How to Keep Your Private Practice Schedule Full (with Video Marketing)
And why so many PP marketing strategies fail. [updated 2025]
Summary
Title is now more aligned with reader intent and search queries (if adjusted).
Keeping a private practice schedule full is harder than ever—competition is fierce, marketing feels overwhelming, and many doctors don’t know where to start.
Video builds trust quickly, helping patients feel connected to you before they ever book an appointment.
Consistency beats perfection… publishing short, regular videos keeps your practice visible and memorable.
Video increases visibility online, boosting performance on Google and social platforms where patients search for care.
It saves staff time by answering common questions once and reusing those clips across your website, email, and social channels.
A simple, strategic video plan can keep your schedule full by attracting new patients and nurturing the ones you already have.
Yes, marketing can fill your private practice schedule.
Let’s start with this… it’s not your fault.
It’s not your fault that the marketing for your private practice is failing.
Everywhere you turn, there’s a new marketer promising you the world.
Do what we say, and you’ll get 30 new patients in 30 days… guaranteed!
Even if you recognize something that sounds to good to be true, there are all sorts of people in your ear.
You need to be on social media.
You need a blog.
You need to send emails.
Maybe you’ve tried a few, and…
Nothing. Seems. To. Work.
Well, there’s a reason why.
It’s sort of a two-pronged thing.
First, you’re just trying a smattering of tactics (social, blog, email, etc.) and there’s no comprehensive strategy.
Second, whether you have a strategy or not, it’s not being executed consistently.
Think about when you were “doing social media,” how often did you post and for how long?
If your answer was once a week for three months, that’s why it didn’t work.
Marketing is a marathon, not a sprint.
You you really need is a whole new way to think about marketing your private practice.
And it starts with a video-first marketing strategy that helps you create consistent video content (CVC).
Consistent video content not only enhances patient engagement but also builds trust and drives measurable results. It makes sure:
new patients find you and book an appointment
ensures your current patients keep coming back
helps expand product and service lines that can improve outcomes.
Consistency is the key to your private practice marketing success.
VIDEO: watch our founder and chief storytelling officer talk to marketers about how to get the most out of their video strategy at one of the biggest marketing conferences in the country, Content Marketing World. HINT: consistency!
The Power of Consistency in Video Marketing
Your Brand is Built in the Repetition
Many private practices struggle with marketing because they take a "one-and-done" approach. They launch a single video campaign, wait for results, and then go months (or years) before producing another. But marketing isn’t a sprint… it’s a marathon.
If you want your practice to be the go-to choice in your community, you need constant visibility. That means showing up regularly with high-value, relevant video content.
Patients don’t always need your services today, but if they see your videos every week, they’ll remember you when they do.
Social media algorithms favor frequent content creators. If you only post once a month, your reach will suffer.
Regular videos train your audience to expect content from you, making them more likely to engage.
And while using social media is super important to delivering your message, don’t forget about your website.
Consistency isn’t just about frequency. When it comes to your website, you should be posting videos on all of your high value pages that help you convert visitors into patients.
Our founder and chief storytelling officer, Tony Gnau, talks to an audience at Content Marketing World.
Joe Pulizzi on Why Consistency is King
Joe Pulizzi is the content marketing OG. He’s is the bestselling author of seven books including "Content Inc." and “Epic Content Marketing,” and he’s all about consistency.
“Consistency in content publication is absolutely critical.”
Joe Pulizzi
“Consistency in content publication is absolutely critical.”
And that includes video.
He compares it to healthy habits—just like eating well or exercising, sporadic efforts don’t yield big results. But when you stick with it, your audience grows, your brand strengthens, and your marketing becomes a true asset.
For private practice owners, this means making video production a core part of your marketing, not an afterthought.
Actionable Tip:
If producing a video every week seems overwhelming, start small:
Commit to one or two videos per month, then increase it over time.
Batch shoot several videos at once to save time.
Repurpose content by breaking one long video into smaller clips for social media.
Building Trust Through Regular Video Content
Patients Want to See and Hear from You Before They Trust You
Trust is the foundation of patient relationships. If a potential patient doesn’t feel comfortable with you, they won’t book an appointment.
Video humanizes your practice in ways that text and images can’t. It:
Puts a face to your name before the patient ever meets you.
Makes your practice feel approachable and caring.
Answers patient concerns in a clear and comforting way.
Marcus Sheridan on Video as a Trust-Building Tool
Marcus Sheridan, author of “They Ask, You Answer,” is known for helping businesses build trust by answering customer questions through content. His take on video?
“Video builds trust faster than any other format.”
Marcus Sheridan
“Video builds trust faster than any other format.”
If you apply his take on content marketing to healthcare, patients would prefer to watch a doctor explain a procedure rather than read about it. Why? Because they want reassurance, tone of voice, and facial expressions—all of which reduce anxiety and increase confidence.
For private practices, this means you should regularly publish videos answering common patient questions.
Actionable Tip:
Shoot short, conversational videos answering questions like:
“What happens at your first visit?”
“Is this procedure painful?”
“What should you expect after surgery?”
“How can chiropractic care help with back pain?”
