5+ Ways Blogging Can Grow Your Medical Practice
Creating a high-quality blog for your medical practice translates into more patients, more revenue, and more impact for you. But wait… isn't blogging so 2005? And isn’t social media a more effective use of marketing dollars these days? Absolutely not!
If you own or manage a business in the medical, health, or wellness niche and aren’t yet offering a blog for your current and prospective patients- you are likely missing out on a HUGE opportunity.
So why should you include a blog- and why does it matter who writes it? In this post, we'll talk about how frequent, consistent, and search-engine-optimized blog posts written by a medical copywriter is what your online marketing is missing. But don't just take our word for it at L&L Copywriting- here are some statistics.
Websites with blogs receive 55% more visitors than those that don't.
82.8% of patients use a search engine to find a provider.
71% of patients will lose trust and search for a new provider if their website fails to deliver sufficient information. -Digitalis Medical & Incredible Marketing, Inc.
Are your ears perking up? They should be. Keep reading to find out why blogging is one of the best uses of your marketing dollars.
1. Blogging Boosts Your SEO Rankings
SEO is copywriter jargon for search engine optimization. When your blogs and website content are search engine optimized, your business, product, or service will begin ranking higher on Google for relevant search terms.
For instance, if you are a pediatrician looking to grow your practice, consider what a potential patient might type into the Google search box to find you. Here are a few examples:
Pediatricians near me
What to do when my baby has a fever
Best pediatricians
When should I take my child to the doctor
When to go to the ER versus my doctor
Now, if you can incorporate these key phrases into your website content and blog posts in the right ways, locations, and instances– Google will begin matching your website to these keywords.
When this happens, search engines will see your website as an authority on the subject, and you will begin ranking higher on search engine results. But watch out– there is a wrong way to do SEO! If Google thinks that you are “keyword stuffing” or unethically using SEO practices– you can be penalized for this when it comes to rankings.
Another effective way blogs boost your SEO is by posting frequent, useful content to your website. If you simply make an amazing website but then never add to it or update it, you will get surpassed in the Google rankings by everyone that is. Think of all the money, blood, sweat, and tears you have put into your website– don’t let it get lost in the far reaches of the internet because you never nurture it!
Search engines LOVE new, original, and engaging content. Websites that do this through blog posts are ranked higher than those that don’t.
2. Blogging Grows Your Audience Organically
Because blogs boost your SEO rankings, they naturally drive prospective clients to your website. And more traffic to your website means more patients and more booked-out services. Blogs aren’t pushy or slimy. They live on your website, ready for someone to click on them– and then then:
Free information!
Understanding!
Customer satisfaction!
Trust!
And more…
All in one beautiful package. In addition, ranking higher on Google organically, by your own (or a medical copywriter’s) hard work means more to people than getting to the first page because you paid for it. Do you scroll past the paid ads on Google? Yeah, me too. And so do a lot of people. That's because it's only natural to be skeptical about paid ads. We are advertised to 24/7. Consumers are getting smarter, and your advertising has to as well.
3. Blogs Create a Trusting Relationship With Your Patients
Patients are more apt to trust you when they know who you are and what you think. When you provide relevant, engaging, and valuable information to your patients– they LOVE it. Think about it. When you are the customer, it’s really nice to have interactions with businesses that aren't overtly pushy or solely based on making a sale, booking a service, or committing to something– isn’t it?
When you provide free, helpful information– regardless of whether or not you make a sale, your patients remember that. Their trust in you will grow, they will see you as the expert, and they will be more likely to book with you, recommend you to others, and refer to your page in the future.
Not just any writer can craft a well-written, easy-to-digest, informative blog that highlights a medical product or service without sounding pushy or sales-y. And that's where medical copywriters shine. Medical copywriters are experts at genuinely connecting you and your services with your ideal customer. Medical copywriters subtly AND ethically highlight you, your business, and what you offer, leading to more revenue for you.
4. Blogs Establish You as the Expert
Blogging is an excellent way to establish yourself as an expert in your field. The opportunities for blogs are limitless. You can blog about the services that you provide or products that you sell. You can also blog about relevant information to your clients. Here are some examples:
Pediatrician- Blog about respiratory illnesses, safety tips, new parent information, back to school, mental health resources, and more.
Dermatologist- Let’s blog about trendy new skincare options– and why your clients should see you over other healthcare or aesthetic providers.
Dentist- Blogs are a great way to highlight your unique approach to oral health. Patients are interested in oral care, cosmetic procedures, and whitening.
Orthopedic Surgeon- Let’s help your patients understand the treatment options you provide. Patients love tips about bone health, osteoporosis, and injury prevention.
Medical copywriters pay exceptional attention to ensuring your patients can understand the information we provide. A talented medical copywriter can turn complex medical jargon, terminology, and procedures into easily understandable information. Remember, the best information, products, and services aren’t useful– unless your patients understand why they need them and how they will help them.
5. Blogs Provide Free Value– For Years to Come
A blog is a one-time expense– that lives on your website, answers questions, and provides information and value indefinitely. This is in HUGE contrast to other types of ads.
Paid ads, such as print, television, and radio, are expensive. And you need new ad material frequently. Otherwise, your prospective clients will get bored with and annoyed by you. Could social media posts be the answer? Not so fast… we’ll talk more about the upsides and downsides of social media posts next.
Are Social Media Posts Effective Marketing?
Social media can be a great way to gain followers and spread awareness. It is a great way to promote blog posts and drive traffic to your website. But if you’ve been putting a lot of time into social media posts and haven’t seen any results– here’s why. Having a ton of followers on social media doesn’t always translate to more bookings or revenue for you– because people typically don’t go on social media to find a doctor or make a purchase.
People go on social media because they are looking for entertainment. They are bored, want to relax or have a minute or two waiting in line at the grocery store. They might think that your practice or service is neat or interesting and will probably like a post or reel here and there, but they often won’t take the next step to book or buy.
On top of that, social media is costly as well. You need new posts all the time. You will either have to pay someone to make them for you or spend time and effort making them yourself. Which can be painful, especially if you aren’t a fan of social media or graphic design yourself. You need multiple versions of the same post to satisfy the algorithms. And if your posts don’t click with the algorithms (which change frequently and vary between platforms), your posts can get lost in the fray and not seen at all.
The key to remember with social media is that it can be a great tool to get the word out and spread awareness– but there are many variables outside your control, and attention doesn’t always equal a booking, purchase, or sale. But, getting your prospective patients to take the next step to book or purchase is a copywriter’s specialty.
Blogging– The Bottom Line
So why are copywritten blogs the answer? Copywritten blogs always have a purpose woven artfully throughout a blog. A copywritten blog will subtly promote you, your practice, and your services and then direct your customer to the next logical step. And even if your patient doesn’t book an appointment or make a purchase immediately after reading, they have learned something and have gained trust in you and your practice– and they will likely return.
After all, what makes copywriters so valuable is their ability to help you connect with your patients and meet your business goals. And no matter what your goals are, blogging will help. Here are a few examples of how you can use blogs to grow your medical practice:
Promote a service- leading to an appointment booking.
Promote a product- reading to a sale.
Promote a provider- leading to an appointment booking.
Grow an email list– leading to future engagement and email marketing.
Provide information– leading to a trusting relationship, future bookings, and referrals.
In addition to all of the above, blogs check all the boxes on Google's algorithms, moving you closer to the coveted top spot or first page of Google's search results– which will provide exponential growth to your practice. Blogs are a tried and true method to establish you as a leader in your field, earn the trust of your potential clients, and provide them with valuable information. Are you ready to add a blog to your medical practice’s website?