If you’re leading a healthcare practice and looking for a tangible way to grow your patient base, improve retention, and strengthen your reputation, launching a patient education webinar series is one of the most strategic—and human—investments you can make. As we’ve seen with our partners, great communication unlocks trust and action. But a truly successful webinar series is much more than putting a doctor in front of a Zoom camera. Here’s how to do it right, blending digital savvy with a commitment to authentic, impactful patient engagement in every step.
Why patient education webinars work
Modern healthcare is about more than appointments and procedures—it’s about building relationships. An excellent patient education webinar puts your practitioners at the heart of ongoing conversations, demystifies care, and removes barriers to access. The impact is multifold:
- Builds a community of informed, empowered patients
- Drives new patient interest by showcasing your expertise
- Solidifies trust and retention among current patients
- Enables your practice to be agile in response to timely health concerns
Step 1: Lay a strong strategic foundation
We never recommend launching a webinar series without a clear “why.” Start with these core goals:
- Attract new patients: Use the webinars as a low-pressure way to introduce your team and services
- Increase retention: Make current patients feel seen and cared for, beyond their appointments
- Position your practice: Establish your practitioners as local thought leaders
Choose topics that hit home. Think:
- Top 5 questions your front desk hears every week
- Conditions with the most appointment no-shows (often a sign of confusion/fear)
- Seasonal spikes—such as allergy, flu, joint pain, or mental health school transitions
- New treatments or technology your clinic is now offering
Not sure what topics will resonate? Run a single-question poll in your next patient newsletter or on social. The topics should tie directly to your practice’s growth plan and areas of specialty.
Step 2: Develop smart, patient-centered content
Patients today crave clarity and relatability. Your webinars should be practical, not medical lectures. Here’s how we approach content development at Red Shoes:
- Set 2–3 key learning objectives per session. For example: “Viewers will understand three practical ways to manage back pain at home”
- Keep it concise—aim for a 40–45 minute session, including 10–15 minutes for audience Q&A
- Use visuals sparingly. A deck with less than 15 slides branded to your practice is ideal
- Pair different team members as speakers: A physician with a therapist or nutritionist; a practice manager with a nurse. This shows you work as a team
- Include practical demonstrations whenever possible (e.g. how to use a medical device, or do a safe stretch at home)
Our rule: If a session isn’t actionable, don’t run it. Every minute should add value to both patients and your brand.
Step 3: Get the tech (and team) right
Technical issues are the fastest way to undermine credibility. Our essentials:
- Choose a secure, healthcare-compliant webinar platform. (HIPAA compliance is critical.)
- Schedule a full team rehearsal—more than once. Run through the tech, test the slides and transitions, check your sound and lighting, and assign backup roles (someone to handle chat/Q&A, someone to troubleshoot for attendees)
- Prepare downloadable resources and follow-up materials ahead of time for attendees with connection issues
We’ve found timing matters—lunch hours on Tuesdays or early Thursday evenings capture the highest attendance. Consider offering both daytime and evening options if possible.
Step 4: Design for engagement—not just attendance
People come for information—but stay for the personal connection. Here’s how to keep your webinar dynamic:
- Poll your audience before or at the start of the session: “What’s your biggest concern?” “What do you hope to learn today?”
- Dedicate a chunk of time for live Q&A. Encourage questions via the chat, prompt quiet attendees, and make sure you address the most common live and submitted questions
- Weave in real stories (with consent)—anonymous anecdotes about previous patient outcomes can be powerful learning tools
- Close each session by sharing a way for attendees to continue the conversation (book an appointment, direct line to a nurse, downloadable info packets)
After each event, send a brief resource pack and include links to additional support, clinic contact info, and a simple next action to schedule a visit or phone consultation.
Step 5: Build a thoughtful promotion funnel
Your webinar is only as good as your turnout. At Red Shoes, we recommend a mix of:
- Email marketing—send a three-part sequence to your patient base and allied partners (reminder, day-before, and same-day nudge)
- Consistent social media promotion: Create brief teaser videos or graphics spotlighting your speakers, highlight what viewers will learn, and share questions you’ll be answering
- Dedicated registration landing page on your website, optimized for search keywords like “patient education webinar,” “back pain workshop,” etc
- In-office promotion: Display flyers or digital banners on waiting room screens—don’t forget word-of-mouth reminders from staff
Collect more than just names and emails at signup—ask about their main health interest and how they prefer to get practice updates. This will help you personalize follow-up and track which webinar topics drive appointments.
Step 6: Make post-event follow up matter
After your webinar ends is when the real growth opportunities begin. Within 24 hours:
- Email the recording link and your handouts to everyone who registered (not just those who attended)
- Segment your audience for follow-up: First-timers get an invitation for a one-on-one consult, current patients get deeper resources based on their expressed needs
- Repurpose content—turn the best insights into short blog posts, social media highlights, and pull quotes for your next e-newsletter
Track all signups and follow-up conversions using unique referral codes or tags in your scheduling system to evaluate what’s working.
Step 7: Commit to continuous improvement
Every series is a feedback engine. Collect:
- Short, anonymous feedback after each session (“What was most helpful? What can we do better?”)
- Hard metrics—attendance, drop-off rates, and follow-up appointment requests
- Team notes: What went smoothly, what technical issues emerged, top questions for the next session
Revisit your topic list each quarter, adjust your format as you go, and never be afraid to ask your audience for what they want to see addressed next.
Building long-term value—Why Red Shoes approaches patient education as a partnership
We approach every webinar with the same philosophy we bring to PR and communication work: Don’t talk at people, build relationships with them. By treating your webinar series as an ongoing conversation—not a lecture—you position your practice as a steady, trusted presence for your community. Over time, we see these series generate new patient growth and deepen loyalty among existing patients.
Want insight into how to connect more meaningfully with patients through educational programming? Get in touch with Red Shoes—let’s partner to curate a strategy that’s true to your voice, your patients, and your goals.
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