Master Class: Make Live Videos Work for Your Practice

Rich Castellano, MD is a bestselling author and an award-winning double board-certified facial plastic surgeon who trains doctors in the plastic surgery and aesthetics industry from all over the world. He is founder of the practical and proven online coaching and mentoring program PracticeProfitabilityMD.com. Based in Tampa and The Villages, FL at ImageLift, he has performed more than 3,500 facelifts and more than 10,000 facial filler syringe/vial injections. DrRich@PracticeProfitabilityMD.com

There has never been a better time in the history of the world to do a cosmetic procedure. And what are the top three vehicles that allow the consumer to learn about the latest and greatest technology, treatments, and doctors to reshape their lives?

1. VIDEO
2. VIDEO
3. VIDEO!

If you are not already promoting your practice and expertise via live video. You are missing out.

Just Get in the game

Don't wait to be perfect, just answer the following questions:

• Do you have an amazing amount of training?
• Are you great at taking care of your patients?
• Are you and your patients proud of the results?

If the answers are yes, yes, and yes, then you don't need to wait any longer. Get that smartphone out of your pocket, swipe right, and tap into Facebook Live, Youtube Live, or Periscope Live! If you aren't ready for live video, just record a video. Then you can screen and share when you are ready.

Don't Be a Perfectionist

It is the rare doctor who loves how he/she looks on video. Bottom line: Embrace your video imperfections. Your personality will shine through! And that is what your patients really want to see. Don't we love it when our patients are perfectionists about bumps, imperfections, and asymmetries on their face or bodies? They have real pain about these areas, yet we never see ourselves the way that others do! Don't fall into the perfectionism trap, and remember, our greatest beauty always shines brightest when we smile.

Take the Selfie Challenge

Take two selfies, one with and without a smile. Compare the two so you can see why patients prefer to see our smiles! Smiling makes us look friendly, caring, and patient. The neutral or serious approach is how far too many doctors look on video. The more video you shoot, the better you will get. We can all be guilty of rushing into things that excite us. Nice and easy does it every time! Set a schedule of videos, monthly at the bare minimum, and weekly is still kind of weak. A daily video, even 30-60 seconds, is a powerful way to show that you care.

Here are some other tips and tricks of the trade to get you started.

Identify Your Demographic

Who loves you and your procedures? What social media platforms are they most active on? You need to experiment a bit with this. Once you find out whether Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, Periscope, Youtube, etc. works for you, then focus on that.

Showcase Your Strengths

What are you best at? What do you love to do? What procedures are most likely to build your business? Once you answer these questions, focus on that persona and don't allow your message to be all over the place. The riches are in the niches. To give your patient the richest experience, dive deep into your niche.

Have Fun

Lightness and ease make you and your team more productive and likeable, and it will build your business. Patients love to see that you are confident with your artistry and that you are caring enough to make the patient experience a priority. It is scary to have a cosmetic procedure, and the fears melt away when we smile or laugh. Practice your smile score, and aim high.

Practice

Practice makes perfect. Rehearse the intro and ending of your videos. This is a simple yet powerful way to reinforce your brand. Remember, most people don't know who you are. Newscasters always announce their name before their report. Develop your intro and sign off taglines to enhance your connection with the audience.

“Hi, I'm Dr. Rich, Rich Castellano, award-winning, double board-certified facial plastic surgeon here with …

… thank you for watching, I'm Dr. Rich Castellano, more videos coming soon, and remember, everything worthwhile starts with a smile.”

Get it in Writing

Always get a signed release before recording a patient. If they change their mind after the video, be prepared to take that video down. Patients love that you are teaching and sharing on video. When done correctly, video will absolutely elevate the patients' experience and sense of importance.

Capture Some Great Footage

Video your interviews with colleagues, staff, or patients. This is the best way to get great patient testimonials. When you are doing these interviews and testimonials, I can't stress this enough so I'm going to say it again: Please smile as much as you can! Celebrate the moment, the result, the patient, the team, the doctor. Show your gratitude and the smile will follow.

Aim for the Sweet Spot with Paid Ads

Start with great content. Be as narrow as you can when geotargeting. Monitor results closely! Split testing is the gold standard. Compare two similar campaigns to see which does better. And train your team on how to handle the additional leads!

Follow Up

There is a difference between likes, views, comments, consultation requests, consultation shows, and procedures booked. It is nice to get likes and views, and comments show your message is resonating. You hit the bulls eye when a fan or follower requests a consult. Once you get comments from your audience, ask them for a phone number or start a conversation to see if they will come into the office. Leads are gold. Do not waste this precious resource! And when they ask for price, give it to them. Check out the BuildMyBod.com app that allows you to capture lead info when patients want your pricing.