Post these videos to your website, YouTube, and social media to provide value and build trust over time.
SEO Benefits and Audience Engagement
Google Loves Video… And So Do Patients
Every private practice wants to rank higher on Google, but most rely on outdated SEO tactics. Video is a secret weapon for getting more traffic and keeping patients engaged.
Here’s why:
Websites with video are 53 times more likely to rank on the first page of Google.
Videos keep visitors on your site longer, signaling to Google that your content is valuable.
YouTube is the world’s second-largest search engine—your practice should be there.
Ahava Leibtag on Video and SEO
Ahava Leibtag, president of Aha Media Group, is a healthcare content strategist who specializes in making complex medical topics easy to understand. She highlights that recording a 30 second video is a less time consuming that writing a blog post on the same subject:
“No time to write? Update your (web)site with video content. Google gives priority ranking to pages with video over pages with just text.”
Ahava Leibtag
“No time to write? Update your (web)site with video content. Google gives priority ranking to pages with video over pages with just text.”
This means regular video production not only makes your patients happy, it also takes care of the robots looking at your website and ranking you. It’s a win-win.
How Social Media Algorithms Reward Consistency
Private practice owners often say, “We post on social media, but no one sees our content.” The reason? Social platforms prioritize consistent creators.
Not only that, social posts with video get twice as much engagement as other posts, so platforms have also been known to prioritize video.
Combine the two by producing CVC, and you’ve found a winning social strategy. Try:
Instagram Reels & TikToks: 15-60 second clips with quick tips.
Facebook & YouTube Shorts: Patient success stories in bite-sized formats.
Live Q&As: Engage with your audience in real time.
Actionable Tip:
Start with one short-form video per week and track engagement. Even simple 30-second tips can bring new patients into your funnel.
Want AI to recommend you and your practice?
Why AI (and Algorithms) Love Video
Here’s something most private practices haven’t thought about yet: it’s not just patients and Google who love video… AI does too.
Today’s large language models (LLMs)… tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude… are changing how people discover and evaluate healthcare information.
In fact, Cornell University research shows that platforms like YouTube are not just entertainment hubs. They’re considered information ecosystems, where AI-driven recommendation systems analyze subtitles, engagement patterns, and metadata to evaluate credibility and relevance.
They don’t just look at keywords anymore. They look for trust. They’re trained to recognize content that feels human, credible, and emotionally intelligent.
And video gives them exactly that.
When you record consistent, authentic videos, you’re not just building trust with people. You’re feeding the algorithms the kind of signals they value most.
Video communicates authority and expertise. AI models can “read” your transcripts, tone, and even on-screen text. When they see you explaining complex topics clearly, they interpret that as expertise and reward it with visibility.
Video demonstrates authenticity. Seeing your face, hearing your tone, and watching how you interact with patients or staff communicates warmth and honesty. That emotional connection is exactly what both humans and algorithms recognize as trustworthy.
Video provides context and engagement data. AI tools analyze how long people watch, whether they share your content, and how often they return. Consistent engagement tells the system: this content matters to real people.
Video feeds your digital ecosystem. Every transcript, caption, and snippet adds valuable, searchable text. That’s SEO gold, but it’s also how AI learns to associate your name and practice with specific topics and specialties.
In short, every time you hit “record,” you’re building two kinds of relationships: one with your audience and one with the machines that help them find you.
Video doesn’t just build human trust. It builds algorithmic trust too.
Driving Conversions with Educational Content
Video Moves Patients from Interest to Action
Marketing isn’t just about awareness—it’s about converting viewers into actual patients.
Video is incredibly effective for turning interest into booked appointments. Studies show:
72% of people would rather learn about a service through video than text.
80% of people say video helped them make a buying decision.
Landing pages with video increase conversions by 80%.
Stewart Gandolf on Video and Patient Conversions
Stewart Gandolf, CEO of Healthcare Success, has spent decades helping medical practices grow. He says:
“Prospective patients will in fact beat paths to provider websites, but only to those sites which are engaging and aggressively and effectively promoted, both online and off.”
Stewart Gandolf
“Your message becomes attention-getting and intimately compelling when the story reveals direct benefits or value for viewer. Connect with the audience wants and needs, and provide answers that they crave. In short, tell, don’t sell, because people buy happiness.”
This means private practices need to add video to their website. 66% of sites with video are more likely to convert than sites without video.
What Kind of Videos Convert?
Patient Testimonials: Social proof is everything.
Explainer Videos: Break down procedures step by step.
“What to Expect” Videos: Eliminate patient uncertainty before an appointment.
Actionable Tip:
Put a patient testimonial video on your homepage and appointment booking page. Seeing real patients share their experiences will drastically increase conversions.
Final Thoughts: Your Next Steps in Video Marketing
Regular video production isn’t optional for private practices that want to grow—it’s a necessity.
Here’s what you need to do:
✔ Commit to consistency.
✔ Start with simple, trust-building videos.
✔ Optimize for search and social media.
✔ Track conversions and refine your strategy.
The best time to start? Now. Your competitors are already using video—don’t get left behind.
Need help with consistent video production and strategy?
