Within the past 10 years, the popularity of blogging has exploded, with millions of online users now posting their daily thoughts in their personal blogs. Medical practices of today also benefit from blogging, as blogs enable them to connect with patients on a more personalized level. Additionally, blogs have search engine optimization (SEO) benefits, which will help direct more patients to your website. However, with so many practices now maintaining their own blogs, it is becoming increasingly more difficult for blogs to stand out from the pack.
So, how can you improve your own medical blog?
- Write for your patients. While you may be a highly accomplished doctor within the medical community, keep in mind that you are not writing blogs for your colleagues! Instead, write your blogs to reach your target audience- your patients. This can be done by avoiding the use of complicated medical terms and write in a way that your patients can understand. Keep your words simple and your posts concise. Remember: blogs are personal -yet informative- pieces which should be easy for your patients to read!
- Keep it short and sweet. Remember, blogs should neither be too short nor too lengthy. If you post a blog that is over 1,000 words long, your patient is not likely to read the entire thing. Instead, aim to keep your blog posts shorter. A good rule of thumb is between 350 and 500 words. An appealing blog post should not only capture the patient’s attention, but make them want to keep reading. You can even include visual content, such as photos or videos to go along with your posts.
- Write about what you know. As an expert in your field, you can use your blog to share what you know with your patients. For example, if you are a pediatrician, you may wish to consider blogging on the importance of flu shots and treatments for seasonal illnesses. This is an especially relevant subject for parents, especially since the school year has just begun. Your patients will appreciate you sharing your expertise and may feel as though you are speaking to them directly.
- Keep in mind that blogs have SEO benefits.While you may not be familiar with tactics of SEO, keep in mind that a blog will add a unique page of content on to your existing website. Writing informative and unique information will help increase your overall rankings in search engines, such as Google and Bing. This is because search engines will recognize your website as containing authoritative information. Quality written content should always be your top priority, especially since it will help your practice appear to patients quicker whenever they are searching for a nearby medical practice.
- Post frequently. You may not have to time to post to your blog every day, but posting short, relevant information on your blog on a regular basis can significantly improve interest in your medical blog. Consider setting aside some time once a week or monthly to post information about the latest happenings at your practice.
MyAdvice Can Handle It For You!
Not sure where to start with your own medical blog? Let MyAdvice Help! Our team of writers can author a weekly or monthly blog that positively represents your medical practice. For more information, contact an MyAdvice Representative to learn more.
