Turn yourself into a medical film star

Making a video for your practice? Communications specialist David Johnson unveils five tips for clinicians to ensure their creation engages the viewer.

In today’s digital age, wherever you look, people are lost in their smartphones, swiping through social media feeds, consuming content and seeking answers online. 

This trend extends to healthcare, where an increasing number rely on the internet for advice. 

In fact, around 7% of Google’s daily searches are health-related. That is approximately 70,000 searches every minute on various health topics, spanning from conditions and medications to symptoms and insurance queries. 

But the high volume of medical queries is not experienced just by Google. YouTube, the second largest search engine, also reports a surge in demand for health-related videos, with a staggering total of three billion views in the UK and 110 billion globally in 2022. 

As patients are six times more likely to make an inquiry with a consultant who has video content on their Doctify profile than those who do not, here are our top five tips for creating engaging healthcare videos.

1Find your why

Start by defining your audience’s demographics and interests. Clarify your mission as a clinician on YouTube: whom you want to reach and what value you can offer. 

Establish your unique perspective and expertise to create engaging, hard-to-replicate videos tailored to your niche. 

By differentiating yourself through specialised knowledge, you ensure that those seeking your insights can easily find and benefit from your content.

2Experiment with different formats

Exploring various video formats can enhance engagement and attract diverse audiences on YouTube. 

Especially in the early stages of your YouTube journey, consider embracing formats that online audiences are familiar with and find engaging. 

Here are some ideas and examples:

Day-in-the-life videos: Showcasing a typical day in your practice or specialty area can offer insights into your professional life.

Reaction videos: React to trending health topics, medical breakthroughs or patient stories while providing expert insights.

Medical news updates: Keep your audience informed with timely updates on medical research, health news or public health issues.

Collaborations: Collaborate with other clinician creators, healthcare organisations or media outlets to bring diverse perspectives and expertise.

Explainer videos: Simplify complex medical concepts, procedures or conditions to educate your audience effectively.

Interviews: Conduct interviews with fellow experts or patients to share insights and experiences.

Q&A sessions: Engage directly with your audience by answering common health questions or addressing specific concerns they may have.

Myth-busting videos: Address common myths or misconceptions about health conditions, treatments or lifestyle choices with evidence-based information.

Discuss expected recovery times: Explain factors that influence recovery and offer practical tips for patients to support their recovery process.

Animated content: Use animations to visually explain medical topics, making them easier to understand and engaging for viewers.

3Embrace authenticity

Creating compelling video content does not require high production values such as an expensive camera, professional lighting, or advanced editing software. 

Authenticity is key – it is your content’s ‘bedside manner’. Recognise that some viewers seek your content due to personal health issues, so treat them as you would patients.

Do not worry too much about polish; showing your personality or sharing personal connections humanises your content. By acknowledging viewers’ concerns and showing empathy, you build rapport and trust. 

Professionalism is important, but it is not about choosing one over the other – authenticity also resonates and fosters meaningful connections with your audience.

4Keep viewers engaged

In today’s fast-paced world, capturing and maintaining viewers’ attention is crucial. 

Short attention spans require strategies to keep viewers engaged effectively. 

Here are some practical tips to achieve this:

Utilise props to enhance visual interest and effectively illustrate key points.

Get straight to the point by skipping introductions that don’t provide new information.

Keep your video focused and ensure your content relates to your video’s title and thumbnail.

High-quality audio is vital; while video quality can be forgiven, viewers have little patience for poor audio.

Consider using chapters for longer videos. It will help viewers navigate longer content and find the information they are looking for.

Maintain eye contact by facing the camera, establishing a personal connection with your audience.

These tactics not only enhance engagement but also ensure that your content remains compelling and valuable to your audience.

5Bonus tip: make your thumbnails stand out!

Thumbnails are the first impression your video makes and are crucial for attracting clicks. 

Think of your thumbnail as your personal billboard – if it is not eye-catching, viewers may pass over your content, no matter how good your video is. 

Here are my tips to create compelling thumbnails:

Using contrasting colours, such as yellow text on a black background or black text on yellow, can grab attention.

Utilise large, short text that is easy to read on small screens to ensure viewers quickly understand your video’s content.

The inclusion of engaging images can significantly boost engagement and make your content more personal. Don’t be afraid to use your face.

Ensure your thumbnail accurately reflects the content of your video to meet viewer expectations and avoid misleading clicks.

Did you know? Software company Canva offers free thumbnail templates, making it easy to create eye-catching thumbnails without design expertise.

Position yourself as the expert patients seek

Now that you’re equipped with all the best practices to create engaging healthcare videos, it is time to put your knowledge into action. 

While YouTube serves as the second-largest search engine, offering a direct pathway to patients seeking answers to their pressing health questions, do not limit yourself to this platform alone.

To expand your reach, you can repurpose the content you create for YouTube and adapt it for other social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok and even Doctify. 

For example, on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube Shorts, you could create 30- to 60-second video clips featuring key insights, quick tips or snippets from your full-length YouTube content, leveraging popular sounds and hashtags to increase visibility.

David Johnson (right) is head of business development at doctify.com

• See ‘Your very own TV station’