Increasingly, web searchers and surfers are accessing videos as a means of finding the information they want.

An article titled Medicine on Demand in USA Today reveals how lay people are using video. But even more revealing are the current stats from the Pew Internet & American Life Project that are highlighted in a side column:

• 74% of all adults and 51% of people who have chronic health problems are Internet users.

• 79% of all adult users and 86% of those with chronic conditions seek health information online.

• 69% of all adult users and 65% of those with chronic conditions have high-speed service, which is essential for easy video viewing.

• 57% of adult users have watched or downloaded videos; 22% have chosen educational videos, and 3% do so on a typical day.

Putting the facts together, it's logical to predict that our generation of future clients or patients raised on a steady diet of TV (and YouTube!) will be increasingly drawn to visually-presented information. Especially with our rising rates of illiteracy!

Here's my interpretation of this knowledge:

• To educate, you will have the edge over traditional businesses or practices if you use video to convey your ideas and concepts. For example, present a short video on how to use an asthma inhaler, inspect the feet of diabetics, control food portions, assemble a "rainbow colored" healthy meal, prepare for a mammogram or colonoscopy etc.
• To market your business or practice, you will set yourself apart using informative videos that specifically address the needs of your potential clients or patients. An example for practitioners might be showing how to fill out paperwork before coming to your office, what your office looks like, an introduction to your staff etc. For other businesses, it might be a "talking head" of you addressing some of the biggest headaches your prospective clients are facing, and then hinting at the solution you provide (followed as always by a specific call to action - tell the viewer what the next step is they should take!).
  You might even go so far as to video the short testimonials of your company's "raving fans" if they are willing to speak up about you.
  (PS: Imagine creating videos in another language for your multicultural audience that struggles to read your pamphlets written in English)

Creating and sharing the videos is not as complicated as it sounds.

1. You can shoot a video using a webcam, a digital video camera and now days even a regular digital camera that should give you 5-10 minutes of video.
2. Pay attention to background, lighting, and your own appearance. Having that "home-made look" is okay as long as it isn't really shaky or tacky-looking.
3. Don't forget Craigslist or a similar community bulletin board if you want to find a local videographer - get prices as well as references. This does NOT have to be an expensive proposition!
4. Upload the video from your computer to a video-sharing site such as YouTube or Veoh. I see there is a new health-related video-sharing site called Icyou.com that looks interesting as well!
5. Copy the little piece of code that you are given on the video-sharing site (ask your kid to do it for you if this is unfamiliar!) and paste it to your website - your webmaster can do this easily if you are not comfortable working on your website. This will appear to "host" the video on your site.

In what creative ways are you using video in your business or practice?

And what do you think of this idea?