Why (and How) to Blog
Blogging has been on my mind lately, in part because I talked about it during the fourth session of my six-session webinar on the
Business of Freelancing; but mainly because I’m participating in a 30-day blogathon. Although I’ve been blogging for years, both for myself and for clients, I’ve learned more in the past three weeks than I have in the past three years. Thought I’d share a bit with you.
- Companies that blog (just a little!) receive 55 percent more website visitors than those that don’t, according to a Hubspot survey.
- Forty-six percent of people read one or more blogs a day, according to Hubspot
- Eighty-one percent of women trust the information they read on blogs more than any other social media, according to a BlogHer survey (and, as we all know, women make the majority of all healthcare decisions for their families).
- Overtly marketing-oriented blogs doesn't cut it. Your blog should demonstrate your expertise within your market and provide added value. For instance, I blogged for four years for a children’s hospital. The blog was directed at community pediatricians, designed to drive referrals to the hospital. So we disseminated information in the journals, provided advice about common conditions, and highlighted new practice guidelines, etc. Every now and again I would sneak a “when is it time to refer” sentence in there.
- You need to blog. . . a lot. Ok, every day is a bit much, but if you’re not blogging at least once a week (two to three times is better) you won’t meet your goal which is, of course, to drive customers to your web site.
- Get your blog out there. That means getting it on blogging aggregators. I just started researching this, but one that comes highly recommended (and that I’m on) is http://www.alltop.com
- Tweet, tweet, tweet. Just this week I’ve had more than a dozen people—both followers and non-followers—either retweet my blog or favor it. In the process, about 20 new people started following me. I have no clue who they are but it sure gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling (not to mention helping identify more potential customers). :)
The Business of Freelancing: Getting to Six Figures
Speaking of my
webinar, I’m nearly finished with the first six-week session. I think it’s gone pretty well – and so do my “students.” They’ve written business plans, identified their strengths and weaknesses, strengthened their LinkedIn profiles, and set up web sites and blogs. This week they’re learning about client relations. The final session focuses on work/life balance and time management (yes, it’s possible).
All sessions are available on demand if you still want to
register. I also plan to offer it again in the fall. If you’re interested,
email me and I’ll make sure you get a reminder.
PS: I’ll write about 10 lessons I learned about giving a webinar in the next newsletter. Stay tuned!
From the Home Office
I was honored to be interviewed for a
profile on the new medical writing web site,
www.healthwriterhub.com, about my 27 years (!) communicating about the healthcare system and medicine.
Upcoming
- Speaking on writing needs assessments and on healthcare reform to the Texas Medical Association’s CME providers in Austin, Texas later this month.
- Speaking on healthcare reform at the American Society of Abdominal Surgeons annual meeting in Tampa, Florida in October..
- Covering the American Society of Reproductive Medicine in October for DocGuide (shoot, it’s in Hawaii!)
Need a speaker? Some training? Meeting coverage? You know where to find me!
