your office)
You could even break each of those down into 2-3 more specific themes.
Whether you do vision correction, orthodontics, cosmetic dentistry or plastic surgery, the concept is the same.
You probably have 3-5 big categories of service you offer, right? But when you break that down into sub-topics, FAQs and patient stories, you can quickly create a list of 100 Simple Social video topics.
How long is bite-size?
As a rule of thumb, anywhere from 2 to 5 minutes. But they can (and should) be longer if necessary.
There’s a general assumption that people don’t have long attention spans, so they won’t watch longer videos. That’s absolutely not true.
People will binge-watch 10 hours of a Netflix series in one sitting.
If your message is focused and engaging, people will watch, regardless of length.
But if your message is all over the place, it doesn’t matter how short it is. People will tune out.
Once you have your topics, how do you formulate a simple video script?
This is where I normally get overwhelmed. Which leads to… not doing video.
I wanted a way to simplify the scripting process. I knew if I could overcome that hurdle, I’d be much more likely to take action.
After some experimenting, I ended up putting together a simple scripting flow that fits on an index card and takes 2 minutes to create. It’s working well for me, and I hope it’s useful for you too…
Rather than type it all out, I explain it in a VIDEO (surprise, surprise) on my Facebook page.
Click the link below to check out my “PSA Notecard Method” that lets you plan an entire video in just a couple of minutes…. so you can share your message in a clear, concise way without rambling.
Hey look, I’m in the same boat as you. I don’t create enough video content, for largely the same reasons you don’t – time, setup and fear.
But those are garbage excuses. I know it and now you know it, too. This is the time for us to step up and do the thing.
Why is video so important right now?
Because your patients need to know you’re still around. Your practice is still alive and kicking. You’re just doing things a little different for the time being.
And yes, you can post your polished, lawyer-approved COVID-19 updates about wearing masks and sanitizing everything.
But once you’ve shared that a few times, people need more humanity. Personality. Hope. Even a little fun.
How do you do that? Get on video. And again, your setup doesn’t have to be anything crazy.
I explain the simple way to do it in this short video…