Blogging provides dermatologists with a platform to enhance their reputations, grow their practices, and provide medical information to patients and the community at large.
Here are the seven specific reasons why dermatologists should blog:
1. Be an Influencer
Studies show that doctors are the most trusted source of guidance and advice for healthy living among Internet users. What’s more, health-related websites are in high demand with 55% of users preferring them to disease websites, drug websites or government websites. Trust causes patients to focus on doctor-authored blogs when shaping their opinions or making important healthcare decisions. So if you want to be more influential in the industry, your voice needs to be heard frequently on the social web and the best way to do that is to start a dermatology blog.
2. Patient Education
Blogging is one of the best ways to attract potential patients and share information about your practice. A blog serves as word-of-mouth, especially when you share relevant, helpful content on a regular basis. This encourages people to spend more time on your website, thereby increasing your practice’s visibility with potential patients and referring physicians.
3. Cost-Effective reach
Traditional marketing is becoming too expensive, while content marketing of which blogging is a part is a more cost-effective way to market your practice. If you or your staff members don’t have time to blog, why not hire a writer to blog on your behalf and help increase the visibility of your dermatology business? Blogging will help you stand out from your competitors’ static websites, thereby driving more traffic and patients to your practice.
4. Get more reach
Businesses (including medical practices) that blog have 60% more visitors than those that don’t according to research. Don’t forget that patients start their journey to wellness online. They’re searching for answers to questions they have about a particular condition or symptom. If you blog frequently using language and terminology they understand, you stand a high chance of attracting those digital searchers and converting them to actual patients. Remember, a blog is very much like having a big, bright sign outside your clinic location.
5. Thought leadership
A huge benefit of blogging is that you can share your wisdom on a subject where you have expertise. Through your blog you can offer quality content every week on compelling issues that resonate with your patients, e.g. “How can I reduce acne scars” or “A guide to getting rid of dark under-eye circles immediately and permanently.” So blogging not only provides a way for you to get things out in the open forum for discussion, it is also an extension of your valuable experience as a medical professional who heals and cares for sick people. This in itself is a golden opportunity.
6. Get patient insights
When you first start a dermatology blog you’re forced to research your target audience. It’s no longer sufficient to have minimal information about potential patients such as age and gender. You should know their frustrations, lifestyles, interests, goals, and so on. By researching your patients, you become better equipped to understand their challenges and thereby develop unique content that resonates and meets their needs. Blogging also creates a two-way conversation channel that encourages comments, feedback and interaction, giving you clear insights on what your patients want.
7. Social footprint
Because of the social nature of blogging, blogs link very easily with other blogs much more than static websites do. When you post highly sharable content such as video, audio, breaking news or trending topics, blogs attract in-bound links, which enhances your credibility and authority in the dermatology industry. Website platforms are now being built as content management systems. Consumers will eventually come to expect medical websites to provide not just product and service information, but also social content that sparks discussion about issues that are important to them.