Now is the perfect time to look at ways to improve your healthcare content marketing strategy. Healthcare is complicated, but it doesn’t mean that your content should be. Start using video marketing to increase engagement and convey complex health topics easily!
First and foremost, there are many ways to use video to ignite your healthcare marketing campaigns. Video content is everywhere, and there is a high demand for it from healthcare audiences.
Why? Because it delivers information faster and more concise, and they can pay attention to and understand it even when the terms get medical.
Using Video Marketing to Increase Engagement With Your Healthcare Blog Posts
First, you must understand how healthcare audiences absorb your content.
How do they read your blog? What is the average time a reader spends on each blog post?
As direct as these questions seem, understanding patient and provider audience behavior is crucial, especially when creating content and increasing engagement.
Videos help break up the text in your blog posts and helps audio learners to understand the content.
We now live in a digital age where attention spans are becoming shorter, and the first 10 seconds are the most crucial part of capturing your reader’s attention online, mainly when your reader has too much to do. Be concise and to the point with both graphical and verbal content. Video is a much better format for audiences to decide if they want to read more.
These are the moments when your visitor decides whether to continue browsing your website for additional information or leave and proceed elsewhere.
According to a 2013 study by Medium, the optimal blog post is about 7 minutes long, which translates to around 1,600 words in length. More recently, however, that length has been creeping up. A 2020 survey of 1,279 bloggers by Orbit Media found that web content of 3,000 words or more is most likely to yield strong results. The survey revealed that posts over 1,500 words begin to perform above average.
To help overcome this inevitable truth of readers merely scanning through webpages, articles, and blog posts, visual healthcare content such as videos can help break up the text in your blog posts and engage with the audience more.
It’s time to let go of those lengthy paragraphs and cut down on the text. Use shorter sentences, be more concise, and utilize visuals. Why? Because videos stand out and attract readers.
A good video for your healthcare blog should highlight the main ideas in a short video and let them know there’s more information on the blog.
The video will catch the attention, increase curiosity, and push them to read the blog whenever they have the time.
Video increases the time spent on your blog posts.
This study by Oracle suggests that videos can increase the time spent on your webpage by more than 100%. When you include videos in your blog posts, readers will feel more inclined to stop when they reach the video. Readers often engage with the content by clicking on the video because it stands out amid all text in the blog post.
Videos attract Millennials and Gen Z
Millennials absorb most of the online content; they’re among the most tech-savvy generations of our digital day and age. But one generation that trumps them all when it comes to both digital fluency and dependency is Gen Z.
This generation has never known a world without the internet. They were born into an online world, and the foundation of today’s digital ecosystem was already visible mostly through video and images.
As such, this generation sees the web as a part of their everyday lives. Given this omnipresent role of connected technology, Gen Z’s expectations for the digital landscape far exceed that of any generation that has come before them.
The average Gen Z member has an online attention span of eight seconds, four seconds less than millennials. But although Gen Z’s attention span for general online surfing might be pretty short, long-form videos that interest them can grasp their attention — and keep it, so they are an audience to keep in mind when it comes to using videos to increase engagement with your blog posts.
Videos are a major driving factor of both Millennials and Gen Z consumer behavior. They are also playing a vital role as a reliable resource for their aging family members. Giving them the responsibility of searching for healthcare services they need and trusting entirely on their choice, which according to research likely derived from watching video content.
How Should You Use Videos to Increase Engagement?
We’ve discussed the “why,” so now we’ll discuss the “how.”
You can use video content to increase engagement with your blog posts in several ways:
Create original video content.
Creating original and authentic healthcare video content and embedding videos into your blog posts will help increase the overall engagement of your posts.
Types of content to consider:
- An “About Us” video
- Video Summaries
- An “Our Services” video
- Client Reviews and Testimonials
Including original video content in your blog posts will make healthcare readers more likely to share and engage with your blogs. Original videos tell a story. When you become a master at storytelling for your business and create compelling content, people will be more inclined to like, comment, and share it with their network.
Keep videos under 2 minutes.
If you want to use videos to increase engagement, make sure the videos are short and straight to the point.
