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When only video will do

More than 1 billion unique users visit YouTube each month. Over 6 billion hours of video are watched each month on YouTube. 100 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute. YouTube is localised in 61 countries and across 61 languages. Millions of subscriptions happen each day with the daily number of new subscriptions up more than 3x since last year.

YouTube is the second largest search engine after Google. Google owns YouTube. And there’s more…

One third of all online activity is spent watching video. The average internet user is exposed to over 32 videos a month. 50% of users watch business related videos once a week. 80% of internet users remember the video ads they watch online. 26% of internet users look for more information after viewing a business video. Visitors to your website are 64% more likely to buy after watching a video.

Click-through rates increase by a factor of 3 when marketers include a video link in an email. 80% of visitors to your website will watch a video while only 20% will read content in its entirety. Your website is 50 times more likely to appear on the first page on Google if it contains a video.

I’ll stop now! But, you can see video is here to stay and all the signs are it will become a bigger part of all our lives. This begs the question, how should an orthodontic practice use video to market themselves and communicate to patients? This article is the first in a series on video production and marketing for orthodontists where we’ll be answering this key question.

What type of video works for an orthodontic practice?

At FooCo we work on the basis that video integrates text, image and music towards a unified goal so it’s important to remember video is not necessarily appropriate for every kind of idea or story. If you find yourself trying to “convert” content into a video rather than developing the idea organically then it’s often an indicator that things have gone awry in the creative process.

A good example of this kind of creative development was an orthodontist who wanted to put patients at ease and at the same time demonstrate expertise. The ultimate aim was to produce a video aimed at adult and teen patients who were researching options for orthodontic treatment online, rather than for existing patients. We came up with the idea of filming the actual process of fitting a fixed brace and then recording the same orthodontist explaining the procedure in a step-by-step basis and laying the voiceover over the final footage. We then did the same process for removing & cleaning and some further instructional videos on removable braces and elastics. It’s unusual to film “process” videos; the majority of our work is either marketing or how-to videos but in this case the results delivered on the brief. Patients can now see exactly what they’re signing up for, and crucially, that there’s nothing to be frightened of. At the same time the expertise, skill and “personality” of the orthodontist is conveyed resulting in the viewer feeling much more relaxed about making a decision to book an appointment.

Good video is clearly about more than just filming and editing. The pre-production work starts with an idea. If the idea requires a visual or aural element in order to be interesting then this a good indicator that it could work well as a video. Conversely, if you need to add the visuals as an afterthought this suggests the idea probably won’t work in video form.

Training Videos

There are also occasions when video may act as an able back-up when the primary means of communicating your message aren’t possible. We recently filmed a long and complicated dental implant procedure as part of a training course. The dentists who ran the course were finding that if the patient couldn’t make the live demonstration on the date the course ran, it created a real problem. The video now let’s them deliver the course even if they can’t demonstrate on a live patient.

Training and course videos are playing an ever bigger role in FooCo’s work so if there’s an event or course you feel could benefit from being filmed you can contact us through our website.

Generating Ideas

The key here, irrespective of style or goal, is adhering to a rigorous creative process that let’s the story, rather than the medium of story-telling, drive decisions about your core goals.

So, ask yourself what people care about? What might work in your niche? What have you seen others do in other verticals like; hotels, vets, schools, lawyers etc…

What style of content is appropriate for your idea, is video really the right form?

Pick out the core purpose of your content. Do you need to build different bits of content to achieve different aims or can you hit all your goals with a single bit of content?

We’re currently working on a concept for a dental practice who’ve decided they want to go all guns for a “musical funny” This is obviously not for everyone and has the potential to backfire in spectacular fashion! But, the crucial advantage we have in this case is the staff are all signed up for it. Enthusiasm counts for a lot and the early signs are promising. We’ll be posting the final video on our YouTube Channel so just search FooCo Video and subscribe. Should be interesting!

*Source, ComScore & Neilsen Online

Contact FooCo at [email protected] for a full website appraisal. We’ll even do a new homepage design for you on request and all obligation-free.

Author Biog

Malcolm Counihan is the founder and MD of FooCo Video & Marketing. Launched in 2007 FooCo now helps over 500 healthcare clients with their marketing and communications. Orthodontic clients benefit from an array of products and services including; website design; video production for websites and waiting-rooms, brace care video and other design and printing services.