Ask Alex

Clinic digital marketing specialist Alex Bugg answers your questions

Q: HOW CAN I KEEP PATIENTS ENGAGED WITH THE CLINIC DURING LOCKDOWN?

A: I would like to be optimistic that we are coming towards the end of the open/ closed cycle, but the fact remains that some businesses are still closed and still suffering.

How do you keep your patients engaged when the clinic is open? Do you pay attention to those who haven’t booked in, have lapsed, or are you solely focused on the patients in your diary? A busy clinic has different priorities, and while lockdown has given you the luxury of time to focus on improving your business, if you implement these same methods of engaging your patients now, you can continue where you left off as much as possible when you reopen.

Focusing on what both you and your patients can do at the moment rather than what you can’t, may pay off as more authentic and positive (read: engaging) than constantly posting content relating to the pandemic.

I think email marketing is a cornerstone of patient engagement, and if you deliver value for your email opens and clicks (education, saving a patient money or time, useful news, etc.) then patients will continue to look at your content.

Keeping patients interested on social media could extend to case studies, at-home lifestyle tips, going live and again, delivering value.

If you’re not offering virtual consultations, or skincare consultations and product delivery, could you? If shipping products is too much for you, why not offer free contactless deliveries to clients who live locally?

Finally, remember to actually ask your patients how you can support them during research for when you reopen by making and sending out a patient survey. Google Forms is a free way of doing this.

These solutions can actually keep patients engaged with the clinic regardless of closure. Focusing on what your patient (or target patient) wants and needs from your clinic should always be the driver of your marketing,

“Focus on what both you and your patients can do at the moment rather than what you can’t”

Q: I MAKE PROMOTIONAL VIDEOS FOR THE CLINIC ON MY PHONE AND THE PICTURE IS FINE, BUT THE AUDIO ISN’T VERY CLEAR. WHAT CAN I DO?

 

A: It’s great that you’re making your own video content. I agree that sound is always the issue with smartphones. They are packed with cameras and sensors to give a great picture, but internally, the audio is not always as premium. The internal microphones might not be the only culprit here, though.

Your environment can dictate the audio quality in your video – things like air conditioning, road noise, typing and footsteps can be picked up on microphones. Making sure the environment is quiet and calm is integral to professional-sounding video.

Microphones will help immensely. You can use a mobile shotgun mic or a lavalier mic (AKA a clip mic) connected to your phone to instantly improve the audio. I always recommend the RØDE VideoMicMe and Smartlav+. Even a pair of earphones with a mic will help (e.g. Apple buds), though they will be more visible in the video.

If you’ve got the luxury of getting your videos edited, you can record one minute of “room noise” to help your editor bring that element of the sound down and make your voice crisper.

You could also record the audio file separately using a voice recorder app and then edit your audio and video together. Don’t worry, these days this is not as technical as it seems, especially if you have a tablet or computer.

As a side note, it’s worth checking that the mic on your phone is physically working. Phone mics get filled with dust and crud, so you will need to get this cleaned out with compressed air or take it to a phone repair shop. Record a test video first and check you can hear yourself clearly.