There’s a lot of noise on the web these days. Our attention spans are dwindling and marketers are clawing for what’s left. This is why visual media has emerged as the preferred content type in recent years.
When it comes to visual media, video is king. It’s easy to consume and is a powerful medium to engage, educate, and connect with consumers in a memorable way. Brands that leverage video in their marketing see 66% more qualified leads per year and a 54% increase in overall brand awareness.
If video marketing is so effective, why are so many healthcare brands still neglecting it?
Video Marketing in Healthcare
Healthcare is notoriously slow to embrace a lot of things and video marketing is certainly one of them.
While other industries have quickly recognized the power of video in engaging and educating their target audiences, healthcare organizations have lagged behind. This reluctance to adopt video marketing can be attributed to several factors, including concerns about patient privacy and data security, regulatory constraints, and a conservative mindset within the industry.
Whatever the reason, the slow adoption of video marketing in healthcare is a crucial mistake. Patients and consumers today are increasingly seeking information through online platforms, and video content offers a convenient and effective way to communicate with them.
By neglecting video marketing, healthcare brands can miss out on a ton of benefits, including the opportunity to inspire and cultivate valuable relationships with their target audiences. Furthermore, video marketing has the potential to enhance patient engagement, improve health literacy, and ultimately drive better health outcomes.
It All Starts with YouTube
YouTube should be the default starting point for any video marketing strategy. Its vast user base of over two billion monthly active users provides unparalleled reach and engagement. It offers a diverse demographic, allowing businesses to effectively target specific niches. YouTube's robust analytics and targeting tools enable marketers to refine their strategies and reach the right audience at the right time.
Additionally, its SEO capabilities enhance visibility and discoverability, maximizing organic reach for businesses. Since YouTube is Google-owned, videos hosted on the platform receive preferential treatment in search engine results.
Lastly, any content that you upload to YouTube can be embedded and shared via other marketing mediums, like blogs, landing pages, email blasts, social media posts, and more. Think of YouTube as your “video hub” and your other marketing channels as the spokes. This will help you get strategic about how you can leverage video in other aspects of your marketing mix.
💡 Tip: Not only is YouTube the second largest social media platform, but it is also the second largest search engine after Google, its parent company. |
How to Use Video in Your Marketing
By now, you might be thinking “I get it. Video is pretty awesome. But where do I start?”
As with all great marketing practices, you’ll want to start by performing a competitive landscape analysis and some market research to help you develop a sound strategy. But before you hit the whiteboard, let’s take a look at the different ways you can leverage video marketing, using some real-world examples from the healthcare industry.
Build Trust and Credibility
Video enables healthcare businesses to establish trust with their audience in a way that no other medium can. When people see healthcare professionals on screen, speaking directly to them with confidence and empathy, it humanizes the brand and fosters a sense of authenticity.
By showcasing the expertise and compassion of clinicians and other influential professionals, video can help alleviate fears and build confidence in potential patients and customers. Furthermore, video testimonials from satisfied patients and customers can be incredibly powerful in conveying credibility and generating trust.
ChenMed is a renowned primary care provider that serves underserved – moderate-to-low-income seniors with complex chronic diseases. ChenMed produces a wealth of personable videos dedicated to building trust and credibility in its brand. Their video offerings include patient testimonials, clinician spotlights, philanthropy, patient education, and preventative care tips. They also share segments from podcasts and speaking events to educate the public about their value-based care model.
Simplify Complex Information
The healthcare industry is filled with complex concepts, medical jargon, and intricate products/services that can be difficult for the average end-user to understand.
Video has the unique ability to simplify this information and make it more accessible to a wider audience. Through animation, demonstrations, and visual storytelling, healthcare businesses can effectively communicate complex concepts in a clear and engaging manner. By providing educational videos on topics such as disease prevention, treatment options, or even simple self-care practices, healthcare businesses can empower their audience with knowledge and position themselves as reliable sources of information.
