{"id":2002,"date":"2016-12-13T14:28:03","date_gmt":"2016-12-13T19:28:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.inboundmd.com\/?page_id=2002"},"modified":"2016-12-13T14:28:03","modified_gmt":"2016-12-13T19:28:03","slug":"blogging-for-doctors-dentists-healthcare-practices","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/inboundmd.com\/blogging-for-doctors-dentists-healthcare-practices\/","title":{"rendered":"Blogging for Healthcare Practices"},"content":{"rendered":"[vc_row full_width=&#8221;stretch_row&#8221; wpex_bg_overlay=&#8221;dark&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1479929489496{padding-top: 100px !important;padding-bottom: 100px !important;background-color: #004d99 !important;background-position: center !important;background-repeat: no-repeat !important;background-size: cover !important;}&#8221; wpex_bg_overlay_opacity=&#8221;0.55&#8243; wpex_bg_overlay_color=&#8221;#004d99&#8243;][vc_column]<h1 class=\"vcex-module vcex-heading vcex-heading-plain\" style=\"color:#ffffff;font-size:48px;text-align:center;line-height:1.2;\"><span class=\"vcex-heading-inner clr\">Blogging for Healthcare Practices<\/span><\/h1><div class=\"vcex-spacing\" style=\"height:40px\"><\/div><div class=\"vcex-module vcex-heading vcex-heading-plain\" style=\"color:#ffffff;font-size:32px;text-align:center;line-height:1.2;\"><span class=\"vcex-heading-inner clr\">Improve patient engagement and retention with educational content<\/span><\/div>[\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row full_width=&#8221;stretch_row&#8221; column_spacing=&#8221;60&#8243; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1479509683364{padding-top: 60px !important;background-color: #e6e6e6 !important;background-position: center !important;background-repeat: no-repeat !important;background-size: contain !important;}&#8221;][vc_column][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1\/2&#8243;]<h2 class=\"vcex-module vcex-heading vcex-heading-plain\" style=\"color:#004d99;font-size:42px;text-align:left;line-height:1.2;\"><span class=\"vcex-heading-inner clr\">Learn About Blogging<\/span><\/h2>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;40px&#8221;][vc_column_text]\n<ul>\n<li><a class=\"local-scroll\" href=\"#what-is-blogging\">What is Blogging?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"local-scroll\" href=\"#why-blogging-is-important\">Why Blogging is Important<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"local-scroll\" href=\"#search-engines\">Developing a Content Calendar<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"local-scroll\" href=\"#target-audience\">Determining Your Target Audience<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"local-scroll\" href=\"#blog-topic-development\">Blog Topic Development<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"local-scroll\" href=\"#blog-post-frequency\">Blog Posting Frequency<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"local-scroll\" href=\"#blogging-best-practices\">Blogging Best Practices<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1\/2&#8243;]<div class=\"vcex-spacing visible-desktop\" style=\"height:30px\"><\/div>[vc_single_image image=&#8221;791&#8243; alignment=&#8221;center&#8221;][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row column_spacing=&#8221;60&#8243; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1481657216638{padding-top: 60px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;}&#8221; local_scroll_id=&#8221;what-is-blogging&#8221; el_id=&#8221;what-is-blogging&#8221;][vc_column]<h2 class=\"vcex-module vcex-heading vcex-heading-plain\" style=\"color:#004d99;font-size:42px;text-align:left;line-height:1.2;\"><span class=\"vcex-heading-inner clr\">What is Blogging?<\/span><\/h2>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;20px&#8221;][vc_column_text]<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Blogging is almost old as the internet itself. Our Founder, Garrett Smith, started his first blog in 2005!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Initially, bloggers used \u201cweblogs\u201d as personal diaries where they posted updates about their lives or topics that interested them. Now, due to their personal and relaxed tone, medical professionals along with other brands use blogs as a way to humanize their practice and engage with patients. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Blog content can consist of just written articles, or it can also include videos and visuals, such as infographics. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A regularly updated blog influences your search engine rankings. When a search engine sees fresh content on a consistent basis, it knows your site is active and not static. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A blog is also an easy way to create specific pages for the keywords and search phrases you want to appear for highly in the search results. <\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row full_width=&#8221;stretch_row&#8221; column_spacing=&#8221;60&#8243; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1481657481062{padding-top: 60px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;background-color: #e6e6e6 !important;background-position: center !important;background-repeat: no-repeat !important;background-size: contain !important;}&#8221; local_scroll_id=&#8221;why-blogging-is-important&#8221; el_id=&#8221;why-blogging-is-important&#8221;][vc_column]<h2 class=\"vcex-module vcex-heading vcex-heading-plain\" style=\"color:#004d99;font-size:42px;text-align:left;line-height:1.2;\"><span class=\"vcex-heading-inner clr\">Why Blogging is Important for Healthcare Practices<\/span><\/h2>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;20px&#8221;][vc_column_text]Blogging is important for healthcare practices because it helps you get found by patients on search engines.<\/p>\n<p>Blogging provides engaging content for your patients and helps sets your brand apart from other healthcare practices. It\u2019s a way for you to keep your patients updated, to educate them on their health and medical\u00a0needs, and to share important information.<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s also the basis for your social media participation &#8211; without lots of content to publish on your profiles, it&#8217;s tough to effectively participate.