Blogging Tips for Doctors
Start a Blog for Your Medical Practice with These 5 Easy Healthcare Blog Ideas
Doctors with their own medical practices can also think of themselves as small business owners. With a small business comes the need to hire employees, find an office space, and of course, invest in marketing. As a doctor, you have a very specialized service to market, which can make the process feel intimidating. When marketing your medical practice, it is important not to come across as spammy, gimmicky, or amateur but rather professional, trusted, and friendly. By default, some types of ads just are just too “in your face” for doctors to participate in and still look reputable. (Looking at you, billboards and bus ads!) On the other hand, blogging is a great way to build SEO for your website and drive traffic to your practice while positioning yourself as a trusted resource in your field. Let’s review some essential blogging tips for doctors and some easy medical blog ideas to get you started!
Why Other Advertisements Aren’t Enough to Market Your Medical Practice
Social media channels can be difficult for a medical practice to grow. While some doctors have leveraged the medium, most fall flat and create boring content.
“In your face” ads, like billboards, can feel cheesy and hurt a doctor’s credibility rather than build it.
Other ad forms don’t have the space required to show off a doctor’s expertise and knowledge in the field.
Why Healthcare Blogging Will Build Your Medical Practice
Blogs provide answers and information to the questions people are asking online. Writing on a topic will not only establish your authority on the subject but will also get you seen in search results.
When you write a blog that answers potential patients’ questions, you start building a trusting relationship before your first appointment.
Blogs are a great place to show off your expertise and provide a helpful resource to your community. Plus, you can write as much as you need to on a subject!
Now that you know a blog is necessary for your medical practice to get discovered online and build trusting relationships with future patients, it’s time to start creating engaging and informative blog posts! As a professional healthcare blogger, I have helped health-focused businesses across the country get their blogs noticed. Here are some crucial tips for doctors looking to get started blogging.
Blogging Tips for Doctors That Other Writers Won’t Share
Here are my top 3 tips for creating a successful healthcare blog.
#1 Use Captivating Headlines, Easy to Read Bullets, and Simple Language
Most likely, the primary audience for your blog didn’t go to medical school. Make sure to write your blog posts with accessibility in mind. Keep things simple for skimmers with eye-catching headings and easy-to-read bullet points. Use simple language to describe the healthcare world and always provide definitions for medical terms. Think about how you talk to your patients in person and utilize your bedside manner to give them an idea of what it would be like to have you as their doctor.
#2 Appeal to a Local Audience
Most medical practices serve one community. Therefore, you want to make sure your blogs are reaching people in your area. To do this, use keywords related to your city, state, or region. It is also a good idea to focus content on healthcare issues relevant to your own community, like seasonal allergies.
#3 Include Medical Disclaimers & Protect Patient Privacy
As a medical professional, readers of your blog will tend to value and use your advice more than bloggers in other niches. Make sure to include a medical disclaimer on your website and that it is linked on each blog post published. Also, aim to protect patient privacy when writing your blogs. While you may have an inspiring medical story, it is important not to reveal details that would break HIPAA regulations.
5 Easy Blog Post Ideas for Doctors
Here are 5 topics for your medical blog.
1. Highlight National Health Observances
There are dozens of opportunities every year to highlight national health days and observance months. Some examples include World Sleep Day, Alcohol Awareness Month, American Diabetes Month, and more. Use these observances for content brainstorms, where you could explain a health condition or give health tips.
2. Answer Commonly Asked Questions
As a doctor, you are probably asked hundreds of health questions every day. These questions are perfect blog topics! People are already Googling these questions online, making them excellent subjects for SEO. Plus, your patients will appreciate having an online resource where they can learn more before or after their appointment.
3. Comment on Local Health Concerns
Doctors are leaders in their local communities. Use your blog as a space to comment on local health concerns, provide local resource guides, and more. Community-specific content is excellent for SEO and for helping the community you serve.
4. Create Lists: Health Tips, Symptoms, and More
Lists or “listicles” are easy forms of content for readers to browse and pull relevant information. When it comes to complex subjects, like healthcare, it is essential to write content in an easily accessible way. Lists could include heal tips, symptoms to look out for, or types of vitamins to try.
5. Explain Medical Terms and Offer Further Reading
Most people don’t know the full meaning behind many medical terms or conditions. Defining terms, conditions, and symptoms provide your patients with an empowering resource. After diagnosing your patients, you could even send them to your blog to learn more about symptom management, treatment options, and the facts behind the disease.
Are you ready to start your healthcare blog?
Creating a medical blog can seem like a daunting task, and it does require a lot of work! It is recommended that medical professionals blog at least two to four times per month and for blog posts to be around 1,000 words long. As a doctor, it may seem easy to write 1,000 words about a medical condition, but the hard part will be conveying the facts in a way that is easy for your patients to understand. I’ve helped healthcare businesses across the country create informative and engaging blog posts. Let me help you share the work of your medical practice and provide a resource to your patients.