Arcadia is a healthcare analytics platform used by providers and health plans. Healthcare data isn’t necessarily a simple topic. Arcadia knows this, so they use video to effectively tackle complicated topics in a user-friendly fashion. Arcadia’s employees produce their own videos where they concisely delve into topics such as SDoH, healthcare data analytics, population health management, artificial intelligence, and more.
Build Emotional Connections
Video has the power to evoke emotions and create a sense of connection that text-based content often struggles to achieve. In healthcare, where empathy and compassion are critical components of patient care, video allows healthcare businesses to showcase their dedication to the well-being of their patients. By featuring real patient stories, testimonials, or behind-the-scenes glimpses of healthcare professionals in action, video can evoke empathy and resonate with viewers on a deeper level. This emotional connection can leave a lasting impression, making potential patients more likely to choose a healthcare provider who they feel genuinely cares about their well-being.
Medtronic is one of the world's largest medical device companies. Medtronic uses video to build emotional connections with its audience through storytelling. On Medtronic’s YouTube channel, you can find a large number of intimate documentary-esque patient journey videos. These videos give viewers a candid look at the emotional experiences of patients who have benefitted from Medtronic’s innovations. If these videos don’t hit you in the feels, I don’t know what will.
Amplify Brand Awareness & Engagement
Healthcare businesses need to find ways to stand out and capture the attention of their target audience. Video content provides a significant advantage in this regard. Videos are more likely to be shared and engaged with on social media platforms, leading to increased visibility and brand exposure.
Workit Health is a mobile app that brings addiction care to the privacy of its subscribers’ homes, with clinician video visits, online recovery communities, interactive recovery curriculums, and virtual drug testing. Workit Health utilizes its YouTube channel to create compelling and informative content related to addiction, recovery, and overall mental well-being.
Workit Health produces engaging videos that include personal success stories, expert interviews, educational resources, and practical tips for navigating the journey to recovery. By offering valuable and relatable content that its audience actively seeks out, Workit Health is able to generate stronger engagement and grow its online community.
Podcasting
Video podcasts create a visually engaging experience that complements the audio content, showcasing guest interviews, panel discussions, and host interactions. This interactive format can be repurposed across multiple platforms, expanding the brand's reach and driving engagement. By embracing video for podcasting, healthcare brands can deliver valuable information in a concise and compelling format.
CareTalk: Healthcare. Unfiltered. is a top ten healthcare podcast, produced by Grippi Media. CareTalk engages listeners with incisive debates around healthcare business and policy, featuring some of the most influential figures in healthcare. CareTalk uses video to reach a broader audience with its full-length episodes. CareTalk leverages YouTube Shorts to pull important highlights from episodes and guest features, making it easier to capture new listeners by giving them bite-sized samples of the show.
Reinforce Brand Identity
Every healthcare business has a unique brand identity that sets them apart from the competition. Video offers a powerful medium to showcase and reinforce this brand identity. From the tone of voice to the visual aesthetics, videos can be tailored to align with the brand's values and messaging. By consistently presenting a cohesive brand image through video content, healthcare businesses can strengthen their brand identity, increase brand recognition, and foster a sense of familiarity among their audience.
Headspace is a meditation and mindfulness platform that helps people create life-changing habits to support their mental health. Headspace reinforces its brand identity on YouTube through content creation, collaborations with influential figures, community engagement, and brand integration.
Headspace produces original videos on meditation and mental well-being, positioning themselves as an authority in the field. Consistent branding and references to their app and website create a recognizable brand experience, reinforcing their identity and increasing brand recall.
Don’t Wait to Build a Video Marketing Strategy
96% of marketers plan to invest in video marketing in 2023. With advancements in AI marketing tools making it easier to create and distribute video content, the number of marketers embracing video will only grow from here.
To stay ahead of the competition, healthcare marketers need to make video an urgent part of their marketing mix. The benefits are massive for those who commit and get it right. Don't be late to the party. Start developing your video marketing strategy today.
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