Allison Pentony
Custom photos & videos of your clinic and staff are essential to your marketing efforts. When a potential patient feels like they know what will happen after they schedule, they’ll be much more likely to both signup an arrive.
This is why you want to update your photos & videos on your social media channels, website, and especially direct-mail marketing at least once a month.
But… most practices don’t want to spend money on a professional photographer that often – and that’s OK!
DIY Photos & Videos For Physical Therapy
While we recommend having professional pictures done 1-2 times a year, smartphone cameras are getting better and better with each new release. Therefore, there’s no reason you or a staff member can’t handle monthly marketing updates on your own.
All you need are these simple, affordable best practices:
How To Take Great Photos & Videos On Your Smartphone:
1. The Camera In Your Pocket!
Open your camera application. Be sure to turn on your smartphone grids. This allows you to square-up and keep the horizon level for your shots.
2. Looking For The Light!
Natural light is better than your phone’s flash. Use a window, it’s free and the light is perfect. Just be sure not to back-light your subject. You can also invest in a LED panel light. You can order from Amazon for around $20.
3. Stabilize Your Content:
Invest in a smartphone tripod. This allows your camera to remain in a locked-in position and can make a huge difference when taking/shooting a video.
4. Learn Your Camera’s Features:
Start by Googling your phone model and reading up on any special features. Then have fun and start playing around with them.
5. Upgrade Your Audio When Recording:
When shooting a video, clean audio is more important than sharp footage. Be sure to upgrade your audio when recording.
6. Editing Is Easier Than You Think!
Editing your videos/photos is easier than you think. Your smart phone already has a handful of features, but it never hurts to look at other apps & options. Instagram and VSCO are a great place to start!
Now that you have your content filmed, let’s talk about how online video continues to grow into a key marketing opportunity.
More practices are creating YouTube channels with helpful videos that give visual examples of PT in action. All you need to do is develop a list of a few topics that would be relevant and interesting for patients—choose topics like exercises, seasonal activities, and healthy tips that can be explained in a few minutes.
How does YouTube fit into your online marketing plan?
Google owns YouTube and thus, videos posted on YouTube and linked to your website helps your website rise to the top of search engine rankings. You can add relevant keywords to the video information and will start to see your website and video link on the search results page for those key phrases.
Lastly, develop a plan for how you are going to continue creating easy and useful videos and how to distribute (via YouTube, your website, email lists, social media, etc).
Want to learn more about YouTube for PT practices? Check out How YouTube Can Attract New Patients To Your Practice.
