If video marketing has ever had a time to shine – and really put your care home in the spotlight – it’s now. Words are good, but moving pictures bring a place to life like nothing else can. Videos are brilliant for accessibility, with sounds and subtitles helping you reach a wider audience; they boost your online performance and can be lots of fun to get off the ground.

If you want to capture the real essence of your care home, video can help you do just that.

The benefits of video marketing

We’ll get into this in much more detail but, in a nutshell, video marketing is really good because it:

• Improves your online visibility, boosting your SEO 
• Enables increased interaction from new recruits and potential clients 
• Can be repurposed for socials, long-form and email marketing
• Positions you as trustworthy and credible 
• A quick and easy way to share info, content and updates 
• Improves brand awareness, making you recognisable 
• Can be repurposed for other marketing outputs like social media and PR 
• Humanises your organisation

Helps your online presence – hello SEO!

Optimising your videos for search engines can boost your online presence in a big way. From a user-friendly edit to the platform you upload to, every detail counts. Any additional links to your website will help Google pick you out from the crowd. 

There are lots of moving parts to this, but fortunately we know what we’re doing to make sure your video content is SEO gold. More web traffic = more enquiries and ultimately better occupancy and recruitment numbers.

Improve your care home’s recruitment

There’s no doubt that we might be living through one of the most difficult times for  health and social care recruitment. Every care home group we speak to says the same – that recruitment is currently one of the biggest challenges facing the sector. Video  content helps you speak to a diverse audience in an engaging and very real way. Video content can showcase your home environment through those who know it best – your staff. Case studies, testimonials or ‘a day in the life’ can all help you stand out to new candidates.

Content that goes a loooooong way

When you make a video there’s just so much potential. From social media shorts and Sky AdSmart, to website content and YouTube listings. You can turn one piece of content into something for every marketing output. A day of filming will provide you with ample footage that you can make use of in different ways over and over again. It’s excellent value and a great way to breathe some life into your brand.

If you’re planning on shooting some video for your care home, it’s important to plan ahead and think about which type of video will help you achieve your goals.

Great options for care home videos include:

Case studies and interviews

Shining a light on people, their opinions and their expertise is invaluable. It shows a genuine caring nature, enabling you to tell a story in the first person and really engage with your audience.

Case studies can make prospective residents and their loved ones feel at ease as they become more familiar with your home and its people. The right case study can set you apart as an expert and a thought leader.

There are lots of options when it comes to care home case studies – your staff, senior leadership, and even residents can get involved to help you showcase your USPs and character.

Tours

Let someone walk your corridors through the power of digital marketing. A tour of your care home shows people every element of life in your care home, from beautiful gardens and greenhouses, to hair salons and specialist wash rooms, to the chef plating up seasonal specials at beautifully laid tables. 

Tour videos are great for your website, your social media channels and directory listings like carehome.co.uk and Lottie which will want to see all that your home has to offer. 

A day in the life

From your carers to your residents, a day in the life can be brilliant footage for social media. Short, sweet and real life, these videos can provide a glimpse of what an average day might look like and what prospective residents can expect from your home.

Think about fresh coffee, activities and entertainment, good food, walks in the country – all wrapped up in 60 seconds of lovely video.

As social media continues to play a vital role in brand awareness and recruitment, you can use a day in the life of a carer to help with your recruitment, too!

Positions your care home as trustworthy

There aren’t a lot of places to hide in video marketing. Whether you’re sharing content on social media, on your website or on other platforms (like YouTube) you can give the viewer a very real snapshot of what you’ve got to offer and what life in your care home is like. 

Videos provide a gateway to your home. A gateway to how it looks, the people who live and work there and the real voices behind the very real people. All of this helps you connect in a more personal way with prospective residents and their loved ones, ultimately making your care home seem more human.

Video creates emotional connections in a way that other media just can’t compete with. When you’re selling care, compassion and kindness, you need to speak to people’s feelings. Video lets you do just that.

Keeping people on your website

If your video content ticks all the right boxes there’s a good chance that people will stay on your page for longer, significantly reducing bounce rates (when people leave your website after only looking at one page!).

According to LinkedIn, ‘one of the most effective ways to reduce bounce rate and increase engagement is to use video content on your website.’ We all know what it’s like, a video starts playing, you like the look of it, 17 minutes later you’re still there. Your own internet browsing habits will tell you that this works!

And that’s a wrap!

Video has been climbing the popularity ladder for a long time. It shows content that’s genuine, humanising and transparent, giving prospective residents and their loved ones a glimpse into your world.

As humans, we crave connection. So, in a world becoming more and more “online”, it makes sense that we want meaningful content, with real people doing real things, in real life (or as close to it as we can get without actually leaving the house.)

So, whether your content is getting in front of potential new residents or the relatives of those who already live there, it will help you to build engaging connections with your community. What’s not to love?

Why Conteur?

At Conteur, our award-winning videography team specialises in health and social care.

We’re no stranger to shooting a care home while contending with the Great British weather, interacting with residents, and sharing emotional moments with staff who share some of their most moving stories, and why they love what they do.

Our experience and expertise means that we can also work effectively and to change. We’ve seen first hand that no two residents, care homes, or filming days are ever the same. We love bringing care homes to life, showcasing the extraordinary people living and working in health and social care; shining a light on a sector which deserves recognition, respect and so much praise.

If you’d like more info or to see some of our existing work, get in touch today.