<\/p>\n<h3>Here are other benefits of blogging that reflect its importance:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Blogging is the core of content marketing <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Blogging has a huge influence on search engine rankings<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Build authority by publishing educational, informational posts<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Educate patients about conditions, injuries and treatments<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keep your local area up to date on new methods and practice happenings<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Sounds great, right? Who wouldn&#8217;t want to\u00a0all of this for their practice?<\/p>\n<p>So, how exactly does blogging work?[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row full_width=&#8221;stretch_row&#8221; column_spacing=&#8221;30&#8243; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1479773657569{padding-top: 30px !important;background-color: #2b96cc !important;}&#8221;][vc_column width=&#8221;2\/3&#8243;]<div class=\"vcex-module vcex-heading vcex-heading-plain vc_custom_1481658301487\" style=\"color:#ffffff;font-size:28px;text-align:center;line-height:1.2;\"><span class=\"vcex-heading-inner clr\"><span class=\"vcex-icon-wrap vcex-icon-position-left\" style=\"color:#ffffff;\"><span class=\"fa fa-lightbulb-o\"><\/span><\/span>WANT TO GET YOUR PRACTICE BLOGGING?<\/span><\/div>[\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/3&#8243;]<div class=\"textcenter theme-button-wrap clr\"><a href=\"\/schedule-consult\/\" title=\"SCHEDULE CONSULT\" class=\"vcex-button theme-button align-center inline animate-on-hover\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"background:#004d99;padding:10px 16px;font-size:18px;text-transform:uppercase;\"><span class=\"theme-button-inner\">SCHEDULE CONSULT<span class=\"vcex-icon-wrap theme-button-icon-right\"><span class=\"fa fa-angle-double-right\"><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div> [\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row column_spacing=&#8221;60&#8243; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1481658553180{padding-top: 60px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;}&#8221; local_scroll_id=&#8221;develop-content-calendar&#8221; el_id=&#8221;develop-content-calendar&#8221;][vc_column]<h2 class=\"vcex-module vcex-heading vcex-heading-plain\" style=\"color:#004d99;font-size:42px;text-align:left;line-height:1.2;\"><span class=\"vcex-heading-inner clr\">Developing a Content Calendar<\/span><\/h2>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;20px&#8221;][vc_column_text]<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The first step to having effective blog for your practice is setting up a content calendar.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Surprise, surprise. The best practice bloggers have a plan!<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A content calendar maps out what posts you will publish over the next several weeks or months. It outlines\u00a0the topics to be delivered, touchpoints for the post, the keyword focus (if any), due dates and who is assigned.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your content calendar can stretch as far into the future as you want&#8211;but keep in mind that trending topics will change rapidly, so it\u2019s best to keep your calendar to a shorter time frame like a month to a few months.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Many combined their content calendar with their social media calendar, giving them a unified view of their efforts.<\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s how to go about developing a content calendar for your practice.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row full_width=&#8221;stretch_row&#8221; column_spacing=&#8221;60&#8243; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1481659070821{padding-top: 60px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;background-color: #e6e6e6 !important;background-position: center !important;background-repeat: no-repeat !important;background-size: contain !important;}&#8221; local_scroll_id=&#8221;target-audience&#8221; el_id=&#8221;target-audience&#8221;][vc_column]<h2 class=\"vcex-module vcex-heading vcex-heading-plain\" style=\"color:#004d99;font-size:42px;text-align:left;line-height:1.2;\"><span class=\"vcex-heading-inner clr\">Determining Your Target Patient Audience<\/span><\/h2>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;20px&#8221;][vc_column_text]<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before you can map out your content calendar, you need to consider your <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.orthorank.com\/how-to-build-patient-personas-for-your-practice\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">target audience<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Each piece of content should be written for a specific group. For healthcare providers, that audience will be your patients and potential patients. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When you write a blog post, instead of directing it to other healthcare providers, write for your patients. That can be easier said than done. Here\u2019s a few tips on how to do it:<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Empathize with them<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Put yourself in your patient\u2019s shoes. Take some time to create a persona of your typical patient to help you think through their scenario, and then walk through how they might search for answers to their pain. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Understanding how patients are thinking about their conditions and the treatments you provide will allow you to create content that captures their attention.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For instance, if you\u2019re writing about carpal tunnel, take some time to understand some of the ways they may try to alleviate the pain without surgery. How does carpal tunnel affect their day-to-day life? How do they try to cope? What search terms would they type in on Google? What would they ask their friends on Facebook.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can also ask them what topics interest them most or use the questions they ask most frequently in the office as initial topics to explore.