Take your first video from possibility to published
As a physician, you’ve spent years perfecting your craft. You make carefully considered decisions and do everything to the highest possible standard. But when it comes to getting started with video, the very dedication to excellence that has helped you succeed as a physician can hold you back. Because if you wait to become an expert in video before you hit “record,” you’ll never start. In the meantime, your competitors will.
You’re reading this because you’re a doctor interested in making a video. Maybe you’ve seen the polished, poised medical experts giving advice on talk shows and news segments and thought of a different way to approach the same topic. Or perhaps you’ve wrapped an exceptionally productive virtual visit or videoconference and thought, I wish I’d recorded that! But the idea of creating a video you’d actually want to publish feels daunting, if not overwhelming.
We get it: Doing anything for the first time (or the first few times) is daunting. Because of this, it might be helpful to think about your early video efforts as practice. You’re creating useful content that will inform your viewers and patients, boost your visibility, and build your credibility. But perhaps more importantly, you’re practicing the art and craft of making videos.
In his bestselling book Outliers: The Story of Success, Malcolm Gladwell states simply “Practice isn’t the thing you do once you’re good. It’s the thing that makes you good.” By starting now, you’ll give yourself valuable opportunities to practice speaking in front of a camera. Over time, with practice, you will improve. And when you take on a longer, professionally produced video project or a national media opportunity, you’ll be ready.
Take it from us: There’s never been a better time to jump into the world of video. And you don’t need a glossy, big-budget production to get started. In fact, dipping a proverbial toe into the world of online doctor videos can serve you and your practice in several important ways:
· You’ll create fresh content to update your practice’s website or blog, which can help your performance in search engines.
· You’ll quickly advance your knowledge of video creation and marketing, which will be immensely helpful if you decide to work with a professional video team later on.
· You’ll become more comfortable speaking to an audience and develop a more natural, authentic on camera appearance, rhythm, and persona.
Sold on the value of video but still hesitant to start? Read on for guidelines to simplify the process of taking your first videos from possibility to published.
Keep it short. For your first videos, resist the temptation to go big. Keep your video short and to-the-point, no longer than a minute or two. Longer videos take longer to create and edit, and are harder to post on social media: Videos posted in your Instagram feed can be 60 seconds long, while videos posted to Twitter can be just over two minutes long. These time limits are good general guidelines for your earliest forays into online videos: Stick to a short video that answers a common question from your patients. (At And Cut, we call these Q&A videos. You can learn more about this format here.)
Only you. Your first videos should feature you and only you. For your first videos, don’t complicate things by incorporating patients, colleagues, or anyone else in your video. Not even your dog or your child—trust us, they may dial up the cute factor, but they’ll make the process a lot more complex, which is not your goal this time around.
Answer a question. What’s the number-one question you get from patients? What’s the biggest misconception about your field that you’d like to clear up? If you could impart one piece of knowledge to prospective patients before they walk into your practice, what would it be? Answering a common question in your video achieves several important goals:
· It reduces your nervousness by keeping you firmly grounded in a familiar, comfortable role: dispensing medical advice to patients.
· It gives your video a clear purpose and direction and a natural beginning and ending.
· It usually eliminates the need for scripting or memorization because you’re speaking from your own expertise.
· It rewards your efforts with a valuable video resource that you can use on multiple platforms, from your own website to YouTube to social media networks.
Make it practical. Keep your advice practical and focused on solving a specific problem for your viewers, like “What should I bring to my appointment?” This helps reduce or eliminate your on camera nerves by keeping your focus on your prospective patient and their needs, instead of on your own churning stomach.
Avoid the re-watch trap. Now for the hardest part: deciding when your video is “done.” When And Cut works with a doctor to make a video, our experienced director and team expertly select the best takes from your shoot and move seamlessly through the editing process to finish your video. When you’re filming and publishing your first videos on your own, you’ll need to handle this yourself. Limit yourself to two or three takes, and if you have trouble remaining objective about how you look on camera, ask a trusted friend to review your footage.
Remember, a video in which you look and sound like yourself and provide practical, timely advice to your viewers is your goal. Once you’ve captured that, deem your video “done!” and get ready to share your expertise with the world.
Want more guidance on getting started with video? Ready to take the next step and create a longer, professional-quality video? When you’re ready, these articles Getting it right: Creating a video you love, step by step and Building your video toolkit: The best types of videos for doctors to make can help you level up your video game.