Creating Better, more engaging Dental Content
Your Social Media Content Has to Pop
Attention spans are especially short today, so your dental social media content must “pop” or stand out to catch attention. As people scroll, something about your content must reflect creativity and quality. It’s not enough to approach social media with some amateur office pictures; you and your staff need to begin improving the production value of your content to attract followers and improve engagement. Below is a list of simple, inexpensive ways to take your posts to the next level.
Pick Your Backgrounds Carefully
Effective staging is one of the easiest ways to improve your photos and videos. Taking time to assess the best location will maximize your production value. When taking pictures of your staff or patients, consider what prospective new patients will see in the background. Most importantly, make sure your images don’t inadvertently capture OSHA violations. Remove any distracting elements like boxes, trash, food wrappers, etc. Ask yourself about the most esthetically pleasing areas of the office. Do you have a particularly robust refreshment area? Hardwood flooring? Impressive trim work? A great view of nature or the city? Is there a unique architectural element in your office, like stained or frosted glass? Consider what a realtor would photograph for a listing and make this your background.
Watch What You Wear
It’s essential to reflect professionalism in your dental social media content. Clean, ironed uniforms signal your attention to detail, which (in the minds of prospective dental patients) translates into quality dental care. If any staff members have tattoos, make sure they are covered. Many people view tattoos negatively, so it’s best to keep them out of sight for published online content.
Improve Your Lighting
The cost of supplemental lighting has decreased over the years. Of course, there are still many different quality levels and prices, but today there are several excellent options under $100. The main thing to remember when buying lights is diffusion. You want to use soft light or light that passes through a filter. Soft light bulbs and filters create a more pleasing look on people and objects.
Sound Quality Is Critical
Many people don’t realize the importance of video sound quality. Some would argue that sound is even more important than video quality. Weak, tinny voices can label your dental social media content as unprofessional and poorly produced. Although internal microphones have improved, it’s still a good idea to purchase an external microphone that captures sound closer to the source.
Get a Stock Content Subscription
A stock content subscription is one of the best ways to add quality to your posts. A growing number of sites now provide unlimited video, image, and soundtrack downloads for a reasonable monthly fee. Not only do these images and videos improve content, but they also offer peace of mind with commercial licenses. Two of the most popular unlimited stock content sites are Storyblocks and Envato Elements.
Multiple Cameras, Camera Angles, and 4K
Professionally produced videos use different camera angles and perspectives. Keeping the camera on a subject in the same position too long impacts engagement negatively. The audience becomes more alert and focused by switching to a different view of the subject. This can be achieved using multiple cameras or by filming in 4K and zooming in. Look for natural breaks in the video and introduce a new perspective. More advanced content creators should consider incorporating b-roll with a voiceover. For example, the dentist might be discussing digital impressions when the video cuts to a staff member taking a dental scan.
Use a Teleprompter
Looking into a camera and talking is awkward and unnatural for most people. We are used to looking at someone’s face while speaking. This is why professional television personalities use teleprompters to deliver monologues. This piece of equipment projects scrolling words in front of the camera lens, allowing the subject to look directly into the camera while reading a script; this eliminates distracting pauses and the inevitable “ahh, ahh, ahh.”
Include Text Over Videos
Audio is often muted when scrolling, so it’s a good idea to overlay text on your dental social media content. Including every spoken word is unnecessary, but specific key phrases will improve viewer engagement. The most effective messaging appeals to multiple senses. In this case, the message is heard and viewed, which increases its impact.
Use Professional Video Editing Software
Investing in high-quality video editing software is paramount; equally important is a team member who understands basic video editing techniques and theory. To grow your online footprint, you must reflect quality, professionalism, and creativity in each post. Prospective patients judge online content and view it as an extension of your dentistry. In their minds, great dental social media content = great dentistry.
Aspect Ratio
A video’s dimension (or aspect ratio) impacts engagement. By occupying more screen space (especially on mobile devices), videos grab more attention. The best overall ratio is 1:1 or square videos; this format looks the best across all platforms.