Short videos gain the most attention. According to HubSpot, about 2-minute-long videos are the most engaging. You may think, “A 2-minute video seems a little short for all the information I want to include,” but don’t worry about explaining and going too in-depth to cover all aspects of the topic surrounding your blog. Using videos in your blogs complements the information, covered in the whole blog.
Host your videos on YouTube.
There are two ways you can go about hosting your video content online: on your website or YouTube.
We recommend hosting videos on YouTube before embedding them into your blogs since YouTube offers many SEO and analytics tools that help track engagement.
Blogging platforms such as WordPress make embedding YouTube videos into your healthcare blogs extremely easy.
When done right, YouTube can bring hundreds, thousands, or even millions of new customers to your business. Embedding YouTube videos into your blogs can help bolster your overall SEO and help your business rank higher when people are searching for healthcare content.
Repurpose existing video content.
If you already have an existing YouTube channel or a content hub with existing healthcare video content, repurposing videos is another excellent way to increase engagement with your blogs. One thing to remember is to make sure that the video you are embedding is relevant to the blog’s topic.
Online Video Tools
Many useful tools online help you make the best videos for your digital content marketing. Some options are:
- Free/paid
- Simple/complex
- For creation/editing
- Designed for video footage/images/animation
Screencasting
Screencasting is when you narrate a video recording of your computer screen. Sometimes it is just audio, and sometimes you can see your face in the video as well.
One of the many advantages of screencasting is that it allows for a versatile way of using video to share tutorials by narrating digital creations or software.
Examples of screencasting are healthcare videos to explain challenging healthcare topics on the blog software demos or even record training videos for new employees.
Make Your Content Into A Video
A simple way to make content is to convert slideshow-type content into a video.
However, to share the video, you must post it on social media or YouTube first and then get the embedded code from there. Or you can download the video and upload it directly into your blog.
Offline Video Creation
You can make videos in the traditional way too, and you do not need any fancy equipment either — a cellphone, tablet, or webcam can work just fine! Here are a few ideas that might work for your blogs:
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Piece-To-Camera (PTC)
The idea of getting in front of a camera can be very daunting, and most people would prefer to avoid it altogether. However, it can be a great way to connect with customers.
You can explain yourself better in your own words without having to think about them so much when writing. PTC is when you speak directly to your audience in your own words.
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10 Filming Tips
There are several things you can do to enhance the quality of your piece-to-camera.
- Lighting: Sit near a window or add lamps if you can.
- Audio: Add an external mic if possible.
- Tripod: Keep your device steady.
- Location: Find a quiet spot with a simple background.
- Lens: Wipe that dirty lens before you start.
- Horizontal: Turn your phone sideways.
- Height: Raise your device to eye level.
- Camera: Switch the camera so you can see yourself.
- Eye contact: Look at the tiny camera hole. Smile!
- Record: Aim for a natural approach.
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Interviews
Interview videos provide relevant information for both your audience and your guest’s audience, but they are also a powerful addition to your healthcare content strategy. These interviews should be conversational yet intriguing.
Consider starting a content marketing strategy where you meet with other experts in the field to discuss current issues.
If you want to focus more on your success stories to boost your reputation, meet with well-known clients who use your services or platforms and tell the public how they improved thanks to your support.
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- A note on green screens
Having a green screen as your backdrop can work great when shooting instructional videos, as you can use editing software to replace the green color with different backgrounds. This chroma key effect allows you to place objects behind and in front of you. It can help your videos look slick and put a focus on your content.This is very useful when you want to record video tutorials on how to use your digital healthcare tool or platform. It will be a helpful tool for the client to refer to as often as they want. - A note on editing software
While it is not always essential, you should do some basic editing, such as adding text titles or captions, adding music, chopping out certain parts of the video, or mixing video and images.
- A note on green screens
Types of Video Content to Add to Your Healthcare Blog
Video marketing is not as complicated as it may seem. It is about getting familiar with what video content healthcare audiences want to watch and ensuring that you have video in your marketing strategy.
Here are eight engaging types of video healthcare content that can help you build brand awareness, captivate your audience, and influence customers to take action.
