By Callum Shone, Videographer at Hive Business

Patient testimonial videos are a very effective way of encouraging new patients into the practice, without giving audiences the “hard sell” or being too pushy.

If a patient is already on your website or social media page then they are likely already interested in your dental practice or specific treatment. Often, they require that gentle nudge or reassuring soundbite to make them take the next step of actually contacting the practice. Rather than a written testimonial (which tend to be a short list of compliments) or a before and after picture (which tend to be very clinical looking), a video offers viewers a deeper 2-minute story of a patient’s treatment journey and something people can relate to.

Here are some key things that make great patient testimonials

Personal experience

A good testimonial video should show and tell the specific journey of the individual being interviewed. The video should explain what treatment was provided, however, the real emotional hooks come from if they were anxious, how they coped before treatment and how much better their life is now the treatment is completed.

Different patients value different aspects of their treatment. For some, it’s the outcome and the impact on their ability to eat a certain food, for others it was the kindness and warmth they experienced from the team. Some people focus entirely on how much better their life is after treatment. If not explicitly mentioned, the cost of the treatment is subtly hinted to show the value for money that some potential new patients will be looking for.

A popular way for dentists to show the quality of the outcome is by displaying before-and-after pictures. But really these pictures just tell us this person came in with poor teeth and left with better teeth. They don’t tell the story of that patient’s journey, the steps it took to get where they are now and how it has positively impacted their life. We don’t even know from pictures if they are truly satisfied.

Honest

We want an honest account of patient’s experience with the treatment and the practice. Most people who agree to be interviewed are so thrilled with their experience that they want to sing it from the rooftop. When people are being sincere it comes across.

The patient is usually enthusiastic about the good bits, such as patient care and the treatment itself. The closest thing we’ve heard to a “negative comment” is when a patient expressed they would miss a particular dentist who had left a practice.

Professional

With most people owning a smartphone with video capabilities, it has enabled everyone to become amateur videographers. We recommend getting a professional who will ensure the production values are up to scratch, as well as:

• Ensuring your patients feel at ease when doing the video. A professional will know how to get the best out of your video shoot.
• Make your testimonial videos look and sound the best they can by making sure audio and video are clear and of consistently high quality.
• Editing your testimonial videos down to their core message and most impactful sound bites, this can be a long process but a professional editor can do this effectively and quickly.

View some of the testimonial videos we’ve produced for our clients on our YouTube channel or click the links below. If you would like to arrange a video shoot at your practice please get in touch on 01872 300232 or email hello@hivebusiness.co.uk.

What impressed Ruth most was that “someone had finally listened” when she had a consultation at Pure Periodontics. VIEW RUTH’S VIDEO

Barry is an interesting case study and is someone who found new unexpected pride in his appearance and a boost in confidence after having his teeth straightened and whitened. VIEW BARRY’S VIDEO