Lights, Camera, Patients!: how to keep your private practice schedule full.
Let’s face it, every company is in the trust business. But as a private practice, it probably goes double for you. You’re in competition with health systems and hospital-owned practices that probably have trust built in thanks to that big brand.
So how can you establish trust before a new patient ever walks through the door?
It starts with having a plan and collecting resources for your private practice marketing. Then, it’s all about creating and sharing consistent video content (CVC).
CVC not only enhances patient engagement but also builds trust and drives measurable results. It makes sure new patients find you and book an appointment, and ensures your current patients keep coming back.
The Power of Consistency in Video Marketing
Your Brand is Built in the Repetition
Many private practices struggle with marketing because they take a "one-and-done" approach. They launch a single video campaign, wait for results, and then go months (or years) before producing another. But marketing isn’t a sprint—it’s a marathon.
If you want your practice to be the go-to choice in your community, you need constant visibility. That means showing up regularly with high-value, relevant video content.
Patients don’t always need your services today, but if they see your videos every week, they’ll remember you when they do.
Social media algorithms favor frequent content creators. If you only post once a month, your reach will suffer.
Regular videos train your audience to expect content from you, making them more likely to engage.
And while using social media is super important to delivering your message, don’t forget about your website.
Consistency isn’t just about frequency. When it comes to your website, you should be posting videos on all of your high value pages that help you convert visitors into patients.
Our founder and chief storytelling officer, Tony Gnau, talks to an audience at Content Marketing World.
Joe Pulizzi on Why Consistency is King
Joe Pulizzi is the content marketing OG. He’s is the bestselling author of seven books including "Content Inc." and “Epic Content Marketing,” and he’s all about consistency.
“Consistency in content publication is absolutely critical.”
Joe Pulizzi
“Consistency in content publication is absolutely critical.”
And that includes video.
He compares it to healthy habits—just like eating well or exercising, sporadic efforts don’t yield big results. But when you stick with it, your audience grows, your brand strengthens, and your marketing becomes a true asset.
For private practice owners, this means making video production a core part of your marketing, not an afterthought.
Actionable Tip:
If producing a video every week seems overwhelming, start small:
Commit to one or two videos per month, then increase it over time.
Batch shoot several videos at once to save time.
Repurpose content—break one long video into smaller clips for social media.
Building Trust Through Regular Video Content
Patients Want to See and Hear from You Before They Trust You
Trust is the foundation of patient relationships. If a potential patient doesn’t feel comfortable with you, they won’t book an appointment.
Video humanizes your practice in ways that text and images can’t. It:
Puts a face to your name before the patient ever meets you.
Makes your practice feel approachable and caring.
Answers patient concerns in a clear and comforting way.
Marcus Sheridan on Video as a Trust-Building Tool
Marcus Sheridan, author of “They Ask, You Answer,” is known for helping businesses build trust by answering customer questions through content. His take on video?
“Video builds trust faster than any other format.”
Marcus Sheridan
“Video builds trust faster than any other format.”
If you apply his take on content marketing to healthcare, patients would prefer to watch a doctor explain a procedure rather than read about it. Why? Because they want reassurance, tone of voice, and facial expressions—all of which reduce anxiety and increase confidence.
For private practices, this means you should regularly publish videos answering common patient questions.
Actionable Tip:
Shoot short, conversational videos answering questions like:
“What happens at your first visit?”
“Is this procedure painful?”
“What should you expect after surgery?”
“How can chiropractic care help with back pain?”
Post these videos to your website, YouTube, and social media to provide value and build trust over time.
SEO Benefits and Audience Engagement
Google Loves Video—And So Do Patients
Every private practice wants to rank higher on Google, but most rely on outdated SEO tactics. Video is a secret weapon for getting more traffic and keeping patients engaged.
Here’s why:
Websites with video are 53 times more likely to rank on the first page of Google.
Videos keep visitors on your site longer, signaling to Google that your content is valuable.
YouTube is the world’s second-largest search engine—your practice should be there.
Ahava Leibtag on Video and SEO
Ahava Leibtag, president of Aha Media Group, is a healthcare content strategist who specializes in making complex medical topics easy to understand. She highlights that recording a 30 second video is a less time consuming that writing a blog post on the same subject:
“No time to write? Update your (web)site with video content. Google gives priority ranking to pages with video over pages with just text.”
Ahava Leibtag
“No time to write? Update your (web)site with video content. Google gives priority ranking to pages with video over pages with just text.”
This means regular video production not only makes your patients happy, it also takes care of the robots looking at your website and ranking you. It’s a win-win.
How Social Media Algorithms Reward Consistency
Private practice owners often say, “We post on social media, but no one sees our content.” The reason? Social platforms prioritize consistent creators.
Not only that, social posts with video get twice as much engagement as other posts, so platforms have also been known to prioritize video.
Combine the two by producing CVC, and you’ve found a winning social strategy. Try:
Instagram Reels & TikToks: 15-60 second clips with quick tips.
Facebook & YouTube Shorts: Patient success stories in bite-sized formats.
Live Q&As: Engage with your audience in real time.
Actionable Tip:
Start with one short-form video per week and track engagement. Even simple 30-second tips can bring new patients into your funnel.
Driving Conversions with Educational Content
Video Moves Patients from Interest to Action
Marketing isn’t just about awareness—it’s about converting viewers into actual patients.
Video is incredibly effective for turning interest into booked appointments. Studies show:
72% of people would rather learn about a service through video than text.
80% of people say video helped them make a buying decision.
Landing pages with video increase conversions by 80%.
Stewart Gandolf on Video and Patient Conversions
Stewart Gandolf, CEO of Healthcare Success, has spent decades helping medical practices grow. He says:
“Prospective patients will in fact beat paths to provider websites, but only to those sites which are engaging and aggressively and effectively promoted, both online and off.”
Stewart Gandolf
“Your message becomes attention-getting and intimately compelling when the story reveals direct benefits or value for viewer. Connect with the audience wants and needs, and provide answers that they crave. In short, tell, don’t sell, because people buy happiness.”
This means private practices need to add video to their website. 66% of sites with video are more likely to convert than sites without video.
What Kind of Videos Convert?
Patient Testimonials: Social proof is everything.
Explainer Videos: Break down procedures step by step.
“What to Expect” Videos: Eliminate patient uncertainty before an appointment.
Actionable Tip:
Put a patient testimonial video on your homepage and appointment booking page. Seeing real patients share their experiences will drastically increase conversions.
Final Thoughts: Your Next Steps in Video Marketing
Regular video production isn’t optional for private practices that want to grow—it’s a necessity.
Here’s what you need to do:
✔ Commit to consistency.
✔ Start with simple, trust-building videos.
✔ Optimize for search and social media.
✔ Track conversions and refine your strategy.
The best time to start? Now. Your competitors are already using video—don’t get left behind.
Need help with consistent video production and strategy? We can help you with this!
