In the old days, doctors didn’t have to market themselves. Referrals from other doctors, hospitals, insurance plans kept them plenty busy, and their “image” was not nearly as important as just providing good care. Nowadays, smart doctors know that people find services and service providers through the web, and their web presence now matters. A lot. I know for me, I check out EVERYTHING first on the web, don’t you? I like to find out as much as I can before I put money down anywhere. Health care is now no different.
So not only should doctors consider how they look as a medical group to the general community in which they practice, but also the supporting images (aka “Stock” images) that they use to create the feeling they want associated with the care they give. Patient-centered, compassionate, modern are just a few of the adjectives that images can convey. No words necessary. Even better when those stock-like images are NOT stock, but really representative of the medical practice, with the actual doctors in the practice interacting with patients, rather than models. It’s authentic, and it’s personal. It matters in medicine now, more than ever.
The doctors at this urology office are updating their website and in doing so, using photography to help define their brand. Yes, it sounds commercial, but really with the changes in health care that are taking place right now, being proactive like this is smart.
To photographers and other businesses who want this kind of custom “stock” photography, I want to stress that you must have a model release, with clear wording to anyone used in photography like this. Protect the practice and protect yourself!
Are you part of a medical team that would benefit from personal yet professional photographs to engage patients, even before they call you? Let’s talk!