They say a picture is worth a thousand words and, in healthcare marketing, this couldn’t be truer. Engaging photos tell your potential patients what results they can expect when having a procedure at your clinic and are key to a successful and transparent social media strategy.
It’s likely that you’ll probably use a smartphone in your surgery for taking these pictures, as opposed to a DSLR. These tips are catered to Apple iPhone users, but the principles still apply to users of any kind of smartphone.
Here are our top tips for taking great-looking photos in your practice or consultation room:
Lighting
If you’re considering using flash during the day, see if there’s a better spot to take the photo instead. Make sure the light is directly opposite your subject and isn’t casting any shadows. Natural lighting is always better so if you’ve got a window in your consultation room, take your photo opposite it. If you don’t have any natural light, purchasing a simple ring light or similar light source can help make your photos look even better.
Choose the focal point
Tap the screen on the section you want to highlight. When you do this, you may notice the light changing slightly and this is because your phone is making sure that your selected area is well-lit and in focus. For example, this could be your Rhinoplasty patient’s nose or your Facelift patient’s face.
Plain background
It really helps if the photographs are taken against a plain background. This means there is nothing to distract the viewer from the patient’s results and your hard work. As a bonus, if any editing needs to be done to the photos, this makes our job much easier. Here’s an extra bonus: if you’ve got a defined colour palette through your social media and website, you could even try and match your background with one of the colours.
Consistency is key
Perhaps there’s a corner of your consultation room where the lighting is always really strong? Consistency is key across all aspects of social media and taking your photos in the same place will only strengthen that further. Try to take the photograph from the same angle too, if possible.
Framing
Don’t stand too close to your subject. Ideally, they’ll be space around them as this helps us add your logo, text and other necessary information to the photo, ensuring your audience the information they need from each post.
Get in touch with the team to find out how we can support you with your digital marketing goals.
