Patient testimonials are a powerful marketing tool that all dentists can use on their website, on social media, in ads, on landing pages, in blogs, and in emails. When testimonials are in video form, they can pack an even bigger punch.
Videos are a dynamic way to send a message, and they can introduce an element of authenticity to any marketing campaign. In addition, success stories from real patients can go a long way toward building a practice’s credibility and authority, as long as they’re done right.
While a testimonial video does not necessarily need to be professionally produced, it does need to look good. A video that is a little on the “raw” side may actually resonate better with potential patients than one that is more polished.
That said, a sloppy video will turn people off. Therefore, there are some important guidelines to keep in mind when incorporating patient testimonial videos into your practice’s marketing strategy, and certainly some things to absolutely avoid.
- Tip 1: Hold the phone or camera steady. Use a tripod or phone stand if possible. A shaky video is hard to watch and will not hold the viewer’s attention for long. If the phone or camera is still and at the correct angle, the video will be much cleaner.
- Tip 2: Make sure the head and shoulders of the person speaking are fully in the shot (but maybe not their entire body). If a video is shot from too close up, it can feel uncomfortable. Likewise, if it is shot from too far away, it can feel too formal or impersonal.
- Tip 3: Check the lighting. If the light is too low or if the patient in your video is backlit, their face will be in shadow, and it could end up looking like they’re in witness protection. For the best results, the main light source should be behind the camera, not behind the person being recorded, and bright enough to see facial features clearly.
- Tip 4: Shoot your video in a quiet place. Background noise, even music, in your testimonial video can be distracting and will make your patient harder to understand. Additionally, it just draws attention to the fact that the video was not professionally produced. If there is no background noise, the focus remains on the subject of your video, which is what you want.
- Tip 5: Ask your patient to speak loudly and clearly enough to be heard and understood. If the goal is to rave about the success of a procedure and about how wonderfully they were treated by the team, it is important that all of their words of praise come across loud and clear.
- Tip 6: Choose patients who are enthusiastic. Patients who have undergone major transformations usually make the best subjects for videos. Their stories are usually more emotional and “juicier” in general, making them more likely to resonate with others.
- Tip 7: Ask leading questions to drive the story. If you plan ahead a bit, you can write down some open-ended questions to encourage the patient to add interesting details, not just about the procedure they had, but also about how it has changed their life. This gives you more to work with for the final video, and the questions can always be edited out.
- Tip 8: Set a goal of asking at least three patients and getting one video shot each week. Naturally, not every patient will want to be on camera, but asking several patients a week will certainly increase the odds that someone will. Additionally, shooting one video a week will give you plenty of content that can be rotated in and out and used across multiple platforms and in targeted marketing campaigns.
Patient testimonial videos are a great resource for marketing a dental practice. When done properly and used in the right way, they don’t just tell the patient’s stories, but they also help tell your story.
Testimonial videos show potential patients that people just like them trust your integrity as a dental professional, the quality of the treatments you provide, and the skills of the staff you hire.
With all of that riding on the videos you choose to promote in your marketing, it is important that they are produced well, and that is certainly possible, as long as you always keep the final product in mind.
With more than a decade of experience in corporate dental laboratory marketing and brand development, Ms. Ulasewich–Cullen decided to take her passion for the dental business and marketing to the next level by founding My Dental Agency. Since starting her company, she and her team have helped a wide variety of practices all over the nation focus their message, reach their target audience, and increase their sales through effective marketing campaigns. She can be reached at (800) 689-6434 or via email at jackie@mydentalagency.com.
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