YouTube for Doctors & Veterinarians: A Strong Marketing Strategy for 2025

In my mastermind for private practice owners and consultants, we're going all in on YouTube. After years of primarily suggesting Instagram for independent practices, why am I pushing YouTube to my top clients?

YouTube is valuable for veterinarians and physicians in private practice for a few key reasons:

• Connecting with potential clients who want your exact services

• Getting off the Instagram hamster wheel

• Build a multi-faceted brand in an organized way

• Create ongoing resources to improve client retention

• An opportunity for detailed storytelling

So if you wanna get lucky in 2025, you might want to make YouTube a key part of your marketing strategy. IMO - the best marketing strategy for private practice in 2025 includes YouTube. Let's jump into why:

Using YouTube to attract patients to your practice

The great thing about YouTube is that it's part of Google's search engine. People searching for things like "veterinarian near me" or "best med spa in Boston" are going to Google or YouTube. Do you have videos to meet them there?

If you're not leveraging YouTube for medical marketing, you might miss a big opportunity to attract dream clients and patients to your private practice.

We recently hosted YouTube strategist Jamar Diggs in The Long Game mastermind, where we have guest experts frequently drop by. When it comes to attracting patients to your practice, he suggested a few things that could improve YouTube SEO for doctors.

To improve YouTube SEO for your practice:

• Create videos that answer FAQs

• Use tools like VidIQ to find keywords related to your specialty

• Add local terms and contact info to all YouTube videos

• Include an offer to convert people from viewers to active clients

His last tip makes me think of the waitlist strategy for startup practices we implement, where you have an offer to get potential clients on an email list.

[RELATED READ: How to market your startup practice using a waitlist]

YouTube vs. Instagram for medical marketing

Listen - I'm not saying ditch Instagram or Facebook if they're working for you. But if like many of my clients, you're feeling burnt out by constantly feeding the Meta algorithm content, listen up. The great thing about YouTube is it's more searchable and evergreen than Instagram.

This means that you can create videos now that someone may search for years in the future. Hello, efficiency!

I also see Instagram's algorithm mimicking TikTok's "for you page" style more and more. This style is designed to show you things to keep you on the Instagram app, not necessarily content from those who you follow. You watch one video about how to curl your hair, and now your whole Instagram feed is videos about hair styling. So where is the space in the feed for content from your trusted doctor?

My gut is telling me that opportunity is diminishing. (Again - this isn't true for every account, but it is something to watch out for!)

My resident YouTube strategist, Jamar Diggs, talks about how to make your whole YouTube channel bingeable. YouTube doesn't mind if someone watches all of your content. There's such a strong opportunity to take someone who is actively searching for something like "vet near me", showing them how you practice, and converting them into a client.

And the great news, according to Jamar - even just 2 videos a month could move the dial! So if posting 24/7 on Instagram has you wanting to throw your phone in the hazardous waste box, think about YouTube.

Using YouTube to grow your practice's brand

Many of the brands I work with in The Long Game mastermind are multi-faceted. They're not just cut-and-dry practice brands.

In addition to having a brand that attracts clients, they might have:

• A personal brand for their founding doctor

• A personal brand for a specialist on the team

• An employer brand to attract top talent

This can get messy, with a billion accounts across platforms. What I love about YouTube for vet clinics and private practices is it can host a range of playlists, dedicated to different topics.

So instead of spreading your marketing strategy all over the internet, all of these things could live on your YouTube. You can show potential clients and team members everything about your practice in a bingeable Netflix style.

Using YouTube to improve compliance and retention

But YouTube isn't just a spot to attract future patients and team members. It can be part of a smart strategy to retain your current patients.

Imagine you have someone who has just been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease. As a Hashimoto's girlie, I can't stand 7-minute endocrinologist appointments. They don't leave me feeling supported whatsoever.

Now I know you're an independent practice to avoid absurdly short corporate appointment times. But even you can't spend hours and hours with a patient or pet owner explaining what they need to know about their health or their pet's needs.

But you could create a specific YouTube playlist to offer additional education and support. And since it's not going to be generic content, it still helps increase the bond with you.

Some YouTube playlist ideas to help retain clients could be:

• A playlist dedicated to everything they need to know about a new puppy or kitten

• A playlist about aftercare following a specific procedure

• A playlist dedicated to how to get the most out of their membership at your practice

How can doctors story tell on YouTube?

"Telling your story" is always the hot advice from marketing consultants. But can you do that in a 1-minute Instagram reel? Not as well as a YouTube channel.

YouTube's longer format allows you to story tell more deeply. Depending on your filming budget, editing budget, and personal capacity - you can tell your story in a myriad of ways.

Some ideas for telling your practice's story on YouTube:

-Create a reality-style show that showcases the behind-the-scenes

-Share case studies and results you've gotten for patients

-Have patients tell their story in a detailed testimonial video

[NEED HELP? Shoot me a message to talk about how I can help!]

YouTube for Private Practices: FAQs

1. Why should my private practice focus on YouTube over Instagram?

I love the visual component of Instagram, plus the ability to build community. I'm not saying ditch it. But YouTube is a search engine, meaning your content is evergreen. People actively searching for a provider can find your videos months or even years after posting.

2. How often do I need to post on YouTube to see results?

Even just two videos per month can make a difference, as long as they are optimized with the right keywords and local terms. If you are looking for a lower-lift marketing option for your practice, this is it!

3. What types of videos should I create?

Long-form videos (a few minutes in length, or as long as you can be engaging) should be your priority at the start! This could look like:

• FAQ videos addressing common patient concerns

• Educational content related to your specialty

• Behind-the-scenes or storytelling content

• Testimonials and case studies

4. How can YouTube help attract new patients?

Since YouTube is owned by Google, optimized videos can show up in search results for terms like “best veterinarian near me” or “top dermatologists in [city].”

5. Can YouTube help retain existing patients?

Yes, yes, yes! Creating educational playlists—such as post-procedure care or guides for specific situations—can help improve patient compliance. Bonus - they're gonna build trust! ;)

6. Do I need professional equipment to get started?

This is going to depend on the vibe of your brand and your budget. A smartphone set to the right settings, good lighting, and a lapel mic can get you going. As your channel grows, you can invest in better cameras and editing.

7. How do I convert YouTube viewers into actual clients?

Always include a call to action that gets them on your email list, like credit toward their first exam!

8. Should I still post on Instagram if I focus on YouTube?

Yes, but you can repurpose YouTube content for Instagram. Clips from YouTube videos can become

9 Can you help me with YouTube strategy?

Yep! You could do a Lucky Break private strategy day with me to get brand clarity and start to figure out your strategy, join The Long Game mastermind to work on your brand long term, or we can chat about options to bring my resident YouTube strategist Jamar Diggs in for more detailed support. Shoot me a message and we can chat about the right option to meet your needs.