The practice introduction video for Sugar House Vision Clinic in Salt Lake City, Utah includes a short segment with Jennifer Keiser, OD, clinical director of pediatric services.
The thought of creating a video can be a scary concept and a daunting task, especially to someone who has never done it. But the positive impact video can have within your website and Facebook page can be significant.

Two key points to think about relative to using video for your ECP practice:

1. It is not as difficult or expensive as you might think.
2. The return on investment and effort is very good.

Read on to get some insights as to why you should use video and how to do it.

Why worry about having video on your website and on social media platforms (i.e.Facebook)?

Let’s begin by looking at some research stats. Nielsen and the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) report that when someone watches a video, they have a 33 percent increase in brand recall, a 45 percent increase in message recall and a 40 percent increase in likability. Comscore reports that a webpage with a video will get a 64 percent increase in conversion (which could mean more appointments). Not just looking at a website, but also engaging with it is key to converting website visitors into patients. And when you consider that over 50 percent of visitors to the average website are new to that website, according to a Mindspring study of 60 websites by the Council of Smaller Enterprises (COSE), you will begin to realize that it is critical to make a good first impression. What better way to introduce the practice and the doctor to a potential patient, than for them to be able to view a short interview with the doctor and a quick tour of the practice? It creates an electronic visual bond between the practice and website visitor.

According to thedrum.com, Adobe’s Social Media Intelligence Report discovered that a Facebook post that has a video in it will get 25 percent more engagement (Likes, Comments or Shares) than those that do not. Further, in “18 Ways to Improve Your Facebook News Feed Performance,” socialmediaexaminer.com reports that Facebook will put your post into more peoples’ news feeds when that post has a lot of engagement, proving it is important to do everything we can to get our posts noticed and to get followers to engage with them.

The data is clear. Videos get noticed and do a better job of communicating a message than text alone. People who have viewed a video on your website or social media post are more likely to remember your practice. Videos also do a better job of introducing your brand and building brand awareness than just text or photos alone.

We live in a visual society, so it makes sense to provide content in a format that people like/prefer to use – video.

So where do you start?

Videos can be divided into three categories:

1. Practice Introduction Video (PIV) - Short 1-2 minute video, usually on the website, to introduce the doctor(s), a quick tour of the practice and what services it offers (i.e. exams, glasses, contacts, etc.).

2. Education Video – These are videos that explain about different vision problems or lens/frame technologies (often professionally produced by vendors). Could also be a short video of an ECP doing a how-to explanation of an eye care topic (i.e. about frame styling or why a professional should adjust eyeglasses, not the patient).

3. Engagement Video – These types of videos are usually relatively short and are designed to encourage the viewer to Like, Comment or Share the video post with their network (can be on a website or social media platform).


In my personal experience, the Practice Introduction Video (PIV) is usually professionally produced and will get best results if kept to no longer than 2 minutes in length. Typically this video will be used on the homepage of a website, on social media platforms, in e-newsletters or even linked to in an email signature.

The quality of the video for your website is very important. Remember you are making a first impression for most visitors to your website. If you are posting a quick video on Facebook of a patient testimonial or a quick shot of new frames on the frame board, then people generally don’t expect them to be professionally produced. However, when it comes to a video on an ECP’s website, it must look good. This might be a good place to get “adult supervision” and hire professionals to do the job.

There are several companies (i.e. www.OpticalPracticeMarketing.com) that will produce a video for an ECP practice. Alternatively, you can do a web search and find a local firm. Here are several examples of independent ODs that used a local service to product their Practice Introduction Video.

Todd Kimball, OD of Sugar House Vision, who practices in Salt Lake City, Utah hired a local firm to shoot and produce a video for his practice website. See the video here.
Margo Hagen, OD in Sapulpa, Oklahoma, also hired a local firm to do a practice video. Here is her video.
Irine Shiyan, OD of Village Eyecare in New York City used a local firm she found through SmartShoot.com to shoot her practice video. Check it out here.

A PIV should be considered a “project” and will involve planning as well as an investment of time and money. Here are a few tips when planning for this type of video:

1. Get educated. Look at as many other practice videos as you can find by doing a Google search. Make notes of what you like and dislike. Ask your staff to do the same.
2. Plan, plan, plan. If you are hiring a company to make your video, get their ideas of how the video should be staged. Write down or storyboard your entire video and be sure to “time” each segment (doctor Interview, shots of the dispensary and exam room, etc.). Remember to keep it under two minutes.
3. Don’t try to “wing it.” It is always best to develop a script and memorize your speaking part. Practice your speaking part with friends and family to make sure that your presentation is smooth and natural, not like you are reading it.
4. Pay attention to details. On the day of filming, make sure the office is clean and all clutter is cleared from desks. Try to shoot on a day when the practice is normally closed. You don’t want to be rushed. Make sure lighting is correct and that the camera and microphone are good quality. This is where having a professional do the shooting can pay many benefits.
5. Editing can make or break a video. If you have hired a professional to shoot your video, then they probably will be doing the editing of it. A good professional editor will make all the difference in having a mediocre video or having truly professional results. If you are shooting the video yourself, then search out a professional editor and hire them to do the final editing.

Bob Main is an optical industry veteran with over 35 years of experience in the eyecare industry and the last 10 years specifically focused on the internet and social media. He is the head coach and founder of ECPWebCoach.com, an education company that teaches ECPs how to use the internet and social media to grow their practice. Bob can be reached at bobmain@ECPWebCoach.com.