Vlog
While blogs are great, vlogs, or video blogs, are much better. Vlogs offer a cost-effective platform to establish a unique brand voice and highlights your expertise to resonate with your target market.
Shooting a short, off-the-cuff vlog with only your smartphone or webcam is inexpensive and easy. This authentic approach gives your video content a relatable, personalized quality instead of a super-slick, corporate production.
Behind-the-Scenes / Company Culture
Compelling brand storytelling can set your company apart from its competitors, motivating employees and captivating prospects. For this reason, one of the best types of video content you can use is a behind-the-scenes video that reveals your company culture.
This type of video offers an immersive experience, pulling back the curtain on your company to allow customers to forge a connection with your brand. In essence, a behind-the-scenes video enables you to breathe life into your brand, humanizing it to appeal to viewers on a personal level.
Interview / Q&A
Interview videos are ideal for building brand authority as they allow you to align your brand with thought leaders and inspirational figures, help you establish authority with input from respected voices, and give your audience an intimate 1-on-1 experience where someone in your business or market space answers hard-hitting questions.
Get together with your colleagues from other healthcare companies or other hospital partners, and talk on camera about a similar issue or experience.
Both perspectives will give the reader a broader view of the topic and motivate them to form their own conclusions.
Product Reviews
Product reviews are among the most valuable types of video healthcare content, especially for consumers in the consideration phase. These videos work best when you have already established some trust with your audience.
To solicit reviews in the healthcare world, involve your existing clients and ask them to write or record their reviews.
Examples of healthcare reviews can be:
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- Answering common questions
- Showing viewers the advantages of your services
- Showing how your services helped boost their business
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This gives potential customers all the information they need to make purchasing decisions. A product review video can be as short as 30 seconds and convey the brand message and product benefits loud and clear.
Even if your business operates a B2B model with only one product, like a SaaS company, you can still do product reviews of related products or services that are not in direct competition.
Testimonials
While blogs, presentations, and product reviews are all excellent types of healthcare video content, creating video testimonials is a clever way to take each of them to the next level. By putting the spotlight on existing customers, you can show viewers just how happy your brand (and its products and services) make them. The key factor here is to get real customers.
Reach out to your satisfied customer base and create genuine video testimonials. The best way to persuade potential customers to buy in to what you offer is by asking your current customers to convince them.
Live-Streaming
Live video is available on many channels. Live video creates the curiosity of not knowing what’s going to happen next, so customers feel like they’re going to miss out if they don’t tune in.
Another unique advantage of this form of video marketing is that live video allows for real-time community interaction, you can use it to:
- Answer live Q&A sessions
- Talk about healthcare trends
- Talk about exclusive announcements from an influencer
User-Generated Content
Inviting customers to contribute videos is a clever way to get authentic customer testimonials. But it does not need to stop there. User-generated content is huge, and you can leverage it in various ways to drive traffic, gather leads, and build brand loyalty.
Video FAQs
What do you need for video?
- Adequate recording gear (quality microphone and video camera)
- Video editing software
- Social platform suited for video content distribution
- WordPress plugins
- Reliable web hosting service
- YouTube account
How do you embed a video into a blog?
You embed a video using a URL as follows:
- Copy the video’s URL from your web browser’s address bar while viewing the video.
- For YouTube videos, you can use the video URL from “Share this video” under the Share option.
- Go to Posts > Add New.
- Paste the URL on a line by itself in your post editor where you want the video to appear.
You can also embed videos using the embedded code:
- Locate the video you want to embed.
- Copy the embed code for the video.
- Go to Posts > Add New.
- Place your cursor where you want the video to appear, and then click on the Add Media button.
- In the Add Media window, click on the Insert Embed Code tab.
- Paste the video embed code into the embed code field.
- Click on Insert into Post.
- Your Add Media window will close, and the form will appear in the visual editor.
In Conclusion
The best way to capitalize on healthcare video content is to integrate it with your other marketing efforts.
When done strategically, videos can be used to help increase engagement with your blogs, especially when addressing an audience who has a short attention span or is hard to catch; As a result, doing so will also improve how readers interact with your content. If you have any questions to get started, contact us today!
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