Avoid These Common Video Marketing Mistakes

Is your dermatology practice using videos as effectively as possible? Video is currently one of the most crucial aspects of digital marketing. Here, I share some tips to help your practice boost its digital marketing through video.

Why does your practice need to use video marketing?

High-quality content is considered an essential element in effective digital marketing, and right now videos are one of the most engaging forms of content available on the internet. Especially on social media, 90 percent of users report that they watch videos on social media platforms, according to Business2Community. So if your practice wants to reach social media users, video content is essential.

Additionally, considering the digital market changes due to COVID-19, marketing experts also projected an increased amount of video content in 2021. Even among marketers who did not previously use video, 69 percent said they planned to use video in their marketing in 2021, HubSpot reports. That means it is likely that your competition uses videos in their marketing, but your practice can still benefit from producing this kind of content even if they aren’t.

Dermatology practices especially have a unique opportunity to reach prospective patients through videos. According to Statista, beauty-related content makes up for some of the most popular content on YouTube, with views for beauty-related content hitting 169 million in recent years. Your practice can help meet this demand by providing reputable content as a dermatology expert. If you can manage to do it right, your practice will likely reach a much broader patient base and attract more prospective patients using video marketing.

Common video marketing mistakes to avoid

Not all videos are effective for digital marketing. To make sure your practice can reap the benefits of video marketing, you should be careful to avoid these common mistakes.

Producing long videos. Even though you may have many great ideas and vital information to communicate, you need to keep in mind that your audience is mainly made up of people scrolling through their social media pages. Most people aren’t interested in watching long videos; most people reportedly click away within 10 seconds if it doesn’t catch their attention in that time. The ideal video should be no longer than a minute or a minute and a half, according to Business Collective.

Posting unattractive videos. To engage viewers within those first 10 seconds of the video, post videos with eye-grabbing visuals relevant and attractive to your ideal patients. Whether you want to show before-and-after treatment results or share skincare tips, use high-quality, expertly shot, and attractive video footage that grabs your viewers’ attention. Be careful to use good lighting and provide captions when possible, as many social media viewers watch muted videos.

Ignoring search terms. Just as with most other content forms, videos also need to use your ideal patients’ standard search terms and keywords. Keep in mind what your patients are looking for and make use of SEO techniques so that the videos will reach their intended audience. Also, each video should have a single clear purpose related to those search terms so that the message can reach your audience.

Lacking a call to action. As a dermatologist, you may hesitate to promote services or use language that sounds like advertising, so you may feel uncomfortable using a call to action. However, the reality is that videos that don’t have a clear call to action will leave viewers wondering what to do next, and you will miss out on valuable interaction with potential patients. Make sure your videos tell viewers where to click to learn more about the topic or how to contact you to receive your services.

How to step up your video marketing game

Now that you know what video marketing pitfalls you should avoid, trending videos may prove effective for your dermatology practice. One of the most significant benefits of video marketing is that it can make often intimidating medical care and dermatology procedures seem more accessible. Have that goal in mind when creating videos for marketing.

Introductory videos. One effective way to use video in your marketing strategy is to introduce your dermatology practice and your staff to patients through videos. Short introductory videos that share a few personal facts from each doctor and staff member can make patients feel more connected to the practice and more comfortable scheduling a visit.

Product reviews and how-tos. Many patients want to learn about dermatology services online before they visit you. You can be the one to provide this information by creating video content such as expert product reviews, instructional how-to videos, FAQ videos, or educational content and tips videos.

360-degree videos. Videos are also a great way to allow patients to familiarize themselves with your dermatology office. For this use, 360-degree video can be a great interactive tool to enable prospective patients to have control over viewing your welcoming office space.

Success stories. When appropriate, you may also want to share patient testimonials and before-and-after success stories to inspire other patients. Patients who are willing can provide relatable video content that will likely attract other patients and increase trust.

Closing Thoughts

Video can be an incredibly effective digital marketing tool for dermatology practices. Avoid mistakes such as making long videos so that you can keep your video marketing engaging to get the results you want. Try out some of these different types of videos to see which ones appeal the most to your patients, and don’t give up too soon as it may take some time and practice to get good engagement on your videos.

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