Video is an incredibly powerful tool for healthcare marketers, if they know how to use it right. Here’s a quick guide to doing video marketing well.

How effective is the use of video in marketing? Studies show that marketers who use video grow revenue nearly 50% faster than those who don’t. Consumers are watching billions of hours of video each year on social media platforms, with more content being uploaded every 30 days than all combined content created by TV networks in the last 30 years.

For healthcare businesses, video can be the tool that helps drive more patient sign-ups while deepening engagement with current patients. Let’s take a look at a few methods for using video to connect with audiences, and how a third-party video production company that specializes in this approach can help you optimize your campaigns.

Why video content is becoming ubiquitous

Virtually every Internet user in the US watches video on their devices — and 54% of these users want to see more video content from the brands and businesses they patronize. Consumers report preferring video to other mediums because it aligns with their browsing preferences, providing fast access to rich multimedia content. In other words, watching a video is high impact, but low effort for audiences.

That’s one reason why this approach has been so effective. Nearly 90% of video marketers report being satisfied with the ROI attached to their campaigns. Video marketers also receive 66% more qualified leads per year and a 54% bump in brand awareness. The average user spends 88% more time on websites with video, and consumers report being highly influenced in their personal buying decisions by the video content they’ve consumed.

Add it up, and you’ve got a highly compelling case for incorporating more video into your marketing mix. The healthcare field, in particular, is especially ripe for a video-heavy approach — as many brands are currently proving.

Learning from the best video campaigns in healthcare marketing

One of the simplest ways to understand how video is used effectively within healthcare is to review campaigns that have been successful. Let’s take a look at a few of the best approaches:

• The fabled Mayo Clinic is one of the leading names in medicine. That institution’s “Mayo Clinic Minute” is a compendium of 60-second videos that give a bite-sized (but not shallow) dive into a health issue that has some resonance for everyday consumers. These videos give consumers exactly what the doctor ordered: Actionable information in a quick and accessible form.
  
• While video is a powerful, immersive video is even more potent. The Royal London Hospital and a tech firm called Medical Realities created this 360-degree, deeply immersive video that takes viewers on a close-up tour of an OR surgery. Audiences can scan around the room and view from the perspective of the surgeon or the patient, and move objects around in space by using AR/VR hardware. This kind of augmented reality simulation can create an exhilarating experience for viewers and spark interest in a way that more static marketing could never approach.
  
• Another essential element is effective video marketing is narrative. If you don’t craft a cohesive and compelling story that grips the audience, the inherent power of the video format can only take you so far. This video from Bupa, a dental firm, cleverly retells the story of the Tooth Fairy in a way that forms a nostalgic bond with the viewer and raises the video’s impact.
  
• Dr. Sandra Lee (also known as “Dr. Pimple Popper”) has nearly a billion combined video views, making her one of the most omnipresent social media stars in the healthcare field. Her YouTube channel is filled with her trademark videos, which revel in the “gross” side of dermatology. Her incredible success teaches a lesson: Healthcare videos don’t have to be staid or boring. You can push the envelope on content and reap the benefits.
  
• Do you know what else audiences gravitate toward in terms of video content? Ideas or lessons they can immediately apply in their own lives. St. Elizabeth’s Healthcare’s video marketing series provides audiences with short, well-produced videos that offer healthy eating recipes. Health and wellness content is always popular, and the prospect of learning a new healthy recipe in just 30 to 60 seconds is an enticing prospect for audiences.
  
• Following the “short and sweet” line of thinking, healthcare-related firms such as Walgreens have also extended the impact of their marketing by creating extremely short videos or animated GIFs for their social media accounts. These ultra-bite sized videos are a great way to extend the impact of a simple social media post.

All of these ideas can help healthcare marketers gain the interest of new patients and deepen relationships with existing patients. To get the most from a campaign, however, sometimes it’s necessary to partner with a third-party marketing video production firm that specializes in this approach.

Finding the right video marketing agency

At Bigeye, we have deep expertise with video marketing services, making us one of the leading healthcare marketing agencies in the southeastern US. If your firm needs help creating video content that moves the needle, don’t wait to contact us today.