Tag: blog

Write What Your Patients Want to Hear

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You do everything right with your blog; you update frequently, you quote doctors, you promote your blogs on every social media channel known to man, but still your traffic is slow. Before you pay for that boosted post, really take a look at your content. Are you writing what your patients want to hear or are you writing what you want to tell them?

Traditional marketing has all revolved around telling people what you want them to know (We have a new doctor! We’re holding an event!), but social media marketing and blogging demands that you create content that people are looking for.

You can find out what your patients might want to hear by doing some quick (and free!) research.

  1. Hop over to Google Analytics and check out which pages are most popular on your website. Write about these topics.
  2. Head to YouTube. Which of your videos are most popular? Which of your competitor’s videos are most popular? What about industry leaders? Make a list of topics related to these frequently searched subjects.
  3. Check your Facebook. What posts do the best?
  4. Ask your followers on social media. Why not crowdsource blog ideas? You’ll have a better understanding of what your followers want to hear about.
  5. Ask your healthcare providers what questions patients ask most often. Your doctors and advanced care providers know best what patients want to know and are confused about. Answer the frequently asked questions your doctors hear.

Also consider writing blogs that are tailored to the audiences of popular programs at your hospital. If you have an autism clinic, write a blog series about parenting children with autism. If you have a robust cancer program, write blogs with tips on how to handle chemotherapy side effects. Let your patients know these blogs are online to help them, and you’ll have an audience from your very own waiting rooms.

Running short on time to write blogs? Tag me in to help with your blog writing needs.

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3 Essential Features of A Hospital Blog

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No hospital website should be without a blog anymore. A blog is the powerhouse behind all of your social media channels, e-mail marketing and website content. It improves your SEO and gives you another low-cost way to connect to patients and improve community health.

For maximum success, hospital blogs should have a few essential features, including:

  1. Graphics liven up your blog, making it colorful and inviting. They also increase the number of clicks you get when you share your blog on Facebook or Twitter. Every post should come with an image of some sort.
  2. Physician input. Use your blog to position your physicians as experts. Most (if not all) of your blog posts should either be written, ghostwritten or feature quotes from your physicians. Not only does this make your blog seem more trustworthy, it makes your physicians look like the pros they are.
  3. Call to action. Include ways for your patients to take action at the end of the blog. Invite them to make an appointment, take health surveys or quizzes or even just learn more about the blog topic or featured doctor. Always give them a way to become more familiar and involved with your hospital or practice.

Go for bonus points and add a comments section for people to ask further questions and interact with you. Use you blog to build a relationship with patients and future patients.

Have a blog, but no time to write? Drop me a line, and we can work together.