It’s do-or-die time for video marketing your ortho practice

I know this subject is scary, and most of you don’t even want to think about producing video as part of your Internet marketing program. “It’s too expensive. It takes too much time. I don’t know where to start!” If you think about it, you are missing out on a huge opportunity, one that will impact the bottom line of your practice today and its future in the years to come.

Online video viewership keeps setting new records, according to reports released from ComScore.com Video Metrix Service. As you might expect, Google Sites (which includes YouTube) lead the growth charge, accounting for 49 percent of the incremental gain in overall videos viewed versus the previous month.

Each month, nearly 100 million viewers watch almost 6 billion videos on YouTube alone.

Having your video rank on page one of Google is orthodontic marketing mecca. Viewers can’t resist clicking on a video when searching for products or services online.

Once your video link reaches page one, you are golden. Viewers click, and it keeps playing and playing, just like the energizer bunny, 24/7, whether you are working, sleeping, eating, playing golf or spending time with your family. There is no better return on investment today than video marketing.

Why is video so powerful?

Video is the No. 1 marketing tool available to deliver your personalized marketing message, exactly the way you want it, at precisely the moment a prospective new patient is looking for your services on the Internet.

It engages the senses and creates emotion. Viewers can hear and see who you are and what you are all about. This is difficult to accomplish with the written word on a Web site.

Statistics show that video marketing on a Web site increases consumer interest by more than 100 percent, resulting in a call to action for products or services, including potential patients contacting your office for an exam.

It is less expensive to produce video than TV and radio commercials. Plus, once your video is created and uploaded to the Internet, it is “evergreen,” visible for everyone to see until you take it down.

Video is the No. 1 preferred form of communication in today’s tech savvy society. What would you prefer to do: watch a video on a subject of interest or read Web site copy? There is no contest.

Speed to market wins the race. The window of opportunity to be the first in your area to add video to your Web site is small.

Don’t be a “me too” practice. Lead the way in an economy that cries out for something different to stand out in the crowd. If your marketing budget doesn’t allow for custom video right now, an inexpensive but powerful alternative is www.marketingwithlivevideo.com. Hire an Internet actor to deliver your marketing message for you.

One way or another, video is the key to a successful Internet marketing campaign. Venture outside your comfort zone and deliver your own message to consumers in your demographic.

Do it today to improve the health of your practice in an Internet-based society that researches professional services online or risk the consequences of being left behind.

Earn C.E. credits

Mary Kay Miller offers a six-part series of Internet-marketing Webinars, which help you discover what you need to know to get your orthodontic Web site working correctly on Google and teach you how to build your practice for the future on the Internet. Take advantage of this opportunity to improve your Internet presence with your current Web site and Web 2.0 marketing strategies, while earning ADA-CERP credits. Find the recorded and archived modules online at www.OTstudyclub.com.

About the author

Mary Kay Miller of Orthopreneur Marketing Solutions is an Internet marketing coach specializing in SEO (search engine optimization) and Web 2.0 Internet Marketing solutions. With more than 30 years experience in orthodontic marketing and practice management and 10 years in Internet marketing, she has mastered the attitudes, skills and knowledge necessary to take your practice to the next level.
 

Access her free marketing e-Guide, “Marketing Your Practice Through Different Eyes,” at www.orthopreneur.com. You may contact her by e-mail at marykay@orthopreneur.com or call toll-free (877) 295-5611 for a complimentary demographic evaluation of your Web site.