5 ways healthcare organizations can ramp up video marketing

What’s the best video you’ve seen online lately? Chances are you can think of a few off the top of your head. One study estimates that people watch an average of 17 hours of video a week online. And, 89% of consumers say they want to see more videos from brands.

Videos are engaging, emotional and shareable — and brands are working to keep up with demand.

Luckily, as demand for videos increases, it’s also becoming easier to create them.

You don’t always need a video with high production value. Consumers are used to seeing and sharing videos on social media. In fact, consumers may see overly polished videos as less authentic, with more realistic connections preferred instead. And, as cameras on iPhones and other devices improve, it’s possible to make video suitable for sharing on social media on a slim budget.

5 tips to kickstart your healthcare video marketing strategy

Here are some tips to help kickstart your healthcare video marketing strategy and create video content that connects you to your audience.

1. Focus on your video marketing goals

Even though video in healthcare is becoming easier to create, you’ll still want to think about how your videos will pay off before investing your team’s time. How can videos support your content strategy and overall marketing goals? What do you want people to do, think or feel after watching your videos? Make sure those audience actions ladder up to your marketing plan.

Think about your target audience and what they’re looking for online. What are their current needs and pain points? Great healthcare video marketing content offers information your audience wants or needs, in a way that is unique to your organization. For example:

• Does your organization have helpful expertise to share on topical issues, such as mental health resources?
• Could you offer potential patients information about the benefits of a procedure where you also need to boost patient volume?
• Would adding videos to your doctor profiles help you connect with people on a personal level and showcase your brand’s compassion?

2. Look around you for content and collaborators

You’re part of an organization doing wonderful, life-changing things. Look around with a fresh set of eyes for the stories happening around you. Don’t just tell people about the heart of your organization — show them. People love to peek behind the curtain, and it creates an emotional connection.

You might also already have video content creators around that can help you. Do you have a TikTok doc on hand? A former reporter on your marketing staff who could go on camera for a new series? A colleague with great Instagram stories? These could be your future video collaborators.

Here are a few healthcare video story ideas to help get your wheels turning:

Start a new series

• Crowdsource questions and ask a doctor or clinician to answer them
• Share quick, topical news either in a talking head format or with text on-screen over b-roll, graphics and royalty-free music
• Record fun content for kids such as handwashing songs

Feature useful tips

• Create a how-to video for at-home exercises, guided by a physical therapist
• Offer ideas for healthy seasonal dishes with a nutrition expert
• Have an ER doc explain tips for what to do in a medical emergency

Peek behind the scenes

• Follow a therapy dog bringing delight to everyone he meets
• Feature a new piece of medical equipment that will help serve more patients
• Give a tour of your new center so patients know what to expect

3. Start every healthcare video with a bang

Boom. See that? When you start a sentence with a bang, people listen. It’s even more important to catch attention quickly in a video. Remember, people can’t scan through the video like text, and they’ll click away if they’re not interested.

The first five seconds of your video are called the “hook,” and that’s how long you have to capture interest. Try not to start with an elaborate logo fly-in or a few seconds of a branded graphic — it’s not intriguing enough. People will see your logo nearby if it’s on social media anyway. Use those precious opening moments to engage. You might try starting with:

• A declarative or surprising statement. “This treatment isn’t well-known, but it should be.”
• A question. “What’s the number-one thing you can do to avoid the flu this winter?”
• A sound bite. “Working here is the best decision I ever made.”
• A pain point or problem. “I didn’t feel well, but I just didn’t know what was wrong.”
• A moving (not static) shot. “Walking through the doors of this center, you can feel hope.”

4. Direct your videos for success  

If you’re shooting the video yourself, take steps to ensure quality and professionalism. Four elements can make or break your audience’s impression of the video. They are:

• Stability. Always use a tripod or other stabilizing device to avoid shaky video.
• Lighting. Shoot in as much natural light as possible. Also, make sure your video subject isn’t backlit in front of a window.
• Audio. Avoid background noise and consider investing in an external microphone, either a directional style that mounts on your device or a clip-on style your interviewees can wear.
• Confidence. Take your role as video producer seriously and don’t hesitate to (nicely) direct the action in a way that will produce the best video. Make sure interviewees are comfortable and keep your energy high to help them reflect your confidence on screen.

5. Flip existing content into videos

If you don’t have a lot of time, think about repurposing visual assets you already have. Look at your top-performing content on social media. What do your followers like and share? If your audience enjoys that content, it might be a good place to start.

You can also consider exploring your existing visuals or longer-form videos that you may have produced for a website or newsreel. Could you edit these to use on social media?

Try these tips:

• Clip short segments out of longer videos
• Set photos to music and overlay text
• Rework blog posts into video scripts

Need a partner for your healthcare video content?

You can do it! You can enhance your brand’s online presence with video marketing. Bite-size storytelling is here to stay, so even if you haven’t created video before, it’s a great time to start. See what works for your audience and go from there. We can’t wait to see what you create.

WG Content’s team of writers, editors and project managers understand the language of healthcare. We can help you draft a healthcare video marketing script that engages audiences and showcases your brand. We also have a team of animators ready to help create high-impact video content. Drop us a line anytime to learn more.

Editor’s note: This blog was updated on July 19, 2024. It was originally published in August 2022.

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