August 2009

Do your prospects and patients see what you're saying?

by John D. Lewis

My 13-year-old son was really into origami about a year ago. He would fold paper into all sorts of things -- boats, canoes, envelopes, frogs, birds, water bombs, etc.

Recognizing his interest, my wife got him a book at the library so that he could learn more. Upon receiving the book, he quickly thumbed through it to identify the designs he was interested in learning, studied the pictures, read the instructions and... then he came to me.

He said, "Dad, can you figure this out?" Then he said, "I just wish they would make a video about this. It's so much easier to understand when you can watch it on video."

That sentiment is shared by nearly everybody these days. Pamphlets, brochures, and books are quickly becoming outdated, boring, and "old school."

People today (especially young people) are accustomed to learning with video. Television completely dominates life. I don't necessarily agree with it, but facts are facts.

Attention spans are down considerably. It's getting harder and harder to get people to read anything these days. If it requires effort -- or if it doesn't hold their attention for a minute -- it's not going to work. That's the bottom line.

So, what are you doing about it in your marketing?

Have you adapted your practice to include video (and lots of it) in your marketing? In your patient education? In your follow-up? If not, you're missing out -- and losing patients. You're leaving money on the table.

Video tutorial

There are many different types of video that you can use. Each has its place. Following is a list of a few different types and uses for video:

***  Marketing Videos. These videos should teach your prospects something they didn't know, then profile you as the expert in that subject matter. These types of videos should be high-quality, professionally produced and narrated by a professional voiceover -- not by you!

***  Welcome Videos. These are the videos that welcome visitors to your website or to your practice. You should narrate these videos, which do not necessarily need to be professionally produced. Many of the videos that appear on YouTube are this style.

***  Educational Videos. These are videos that are meant to teach something to your prospects or patients. They can be professionally produced or they can be done in a classroom-style setting. If you're talking about something that's difficult to understand and that can be shown visually, by all means get some animations to support what's being said.

These are obviously just a few examples of videos that you should be using. Your patients expect it. Your prospects look for it.

There's a reason why YouTube and similar sites are skyrocketing in popularity, why more video is being added to blogs and social networking sites like Facebook, and why search engines like Google rank websites with video higher than those without video.

In short, you need to have videos!

Here's a little tip to get you started. I recently came across a company that's giving away chiropractic videos for your website for free (except the minimal monthly hosting fee). These are not just any videos. They're what I consider to be the best 3D animations in the industry, which are the hardest and most expensive to produce.

When I asked the president of the company why they're giving away 20 of their most popular animations to a limited number of chiropractors to put on their own websites, he said that he anticipates chiropractors will want to purchase their entire program once they experience the power of these videos. Whether or not he's right, in the mean time you can go to www.free3DRXvideos.com and get them while they remain available.

If nothing else, that should give you a jump start into the video arena. And, keep this in mind: "If a picture is worth a thousand words, what's a video worth?"

(Formerly a CPA specializing in designing, implementing, and automating accounting and operating systems, My Custom Video, Inc. Founder and President John Lewis has combined that experience and expertise with his true passion for direct response marketing. He's written and developed marketing products, videos, websites, software programs, and sales materials, which have generated millions of dollars of revenue for clients spanning a variety of industries. Mr. Lewis now teaches professionals how to enhance their lifestyle by learning to attract a steady stream of prospects and referrals through automated marketing techniques. Most recently, he developed a completely automated, done-for-you marketing system for the chiropractic profession that is offered through The Chiropractic Peak Performance Alliance.)