How to Market Your Private Practice Without Feeling Like a Marketer

A strategy for connecting with patients, attracting new ones, and keeping them for life.

Summary

• Most private practice marketing fails because it’s random and inconsistent.

• The CARE Video System gives doctors a simple framework… Connect, Attract, Retain, Engage… that makes marketing clear and sustainable.

• Video is the key because patients choose doctors they feel they know, like, and trust — and video builds that connection faster than anything else.

• Video helps you show your personality, explain your services, and stay visible where patients are already searching.

• Marketing isn’t about selling; it’s about connection and consistency.

• Once your system is running, targeted social media ads can amplify your reach and accelerate growth.

Bottom line: CARE builds the engine. Video powers it. Paid ads accelerate it.

The Frustration Every Doctor Feels

You care for your patients with everything you’ve got.

You’ve built your reputation on compassion, outcomes, and trust.

But lately… referrals don’t go as far as they used to.

Maybe you’ve tried a few ads, posted something on social, even sent a newsletter.

It all feels like shouting into the void.

You might even wonder if marketing is worth the investment. Is there any marketing ROI… at all?!

Here’s the thing… it’s not that marketing doesn’t work. You’ve just been told to think about it the wrong way.

Marketing isn’t supposed to feel like guesswork.

When it’s done right, it feels more like something you already know… patient care… intentional, consistent, and built on trust.

Forget Marketing. It’s Connection.

Let’s set the record straight.

Marketing isn’t about flashy ads or convincing people to buy something they don’t need.

I don’t want to do that. You don’t want to do that. And you don’t need to.

Marketing is about helping the right people find you, trust you, and feel confident choosing you.

That’s why the best marketing doesn’t look like marketing.

It feels like connection.

Patients don’t pick a doctor based only on credentials or facility photos.

They choose the one who feels human, relatable, and real.

That’s why video has become so powerful.

It’s not about being “on camera.” It’s about letting patients see the person who will care for them.

It helps them feel like they already know you, and research backs it up:

• 77% of people look for visual content before choosing a provider (Aha Media Group)

• 78% of people prefer learning about a product or service by watching video (Wyzowl’s State of Video Marketing Survey)

• 83% of people would like to see more videos from brands (Wyzowl’s State of Video Marketing Survey)

So if you’re wondering, “Do I really need to do video?”

Yes, you do.

It’s what your audience is asking for.

Why Most Practice Marketing Fails

Most doctors try marketing the same way patients try crash diets… a burst of effort, then burnout.

• A few posts on social.

• A newsletter here and there.

• Maybe a Google ad.

It all feels random because… it is.

Think about it this way… you’d never treat a patient without a diagnosis or a plan.

But that’s what most practices do with marketing. They throw individual tactics (like those bullet points) at the problem instead of building a system.

You don’t need more marketing.

You need a framework.

Something simple, strategic, and sustainable.

Let me breakdown our private practice marketing system to give you sense of what I’m getting at. We call it the CARE Video System.

For the record, you’re welcome to do this yourself, but when we’re hired we handle the whole thing for our clients. So if this feels overwhelming for you or someone on your team who handles your marketing… it doesn’t need to be.

Okay, let’s break it down.

The CARE Video System: Connect. Attract. Retain. Engage.

Four steps that turn marketing from a mystery into a repeatable habit… one that actually makes sense for private practice without putting more on your plate.

C — CONNECT

Every successful plan starts here.

Before making a single video, take time to define your audience and what matters most to them.

It doesn’t matter what you like. It’s all about your audience and what they want.

Think about the patients you love working with… what do they worry about? What makes them hesitate?

Connection is the cure for confusion.

When you create videos that speak to what patients care about, your marketing becomes service, not sales.

A — ATTRACT

Once you know who you’re talking to, show them who you are.

Patients want to see your face, hear your voice, and feel your empathy. You need to create authentic videos they can relate to.

Think:
• “Meet the Doctor” introductions
• Short explainers about your services
• Quick answers to common patient questions
• Stories that show your team’s personality

Attraction isn’t about volume. It’s about clarity.

