Being a physician, you have a very hectic schedule dealing with patients day in and day out. But even in this busier-than-ever environment, you need to put aside some time to write a blog. Why blogging? Because blogs are a valuable way to increase traffic on your website and promote your practice. Obviously, your patients need to know more about you and your practice. You need to showcase your thought leader personality in front of the world, and that can be achieved through a unique blog.
Let’s categorize the benefits of blogging in two aspects, i.e. ‘marketing and personality,’ and discuss each of them in detail.
- Marketing Aspect
Most people search health information online, and to get visibility on the first page of a search engine, it is necessary to market your services. Blogging is content marketing that engrosses the target audience. It is an inexpensive way of marketing that serves your website popularity and enhances your online presence. Regular blogging increases your website’s index pages that help you become popular online.
In addition to increased indexed pages, blogging helps you generate inbound links or backlinks. With your growing online presence, you are cited on other websites. An inbound link is a connection built through hyperlinking whenever other sites cite your homepage or blog. The greater number of backlinks you have, the better your listing is in Google’s record.
You should even add backlinks to your blog to make it rank higher in the search results. For instance, if you are a dermatologist selling your own products, then create a backlink which connects your blog to that particular product. This will act in two ways: It makes your practice and blog rank higher in Google search results and increases the sale of your products by diverting the reader to the linked product page. Another option is to backlink your new and old blog posts.
The journey of a reader should not be limited to your blog, but end with a conversion. For this, you need to have “Contact Us” or “Schedule Appointment” links or buttons on the page. The instant impact of the blog will surely make them ignore any other practitioner.
You can even share your blog on your social media pages and increase shares and visits of your writing. Social media today has become a marketing platform where you acquire new clients and a huge audience to pitch your services and products. It’s not limited to just sharing photographs and contacting your friends and family. Engage with your patients over Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook via your blog and take an extra step to contact people who respond to your writing. Since you are reaching a large audience, try to keep your writing easy and personal.
- Personality Aspect
In addition to marketing, a blog further grows your personality as a thought leader that will exponentially grow your online presence and thereby your online reputation. So every time you publish a blog article, it invites more traffic to your site.
Along with traffic, its helps you to educate your patients on any new technology in the healthcare industry or general health tips for a healthy life. Showcasing of knowledge is the best way to influence your existing patients and attract the new ones. You should create FAQs and how-to guides for your patients to grow their trust in your practice. In addition to education, your audience gets to know you better as a person. Showing the normal human side of yourself is hopeful for people, and they approach you as a friend instead of just a doctor.
Writing a blog even adds to the self-realization aspect of your personality. Thinking over a past case and writing about a circumstance or patients more objectively helps in a big way. Blogging will act as a change from your normal hectic routine.
The world wants to read your writing. Start today!