Why Should You Boost or Start a Blog?
By Barbara C. Carey and Mike McCall, RN
One of the easiest ways to drive traffic to your website and build credibility with consumers is to start an “over the top,” engaging blog. Your hospital has experts in medical specialties, nutrition, exercise, pharmacology, wound care and sleep disorders. Mining the knowledge of those experts and featuring them to address high interest health issues brings attention to your hospital and drives down the cost of patient acquisition. A well-executed blog program will double traffic to your website.
How do you produce an attention-grabbing, "over the top" blog?
Begin with a strong brand identity - name and graphic. The masthead should grab the reader immediately and focus their attention on the topic. Colors should be trendy and eye catching. Think of the renovated living rooms and kitchens on HGTV.
Plan articles with topics that are trending. Interest in healthy lifestyles always trends in January. Your information can provide robust news about exercise and nutrition from your in-house experts- physicians, rehab and dietetic specialists. You can do a series of articles on these topics. The food articles can relate the chemistry of food to healthy bodies. An article can encourage readers to get a health baseline by scheduling their annual physician exam.
Research blog topics with your in-house experts - physicians, therapists, nutritionists, pharmacists, wound care and sleep specialists.
Interview them, use their knowledge to get beyond what popular publications offer.
Compose the article with the consumer’s interest and vocabulary in mind. Make the concepts and information easily understood by a typical patient. Attribute the article to the experts that provided the information.
Keep articles short but with high interest with stories, outstanding photos and graphics.
Bring attention to your blog, attract readers and followers.
1. Post a well-designed ad on Facebook that teases the reader on the blog topic. Refer the consumer to the webpage blog address. Boost the ad with money to get more traffic.
2. Hospitals have thousands of patient email addresses. This is a goldmine of data. Email the blog directly to patients.
3. Put some money on google ads and direct consumers to your blog. You will be amazed at the traffic you will get with a minimum of investment .
4. Do all of the above.
5. Analyze the effectiveness of your distribution efforts. See where your traffic is originating and adjust your budget accordingly.
What sets your blog apart from others?
The story telling, the knowledge expressed, the graphics and photos and the timely topic selection. You can use medical terms as long as you explain them well. For example one of your blogs could be: “What is the difference between Osteoporosis and Osteopenia?” This is not common knowledge. Defining and differentiating the terms, treatments and results can be riveting especially to women who have these diagnoses. It can showcase an orthopedist, dietitian and pharmacist in your hospital.
Other ways to use your blog?
Tell a patient’s healthcare journey from early symptoms to diagnosis, treatment and results. The patient’s real name would not be used. Telling his or her story in a serial format attracts readers as they try to see what is coming next and the outcome.
Blogs are highly effective if they are produced well. They require a director and responsible party for the process and content. They must be launched with the hospital physicians and staff to gain their cooperation and ideas. Quality, format and timing must be consistent.
Blogs are a form of content marketing. The hospital can demonstrate their expertise and the knowledge of their physicians and staff to build credibility and awareness of services.
TCI has years of experience in telling healthcare stories. If you want to know more, contact us. We have a fixed-priced, affordable blog program. We want you to be innovative and expanding your brand and patient volume in 2023.
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