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keep Things Simple<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another thing to consider as you write for your audience is that most of them won\u2019t understand medical jargon. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If possible, avoid words that aren\u2019t readily understood by the general public. If you must use jargon, explain the meaning and link to a dictionary definition. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To see how easy to read your content is, consider running it through a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/readability-score.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Flesch-Kincaid<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> test. The closer your score is to 100, the easier it will be to read. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You should aim for a score above 60 to keep your writing on a 8th to 9th grade reading level.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row full_width=&#8221;stretch_row&#8221; column_spacing=&#8221;30&#8243; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1479773657569{padding-top: 30px !important;background-color: #2b96cc !important;}&#8221;][vc_column width=&#8221;2\/3&#8243;]<div class=\"vcex-module vcex-heading vcex-heading-plain vc_custom_1481659100501\" style=\"color:#ffffff;font-size:28px;text-align:center;line-height:1.2;\"><span class=\"vcex-heading-inner clr\"><span class=\"vcex-icon-wrap vcex-icon-position-left\" style=\"color:#ffffff;\"><span class=\"fa fa-lightbulb-o\"><\/span><\/span>WANT TO GET YOUR PRACTICE BLOGGING?<\/span><\/div>[\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/3&#8243;]<div class=\"textcenter theme-button-wrap clr\"><a href=\"\/schedule-consult\/\" title=\"SCHEDULE CONSULT\" class=\"vcex-button theme-button align-center inline animate-on-hover\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"background:#004d99;padding:10px 16px;font-size:18px;text-transform:uppercase;\"><span class=\"theme-button-inner\">SCHEDULE CONSULT<span class=\"vcex-icon-wrap theme-button-icon-right\"><span class=\"fa fa-angle-double-right\"><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div> [\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row column_spacing=&#8221;60&#8243; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1481659130390{padding-top: 60px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;}&#8221; local_scroll_id=&#8221;blog-topic-development&#8221; el_id=&#8221;blog-topic-development&#8221;][vc_column]<h2 class=\"vcex-module vcex-heading vcex-heading-plain\" style=\"color:#004d99;font-size:42px;text-align:left;line-height:1.2;\"><span class=\"vcex-heading-inner clr\">Blog Topic Development<\/span><\/h2>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;20px&#8221;][vc_column_text]<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The next step in creating your content calendar is nailing down a list of topics to write about. Use these criteria to determine if a topic will work for your blog:<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Is it relevant?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Is the topic relevant to your audience\u2019s lives? One reason narrowing down your target audience is so important is because it will help you choose topics they can relate to.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For instance, a senior citizen with back pain won\u2019t be interested in articles about how jogging relieves stress while a 30 year old marathoner, however, would be. This is why it&#8217;s important to know which patients you truly want to serve. If you serve a variety of patients, be prepared to create content that speaks to them all.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Is it directed at your audience?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your blog should cover topics that your audience will be interest in reading. Much of what you post will be about medical topics, but it\u2019s also a good idea to post about local events like a charity cookout or little league games. Lighten up your informational medical content with content that touches your patients\u2019 daily lives.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tools for content planning<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Brainstorming new topics to write about can be exhausting. Tools like <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/app.buzzsumo.com\/research\/most-shared\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Buzzsumo<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/adwords.google.com\/ko\/KeywordPlanner\/Home?__c=2362848940&amp;__u=8875618780&amp;authuser=0&amp;__o=cues#start\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Google Keyword Planner<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are helpful in coming up with multiple topics.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Buzzsumo, for instance, tracks popular articles online. Type in a general topic, like carpal tunnel, to see other similar articles. Buzzsumo will generate a list (see below) of popular related content. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, if you wrote an article on the symptoms of carpal tunnel, you could write several follow up articles along the lines of those pictured below:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Google Keyword Planner is another good tool to find topics. Type in a keyword like \u201ccarpal tunnel treatment. Google Keyword Planner will generate a list of similar keywords. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As an example, from the list below, you could write articles on carpal tunnel surgery, different types of treatment, how to get relief from carpal tunnel, or carpal tunnel exercises.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Both of these tools can help you brainstorm a list of topics to include on your calendar. Another good place to look for trending topics are social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, or Reddit.