Deciding to start a blog comes with many questions and requires a lot of thought. During this process, one of the most critical questions is, “Will this be beneficial to my practice?”
According to rheumatology experts, it will be! Blogs will give patients the chance to learn about your Rheumatology practice directly. It also provides a way to express your interests and can lead others with similar interests to engage with you.
Some of the other positives to having a dedicated blog page include:
- Blogging builds brand authority with your audience.
- Blogging will increase your organic website traffic.
- Blogs provide engaging, relevant content to share on social media.
- A quality blog page will improve website Search Engine Optimization [SEO].
If starting a blog is something you have thought about and you feel ready to take the plunge, here is a list of six basic blogging tips for your Rheumatology practice to get you started.
Consider your audience.
Obviously, your blog will have something to do with rheumatology, but it still needs to be more specific. Target your demographic population and find your niche. Keep in mind who will be reading and why. Some things to think about before you get started include:
- Age
- Gender
- Location
- Education
- Occupation
- Marital status
The web is full of blogs, so how will yours stand out? Considering your audience early in the process will help you establish the tone and voice of the blog and clearly define who your demographic will be.
Be prepared.
Plan ahead with pre-arranged topics and ideas. Blogging will provide an excellent opportunity to show your audience a different side of your practice and expand on issues and news related to the Rheumatology industry.
When you blog, your tone and writing style can be more relaxed. Let your audience see the personality! Show them that you are human; write as if you are having a conversation with a friend while staying informative and maintaining your status as an expert.
Some examples of blog content could include:
- Team member spotlights
- Behind-the-scenes looks at your office
- Special events
- Philanthropic efforts
- Trending stories in the Rheumatology or medical industry
No matter the topic, patients prefer messaging that is personable but professional. Keep your posts reader-friendly, especially with a medical blog. It may be easy to get wrapped up in medical terms but once again, remember your audience.
Draft your posts.
After planning your topics, one of the best blogging tips is to draft your posts ahead of time to avoid getting behind. If you cannot manage at least ten blog articles in advance, now may not be the best time to start a blog.
Doing this ahead of time will help you plan for posting in the future and give you plenty of time to edit and make changes.
Create a quality design.
It is vital that your blog is visually appealing and makes a significant impact. Humans are visual creatures, so while you may not feel that a Rheumatology blog deserves a great design, think again.
Consider your audience again as you put together your design. Keep it classic, and don’t overwhelm your reader with unnecessary clutter like annoying pop-ups or hard-to-read fonts.
Utilize imagery.
Blogging is not only about plain content on a page. A quality blog post will combine text, images, and various multi-media elements like videos or infographics.
Having an image makes your content look visually appealing, but this is true only when you use the right image to convey your message. Your image should be relevant to the context and eye-catching at the same time.
Quality images will also help to:
- Increase SEO and grab lots of traffic from image search engines
- Allow for better sharing on social media
- Add to the length of the blog post
Allow your readers to engage with you.
Keep yourself accessible to your readers. This makes you and your blog more relatable. Let readers comment on your posts, and when they do, be sure to reply.
Include a small personal profile somewhere within the blog and add email contact information.
Keep in mind the best blogs are written by those who are knowledgeable and passionate. Write about what you know and what excites you; if you aren’t excited about it, your reader won’t be either.
A blog is a creative outlet, but it is also a way to mold your online presence, build your reputation, and ultimately your practice. We hope these blogging tips help you get started, and for more help and ideas, be sure to follow ours!
Tags: Blogging Tips, Marketing for Office Managers, national organization of rheumatology managers, office management, tips for office managers Posted by
