One of the challenges local businesses have in building online visibility is standing out, especially if they’re in an industry dominated by larger brands.
On one hand, the personal touch and top-notch experience you bring to your customers sets you apart from the larger brands.
On the other, that personal touch and top-notch experience requires time to execute; time your business probably doesn’t want to shift over to today’s online marketing best practices like social media, blogging, and email marketing.
What a quandary, huh? Your local business could be a real competitor online if only there were a way to transfer that experience and personal touch to the digital screen.
Dr. Isaac Porter — an ophthalmologist in Raleigh, NC — has done just that. I had the opportunity to interview him about his approach of using short videos in his marketing plan, which does not take a lot of time in his week but has produced some real results.
Highlights and key takeaways:
- Answer questions – Dr. Porter uses short videos to answer questions his patients ask about eye care and symptoms. People who are searching for the answers to these questions get them through a visual interaction (the video) which builds trust.
- Chunk your time – Fridays are “office day” so in addition to administrative work, Dr. Porter shoots a handful of these videos at once, then uploads them to his YouTube channel. With a little practice, he can get these done in one take, saving even more time because they don’t need editing.
- Google+ and Networking – By claiming his local Google+ page, Dr. Porter’s YouTube videos are associated with his listing on Google Maps. So are any reviews patients leave. And so are any posts he shares on Google+, which can be indexed in search. Dr. Porter also uses Google Hangouts to connect with other eye care professionals around the world, where they discuss ideas and issues that make him a more authoritative professional locally.
The results of Dr. Porter’s simple strategy have been off the charts:
- New patients and old come into the office better informed and trusting him more because they made a human connection with him through the videos on YouTube.
- Dr. Porter has an endless stream of ideas for videos by using common questions that build trust, which improves the patient experience.
- The extended reach through Google’s search and social ecosystem has brought patients in from afar, because they made a human connection with him and were willing to make the trip.
Local business owners: the knowledge is locked up in your head from years of experience, now’s the time to pull it out and share!
Stephan Hovnanian is the owner of Shovi Websites, a web strategy company located outside Boston. Stephan has spent his career helping companies overcome the challenges of maintaining their online presence effectively by developing and executing strategies unique to them.
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