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row full_width=&#8221;stretch_row&#8221; column_spacing=&#8221;60&#8243; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1481659555065{padding-top: 60px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;background-color: #e6e6e6 !important;background-position: center !important;background-repeat: no-repeat !important;background-size: contain !important;}&#8221; local_scroll_id=&#8221;blog-post-frequency&#8221; el_id=&#8221;blog-post-frequency&#8221;][vc_column]<h2 class=\"vcex-module vcex-heading vcex-heading-plain\" style=\"color:#004d99;font-size:42px;text-align:left;line-height:1.2;\"><span class=\"vcex-heading-inner clr\">Optimizing Your Healthcare Website<\/span><\/h2>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;20px&#8221;][vc_column_text]<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When you start outlining topics on your content calendar, it\u2019s easy to be overzealous and plan more than you can handle.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While posting once a day or even three days a week <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/marketing\/blogging-frequency-benchmarks#sm.001frhwq21b2hfmawby2e48c6mp95\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">will increase your traffic<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, writing blog posts is hard work, so it may be better to aim for one or two posts a week. One well-written post is better than five poorly-written posts.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check out your competitors to see how much they post. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If they post irregularly or rarely, you\u2019re already a step ahead by publishing content once a week. If they post more often, you will probably want to match what they do.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One way to increase your content is to ask your peers to guest post on your blog. This will give them added publicity and credibility as well as take some pressure off of you to create content.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row full_width=&#8221;stretch_row&#8221; column_spacing=&#8221;30&#8243; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1479773657569{padding-top: 30px !important;background-color: #2b96cc !important;}&#8221;][vc_column width=&#8221;2\/3&#8243;]<div class=\"vcex-module vcex-heading vcex-heading-plain vc_custom_1481659100501\" style=\"color:#ffffff;font-size:28px;text-align:center;line-height:1.2;\"><span class=\"vcex-heading-inner clr\"><span class=\"vcex-icon-wrap vcex-icon-position-left\" style=\"color:#ffffff;\"><span class=\"fa fa-lightbulb-o\"><\/span><\/span>WANT TO GET YOUR PRACTICE BLOGGING?<\/span><\/div>[\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/3&#8243;]<div class=\"textcenter theme-button-wrap clr\"><a href=\"\/schedule-consult\/\" title=\"SCHEDULE CONSULT\" class=\"vcex-button theme-button align-center inline animate-on-hover\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"background:#004d99;padding:10px 16px;font-size:18px;text-transform:uppercase;\"><span class=\"theme-button-inner\">SCHEDULE CONSULT<span class=\"vcex-icon-wrap theme-button-icon-right\"><span class=\"fa fa-angle-double-right\"><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div> [\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row column_spacing=&#8221;60&#8243; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1481660339189{padding-top: 60px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;}&#8221; local_scroll_id=&#8221;blogging-best-practices&#8221; el_id=&#8221;blogging-best-practices&#8221;][vc_column]<h2 class=\"vcex-module vcex-heading vcex-heading-plain\" style=\"color:#004d99;font-size:42px;text-align:left;line-height:1.2;\"><span class=\"vcex-heading-inner clr\">Blogging Best Practices<\/span><\/h2>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;20px&#8221;][vc_column_text]<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your goal for blogging should be to engage your audience. To do so, here are some best practices to follow:<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Be authentic<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your patients will see right through any lack of authenticity. Because our culture is internet savvy, they are street smart when it comes to scams or frauds.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being true to yourself sets you apart from the crowd. The internet is a crowded space, and you\u2019re competing for their attention with their favorite celebrities, their friends, and every possible brand out there. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Putting a human element into your blogging makes you more trustworthy and helps your patients relate to you. They are more likely to engage with you because they sense that you are being honest.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That\u2019s all good and well, but how do you come across as authentic to faceless readers? First, listen. It all starts by listening to what your patients have to say in your office and online. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What are they struggling with? What do they need to hear? <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Empathize with them by showing them that not only do you understand where they are coming from, but you know how to help them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Don\u2019t be afraid to be passionate. Share causes you care about, and take a stand. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For instance, if you believe a certain treatment does more harm than good, don\u2019t be wishy-washy. Say what you think and explain why.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keep your messaging consistent, both on and off line. Your voice on your blog should be consistent with what patients hear when they visit your office or talk to you on the phone. <\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Be Educational<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Educate your patients on issues that are important to them. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you cater to 30-something year old athletes, you could write a post on how to avoid injuries as their bodies age. If you cater to older patients, they might appreciate articles that provide tips on how to avoid common bone or muscle ailments or information on osteoporosis treatment. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can also include informational articles on popular medicines or current events happening in the medical world. