Tips for Making Attention-Grabbing Medical Explainer Videos
With the many different types of marketing out there, pharma companies are taking greater interest in various types of content, such as digital marketing, that appeals to every stakeholder. Explainer videos are currently one of the most popular forms of digital marketing that have been incredibly successful for companies over the past couple of years.
What exactly is an explainer video?
Simply put, explainer videos are short clips that explain something to patients, physicians, or other HCPs, whether it’s a concept about the values of your company, the services you offer, or other aspects of your business.
You may be wondering: Why are medical explainer videos becoming so popular?
One of the aspects of medical explainer videos that appeal to both patients and HCPs is the fact that they are incredibly convenient; the videos are short in length. They also allow for the HCPs and patients to be more engaged because explainer videos are easily shareable.
Making a medical explainer video can be a difficult task, but keeping a few key points in mind will make it easier and more worthwhile. Following are some tips to help you create a video that will provide pertinent information to physicians and patients effectively, as well as strengthen your brand.
The Script is Crucial
If you have a video with incredible animation but a script with poor information, the chances of an HCP watching the entirety of your video are going to be low. One of the most common complaints from physicians is that information in explainer videos is often repetitive and/or outdated. Having fresh information is one of the most valued pharmaceutical industry trends in marketing, and explainer videos must follow suit.
One of the hardest parts of creating a script is keeping its length short – but it’s important to do so. There may be so much information that you want to put into the video, but you have to remember that physicians are busy, and patients have many other things weighing on their minds. This means potentially cutting down twenty minutes worth of content down to 2-5 minutes, keeping only the information that is necessary to make your main point.
Animation
Animation can help reinforce points you are trying to make in your video, as well as keep the viewer’s attention better. Many people wonder what the best type of animation is for medical explainer videos, and 3D would seem like the most appropriate answer. However, the best form of animation for medical explainer videos is actually 2D.
The difference between the two is that 3D animation is tougher to focus on and often includes a great deal of “busyness”. 2D animation is less complicated – again we see that “simple is better” when it comes to medical explainer videos. This also comes in handy for videos that patients will be watching because 2D animation can make the most complex medical concepts easier to understand.
Have a Professional Work on Your Video
Oftentimes, a general pharma marketing team may not be equipped with the necessary equipment or experience to develop great medical explainer videos. No matter the budget, a standard marketing team might have some trouble with all the crucial steps that go along with making an explainer video like the script writing, voiceover work, animation, etc. It’s crucial that the team you hire has ample experience with digital marketing and also with explainer videos, in particular.
Quality Voiceover Work
You’ll want to have professional-quality voice overs in your explainer video to add the final touch of sophistication. Having a script with in-depth information is only the first step. Next, you need someone who can deliver your script in the video clearly and with formality. Here are some things you can use as criteria when considering someone for your voice over:
– The person must be proficient in the desired language that will be used for the video.
– Previous experience doing voiceover work is an advantage.
– It is preferred that the person has done voiceover work for medical videos in the past.
– Having someone with knowledge of medical terms is a must, because it makes the video more authentic and relatable for both patients and physicians.
Promotion
After you have your video made and you are happy with it, now comes a different type of challenge: You must figure out how you can successfully get as many physicians and patients as possible to watch your video and share it with others. One of the best ways to promote your video is currently through email. Studies show that email is the number one source of communication that HCPs use, so this avenue would be ideal.
There are other ways to promote your video, as well. For example: HCP portals, booths at conferences, LinkedIn, and pharma company websites are additional effective promotional opportunities. Whatever means you use, just be sure to keep track of who views it and how long they spend viewing it. Also keep an eye on metrics to learn how often your video is shared. Use this information in the future when you are making your next video so you can make adjustments if needs be.
Make Your Point Right Away
In this day and age, the human attention span can be incredibly short. This is why it is so important to keep your videos concise; you have a very limited amount of time to hook the viewer. Again, keep in mind that physicians are very busy, which means they do not have a lot of spare time to watch your video, however informational it may be.
The average viewer spends roughly three minutes watching explainer videos. That’s it. To ensure that your information grabs the viewer and keeps their attention, the most important information you have to offer needs to be presented right at the beginning of the video.
Making a medical explainer video can be a challenge, but if you have a solid plan and a concept you want to convey about your brand, the services you offer, or current pharmaceutical industry trends, the rest will fall into place. Following the tips mentioned above will ensure your video will provide the information to physicians and patients as you intended.
