By Nancy Rausman
Managing Editor, EyeCarePro
Dec. 21, 2016
Video is a powerful draw for people surfing the internet, and you can use videos to grow your practice. In recent years, equipment costs have come down, and the process of making your own videos is simple.
Creating videos that gain the attention of existing and prospective patients gives you the chance to show them why they should visit your practice. For instance, you can tie the posting of a video to a promotion in your optical, giving a code in the video for people to use for a discount when they shop in your optical. The possibilities are endless once you capture the attention of people who may be looking for a new eye doctor.
Advances in social media make it easy to post videos and send links to patients on special occasions. You also can encourage your patients to share videos with their family, friends and co-workers–the very prospective patients you are trying to reach.
Posting videos on your web site that are hosted on YouTube (which is owned by Alphabet, which also owns Google), can dramatically increase your SEO.
For videos to be effective at generating interest in you and your practice they must be informative and entertaining. The majority of the videos our clients produce are educational, such as how-to’s, or those which answer common questions. But practices that think outside the box and create unusual videos are more successful in gaining attention and exposure to bring in new patients. The key, in all videos, is to relate to your audience. Engage your viewers, and your practice will benefit.
For example, EyeWellness of Niagara Falls, N.Y., (see video below), produced a video to tell its patients about eye-healthy foods, an emerging subject with potentially wide appeal.
Show Patients Eye-Healthy Foods–and How to Cook Them
Laurie Capongna, OD, of EyeWellness in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, created a professional-looking series of eye food videos on her practice’s YouTube Channel that she plans to also post to the practice’s web site. Dr. Capongna produces these videos for both kids and adults.
Eyecare Tips–and Happy Birthday to Patients–Via Video
Drs. Dobbins & Letourneau Eye Care in Lawrence, Kan., created a YouTube channel with educational videos, personal messages from the doctor about their service philosophy and eyecare tips, and a surprise. They created a personal happy birthday video from their staff, which they host on YouTube, and can send to patients via e-mail or social media as a birthday greeting.
Share Your Vision Success Stories
Many of you have seen the famous baby Piper video, but it has to be mentioned because it is a phenomenal example of how to use video to promote your practice. Piper’s mom posted a video of her putting on her new glasses and seeing for the first time, and it went viral. Working with EyeCarePro, Piper’s doctor, Josiah Young, OD, of Opticare Vision Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, took the opportunity and ran. We created a specific page on his web site dedicated to Infantsee, and then also posted all of the follow-up interviews there. All of these videos were also shared on social media.
Show Off Your Optical’s Product Selection
A “box opening” video showing the unwrapping of new frames generates excitement. These videos can be done simply with a smartphone. Pick up a tripod equipped with a phone holder. It rests on a table and gives you a steady, professional-looking image.
You can update these regularly or just every six months, or once a year. The key is to give your patient base (and anyone looking for an eye doctor) an overview of your optical. See this one from Lovejoy Opticians in Portland, Ore.
Let Prospective Patients Hear First-Hand from Satisfied Patients
Customer testimonials are shown to work in business. For an optometric practice, positive patient testimonials provide viewers with people stories that they can relate to. Testimonials evoke a feeling of trust by providing a candid, objective perspective, one not coming from the practice itself. This can encourage prospective patients or current patients who have gone years without an exam to pick up the phone to book an appointment.
Here is an effective video from Vicky Fishcer, OD, of Laria Eye Care in Miami, Fla. In this video, Dr. Fishcer works with a child patient, while her mother attests to the outstanding care that the practice delivers.
Related ROB Articles
Five Common Social Media Blunders–and How to Avoid Them
Post with Impact: Make a Personal Connection to Patients
You Received a Bad Online Review, So Now What?
Editor’s Note: Before shooting videos featuring patients, always get signed HIPAA Marketing Authorization form from the patient for the use of the videos for marketing purposes.
Nancy Rausman is the managing editor at EyeCarePro. Nancy is responsible for providing ECPs with educational content that helps them advance their practices through technology, management strategies and digital marketing. EyeCarePro is one of the leading providers of online marketing and practice improvement services in the industry. EyeCarePro serves both industry and practices and is the only company of its kind solely focused on the optometric space. To contact: nancy@eyecarepro.net