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Use Visuals<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Using color images in your posts will <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/marketing\/visual-content-marketing-strategy#sm.001frhwq21b2hfmawby2e48c6mp95\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">increase the likelihood<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that your audience will actually read your post instead of scrolling past it. Visuals help grab your reader\u2019s attention and engage them in what you are reading. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A blog post on arthritis could include images showing the difference between an arthritic knee and a healthy knee. A post on how to protect muscles while lifting weights could include a graph showing percentages of athletes who injure themselves. <\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Be Responsive<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once your posts start garnering some traffic, your readers will start commenting on your articles. Some comments will be positive, others will ask for more information, and you can count on some negative ones as well. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Responding to comments can be time consuming, but it\u2019s an important part of blogging. Your audience needs to know that this post is just the start of the conversation. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Engaging patients in the comments could eventually lead to them coming to your office.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Promote<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unless you actively promote your blog, few people will ever read it. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Work to build relationships with other bloggers in your field to cross promote each other\u2019s posts. Share every article on your social media accounts and use a tool like Mailchimp or ConstantContact to email your posts to your patients every month.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Also consider reaching out to colleagues and influencers in your field to ask them to share your post. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When you do your topic research, you\u2019ll find other sources who have written similar material. Share your article with them in hopes that they will share with their networks.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All your content should be geared to share on social media. Plan to reshare the posts throughout the year, repurposing them if necessary.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Deal with negativity<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you are an active blogger, it\u2019s a matter of when, not if something negative happens. A reader may leave an inflammatory comment or send a hateful email. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Be quick to respond to negative comments. Show respect to the commenter. Don\u2019t be afraid to ask to move the conversation to a more private platform if necessary. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Acknowledge their point of view and ask questions to find out where they\u2019re coming from. Then, as kindly as possible, don\u2019t feel bad about briefly defending your position.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One scenario that could occur is someone comments that a treatment you list for arthritis didn\u2019t work for them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You could respond with the following: \u201cHi Joe, thanks for reading and commenting! I\u2019m sorry to hear that X treatment was ineffective. Can you send me an email to explain a little more about your treatment? I\u2019ve found that in the majority of cases, it has proved beneficial to most of my patients.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Similar to responding to negative patient reviews, the best thing to do is take the high road and work offline to rectify the situation, if required.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[vc_row full_width=&#8221;stretch_row&#8221; wpex_bg_overlay=&#8221;dark&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1479929489496{padding-top: 100px !important;padding-bottom: 100px !important;background-color: #004d99 !important;background-position: center !important;background-repeat: no-repeat !important;background-size: cover !important;}&#8221; wpex_bg_overlay_opacity=&#8221;0.55&#8243; wpex_bg_overlay_color=&#8221;#004d99&#8243;][vc_column][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row full_width=&#8221;stretch_row&#8221; column_spacing=&#8221;60&#8243; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1479509683364{padding-top: 60px !important;background-color: #e6e6e6 !important;background-position: center !important;background-repeat: no-repeat !important;background-size: contain !important;}&#8221;][vc_column][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1\/2&#8243;][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;40px&#8221;][vc_column_text] What is Blogging? Why Blogging is Important&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Blogging for Doctors, Dentists, Dermatologists &amp; Healthcare Practices 2019<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/inboundmd.com\/blogging-for-doctors-dentists-healthcare-practices\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Blogging for Doctors, Dentists, Dermatologists &amp; Healthcare Practices 2019\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"[vc_row full_width=&#8221;stretch_row&#8221; wpex_bg_overlay=&#8221;dark&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1479929489496{padding-top: 100px !important;padding-bottom: 100px !important;background-color: #004d99 !important;background-position: center !important;background-repeat: no-repeat !important;background-size: cover !important;}&#8221; wpex_bg_overlay_opacity=&#8221;0.55&#8243; wpex_bg_overlay_color=&#8221;#004d99&#8243;][vc_column][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row full_width=&#8221;stretch_row&#8221; column_spacing=&#8221;60&#8243; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1479509683364{padding-top: 60px !important;background-color: #e6e6e6 !important;background-position: center !important;background-repeat: no-repeat !important;background-size: contain !important;}&#8221;][vc_column][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1\/2&#8243;][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;40px&#8221;][vc_column_text] What is Blogging? 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