The right videos help patients feel ready to reach out when the time is right.

R — RETAIN

It’s easy to focus on new patients and forget the ones you already have.
But consistent communication after appointments builds loyalty… and loyalty drives growth.

Try simple video touchpoints:
• Educational clips about ongoing care
• “Next Steps” explainers

• Additional products/services that can improve their outcomes

• Fun videos that demonstrate your practice culture 

When patients feel connected between visits, they’re more likely to return, refer friends, and stay long-term.

E — ENGAGE

Finally, use your videos to stay visible… not everywhere, just in the right places.

• Embed them on your website.

• Include them in patient emails.

• Share short versions on social.

• Add them to your Google Business profile.

Then, pay attention to what people respond to.

Look at the data all of those platforms above offer… it’s a goldmine of insights.

Engagement isn’t about chasing likes. It’s about noticing what helps patients understand and trust you most.

Once you know which videos are connecting with your audience, you double-down and make more of them.

Remember how you’ve been feeling like you’re simply guessing at what marketing works?

No more.

You have officially taken the guesswork out of marketing.

That’s what true marketing looks like.

Next-Level Options:
If you ever decide to go a little further, you can share your most educational videos with local media, community newsletters, or professional associations.

That’s called earned media, or what we’d consider traditional public relations. 

While not every practice needs it, it can take your visibility to the next level once your foundation is solid.

And when you’re ready to grow faster?

That’s where targeted social media ads come in.

Paid campaigns can extend your reach far beyond your current patient base… helping you get your videos in front of more people who match your ideal audience.

The stronger your foundation, the better paid ads perform.
Think of it like this: CARE builds the engine, paid ads accelerate it.

The Power of Consistency

The CARE Video System isn’t just a marketing framework.

It’s a consistency engine.

Most private practice marketing doesn’t fall short because the ideas are bad. It’s because they never stick with them long enough to see results.

Marketing gets pushed aside when schedules fill up, or it gets dropped completely when things get busy.

That’s why one-off tactics don’t work… they fade before they ever take root.

The magic happens when you make marketing a habit.

Consistency turns a few good videos into a powerful brand presence.

It keeps your name showing up in feeds, search results, and inboxes… right when patients are looking for care.

And the best part?

Systems like CARE makes consistency doable.
Because once you’ve built your system, every new video follows the same playbook:

• Plan it

• Shoot it

• Post it

• Learn from it

• Repeat

You don’t need to reinvent your marketing every quarter.

You just need to keep showing up.

Consistency builds recognition.

Recognition builds trust.

And trust is what fills waiting rooms.

Why This Approach Works

Again, this isn’t about selling. It’s about serving.

Video builds trust faster than anything else.

It brings warmth, emotion, and clarity to complex information.

It gives patients confidence that you care… long before they ever step inside your practice.

And here’s the bonus:

You can actually measure it.

Video gives you data… views, clicks, engagement… so you can see what resonates and refine from there.

That means no more guessing.

Just steady improvement, built on consistency and empathy.

Common Misconceptions (and What’s Actually True)

“I don’t have time.”

You don’t need more time… you need a process. Record in batches, reuse content, keep it simple.

“It’s too expensive.”

Video is more affordable than you think, especially when one piece can live across your website, email, and social channels.

“I’m awkward on camera.”

Every doctor feels that way at first. Patients aren’t looking for perfection… they’re looking for authenticity.

“I don’t know what to say.”

Talk like you do with patients every day. That’s the story people connect to.

Check out our full YouTube series on topics like this. It’s called, “Doctors say…”

The Takeaway

Marketing doesn’t have to feel like a mystery.

It can be just as intentional, thoughtful, and as human as the care you provide.

When you use something like the CARE Video System… Connect, Attract, Retain, Engage… you’re not “doing marketing.”

You’re communicating with empathy and consistency.

And if you ever want to grow faster, targeted paid ads are the logical next step . A way to amplify what’s already working, not replace it.

You’re helping people make one of the most personal decisions of their lives… who to trust with their health… and showing them you’re the right choice.

That’s not a sales strategy.

That’s good medicine.