| If you are a doctor and you're not blogging, the | | | | respond to their comments. As a result of |
| question is: why not? Blogging is a powerful | | | | blogging, you can connect with your patients and |
| method of medical marketing that helps you get | | | | potential patients. People will think of you as a |
| your name out there, connect with potential | | | | friendly, approachable doctor rather than one who |
| patients, and generate more business. You might | | | | is too busy to give them the time of day. This |
| be wondering why on earth you would take time | | | | personal connection is important because it helps |
| out of your busy schedule as a physician to write | | | | you attract more patients to your practice. |
| for free. Well, here's why. | | | | Blogging is also beneficial because it gives your |
| For one, if you're far too busy to blog yourself, | | | | online presence a major boost. People aren't the |
| you can always hire a ghostwriter to write your | | | | only ones who love blogs; search engines do too. |
| blog posts for you, and then review each blog | | | | Blogs are constantly updated and the search |
| post to ensure that you approve of its content | | | | engines like content-rich sites that are fresh and |
| and request changes if necessary. Secondly, blog | | | | frequently updated. Furthermore, a blog |
| posts aren't difficult to write. Even if you just | | | | connected to your main website makes it easier |
| take 30 minutes out of your day, you can write a | | | | for search engine robots to crawl and index your |
| pretty decent blog post. Blog posts tend to be | | | | site. And most importantly, content is considered |
| shorter than other kinds of online articles, and | | | | king online. Both people and search engines love |
| they are written in a casual tone. | | | | great content. Great content attracts links on |
| Surely, you already have a website for your | | | | other relevant sites and blogs, which then leads to |
| medical practice. If not, you absolutely need to | | | | a higher search engine ranking. Search engines |
| get one. In this day and age, in order to attract | | | | judge the popularity and relevance of your site |
| new patients, it's essential for a portion of your | | | | based on the number of links back to your site |
| medical marketing campaign to be conducted | | | | that accumulate on other websites. |
| online. The majority of adults search for health | | | | Blogging also makes it easier for you to |
| information online and when they need to go to | | | | participate in social media because you have |
| the doctor, they do a quick online search to find | | | | something that you can immediately share and |
| doctors in their area. You need to make sure that | | | | use to attract attention to yourself and your |
| you have a search engine-optimized website that | | | | practice. By joining a site like Twitter, you can |
| people can find when they search online. People | | | | post updates, or "tweets," each time you write a |
| are more likely to trust you and choose you as | | | | new blog post. If the blog posts are good, other |
| their doctor if you have a presence online. Blogs | | | | Twitter users will "re-tweet" them and spread |
| help you expand that presence and give your | | | | them across the twitterverse. Social media |
| practice more credibility. | | | | marketing is like word-of-mouth on steroids, and |
| The main purpose of having a blog is to connect | | | | when used properly, it can catapult you to both |
| with your patients and potential patients. Now, | | | | online and offline fame. |
| clearly, you wouldn't use a blog to talk about what | | | | So, what are you waiting for? If your medical |
| happens in your practice or how your day was. | | | | marketing plan doesn't include blogging, consider |
| However, you could use a blog to discuss the | | | | adding a blog to your current website. The more |
| latest treatments in your field, recent medical | | | | you update the blog, the better, but you can |
| breakthroughs, and other general information. | | | | even update it as little as once or twice per week |
| When people browse online for medical | | | | if you are too busy to dedicate any more time to |
| information and find your site, they are likely to | | | | it than that. There are a number of doctors and |
| trust you as a good source of information since | | | | hospitals that have used blogging and social media |
| you are a doctor. This helps you build authority | | | | to generate publicity and attract new patients, |
| within your medical field as well as online. | | | | and you can do the same. Start a blog today if |
| Another important benefit of blogging is that you | | | | you want to increase awareness about your |
| can connect with your readers on a personal level. | | | | practice and generate publicity both online and |
| Your blog readers will comment on blog posts you | | | | offline. |
| write that they find interesting, and you can then | | | | |