remote video for doctors
Remote video for doctors (How-to-guide)
Remote video is the production of video content using online tools. In the past you would have depended on a camera operator visiting you on site. Now, remote video production techniques allow you to work together with an off-site producer and produce professional video content. In this article, we explore why you would do it and how to get started.
remote video for doctors
Remote video for doctors and surgeons
Kris Borgraeve
November 8, 2022
The little-known benefits of online video
why use video as a doctor
It’s a paradox. Video has been the most widely used online content format for years.
But do you produce weekly video content as a surgeon, a specialist, an allied health professional in private practice?
If your answer is yes, great! Still, I invite you to stick around for some great tips. If – like many doctors- you have always postponed or dismissed going on camera, take a look at the benefits.
- Conversions: Video takes the visitor to the next level because they feel as if they are now in a conversation with you. It’s easier to take the next step and book an appointment once people have the idea they got to know you better.
- Session duration: If your visitors stay on your medical web pages for longer, the Google algorithms pick up on that success story and it’s one of the ranking factors for your medical content. In other words, embedded YouTube videos on your pages will benefit the overall SEO of your website.
- Social media: You now have ready-to-use items to post on social media, connect with referrers on LinkedIn, communicate with the community and position yourself as an educator.
Remote video for doctors is the technique we use to capture your content through your own webcam, on your smartphone or computer. We script, capture and produce the raw footage together and edit the video content in our creative studio to package it all up and publish it onto your website or YouTube channel.
How video adds rapport and authority to your marketing
video marketing in healthcare
The main reason why video marketing in healthcare has not reached its full potential is clear. Doctors are trained in medicine, not in the creative arts.
"The most successful medical marketing campaigns I see have a video component. From simple YouTube clips embedded in content pages on specific topics, to a short ‘About Me’ clip to introduce you as a doctor. At the other end of the spectrum, Instagram Live sessions with Q&As, webinars for GPs, and complete YouTube channels full of video content."
The elephant in the room when we discuss video marketing in healthcare settings is not budget. Nor is it technical complexity.
It’s self-consciousness. Taking that step to talk into the barrel of a lens is easy for the Instagram-Selfie generations but might not be your natural communication format. Here’s the thing. Since 2020, we have probably all adapted our relationship with online video conferencing tools, webinars, video meetings and that built-in lens in our phones, tablets or computers.
So why not use the opportunity and take it to the next level?
Remote video for doctors is already being used to produce podcast content, to make doctors stand out on YouTube and to increase the conversion rate in medical marketing. Check out our extensive Video Marketing section in our Grow Magazine to get up to speed with the latest video marketing techniques you can use as a doctor.
A blueprint for the DIY video setup
best setup for video
Where do you start with the technical side of things? The best setup for video marketing is not the most expensive one. Before you empty the shelves of the nearest photography store and buy cameras, lenses, light kits and lapel mics…Check this out.
The latest hardware we use for our day-to-day work (computers and smartphones) has been the subject of an interesting quality race. In trying to outperform other brands in this Zoom, Skype, Viber and WhatsApp era, most recent tools now have amazing built-in lenses and even microphone systems.
"The best setup you can find for your online meetings will also allow you to capture short videos without investing in anything else. In other words, your investment in really good quality video meeings also covers your setup to start using video marketing."
I have worked in front of the most expensive cameras on the planet, as a TV news anchor in a previous role. And now, the built-in webcam in my iMac allows me to capture a video in full High Definition, or to stream my live webinar in the same optimal quality.
Pro Tip: Even with the best lenses, light is pivotal. I use a professional light kit that covers multiple positions, to get the best result out of my webcam lens. The key is to avoid strong lights behind you, because the camera will adapt to the strong light and make you look darker. Remote video for doctors is a great evolution because as your video coach we can help you find the best possible setup and background for your future video recordings.
The other elephant in the room: sound
sound for DIY video
Sound for DIY video used to be far more complicated a decade ago. It’s one of those areas where technology makes things easier for us.
Sound is a critical element because even with high quality video content, the way your voice is being recorded makes a huge difference.
Reverb is something you get used to in daily life. If your office has poor acoustics, your ears may have filtered out the reverb sound a long time ago but the person who is listening to you in an online video can’t filter that out. Reverb reduces the clarity of your voice tremendously.
Pro Tip: To get the best possible sound for DIY video as a doctor, there are a few things you can do.
- Choose a room that has good acoustics. Carpets, lots of furniture and no blank walls or blank windows, preferably not too big and definitely not with tile or concrete floors. Try and record your voice in a bedroom or walk-in wardrobe and compare it to capturing sound in your office…If your office is too empty, the sound will have too much reverb.
- Choose a quality microphone that is directional. Omnidirectional mics also capture all the reverb. Directional mics only work well if you speak into them from the right angle and at the right distance. New iMacs have a directional microphone combination built in and the focal point of those mics is exactly where you sit when you use the screen in a normal way.
- Inspect the noise levels: Even if you filtered out the hum of air conditioners, coffee machines, receptionist electronics such as phones and faxes, neon lights and the buzz off your own computer…your microphone will still pick it up.
And now it’s time for the fun stuff: energy!
speaking on camera
Speaking on camera can be the most rewarding thing and it can be the one thing you keep postponing until next year.
"Haircuts, backdrops, energy levels, our mood, our self-consciousness, other people’s opinion, comparing ourselves to others, past experiences…there’s a lot at play when we dive into the personal performance that comes with pressing that record button. Tip 1: Accept that all this is happening and that you are going to nail it!"
The energy of your video is at its best when you are being yourself. I have seen doctors go live on Instagram as if they were talking to a best friend. Just sitting at the kitchen bench, asking questions or commenting on their Instagram feed.
If a doctor is not comfortable to start talking on camera, it often means they have not clearly defined their personal brand story and brand positioning. As soon as we help surgeons or specialists create that clarity about their profile, talking about a topic and nurturing their natural authority becomes second nature. Personal branding for doctors has become more relevant in recent years, particularly in private health when patients take more time to do their research before they follow a GP referral.
There are proven techniques to train yourself at this and here at Digital Practice, we can help you optimise your skills and energy when you are speaking on camera. Book a free 1:1 Strategy Session to hear more about our experience in media training, the skills you can train by focusing on one aspect of your video strategy, and the pathway to being 100% authentic and comfortable going on camera with remote video workflows for doctors, surgeons or allied health professionals.
Explore our remote solutions
remote video
Remote video technology allows us to coach, direct and record your video content from our own creative studio without flying over or sending in a camera operator. Book a free 1:1 Strategy Session to explore the best video strategy for your practice, even if your specialists work in different locations.
- Tags: Marketing for doctors
