Online Video is a Pivotal Component of Hospital Research

With digitalization streaming its way into the healthcare decision-making process, hospitals need to take a proactive approach for reaching out to potential patients. Research has established that online videos play a crucial role in driving patients to hospital sites, where they are more likely to convert.

Digitalization and soaring healthcare costs in the US have radically changed the consumer decision-making process. Prospective patients have taken to the Internet to make their health decisions and are now active partners in their own medical journey. From conducting research about a medical condition to identifying its symptoms, evaluating the treatment options available, sharing their diagnosis and finding out the best hospital to treat the condition — patients are doing it all on their own through the Internet and social media.

For hospitals, the present scenario presents both — an opportunity to reach out to target patients through social channels and a challenge to convert them amid tough market competition. To creatively involve the audience, online videos provide an excellent platform. Patients watch video reviews and testimonials to learn about hospitals and treatment options. With the information they gather through watching online videos, patients will likely talk to friends, family or colleagues about the hospital. If they like the content posted in the video, there is a high possibility that they will share it. Online videos can drive patients to a hospital website, from where they can get the details and contact the hospital to schedule an appointment.

According to a study published by Google and Compete, one in eight patients watched an online video on:

• Hospital sites (42%)
• Health insurance information sites (31%)
• Health information sites (30%)
• YouTube (29%)
• Health insurance company sites (20%)

According to the study results, 30% of patients who watched an online video booked an appointment. This clearly proves digital matters more than ever — and online video, if leveraged effectively, plays an important role in patient health decision journey.

Online video is now gaining importance as an effective marketing tool and as a great way to exchange information, share experiences and engage audiences. When it comes to reaching out to a potential target segment for marketing, the power of video is unmatched. Online videos are taking content marketing by storm. For instance, YouTube has over one billion users — almost one-third of all people on the Internet — and every day, people watch hundreds of millions of hours on YouTube and generate billions of views. By 2017, video will account for 69% of all consumer Internet traffic, according to Cisco. Video-on-demand traffic alone will have almost trebled.

Going by Internet marketing trends, online videos are definitely the future of content marketing. If you get the knack of this powerful medium of marketing and communication, it can be the future of content marketing for your hospital, as well. Many hospitals have already begun utilizing the power of online videos to attract new patients — how are you leveraging your video assets? If you still haven’t thought about this influential medium of online marketing, it’s high time to do so.