What Are the DOs and DONT's of Physician Blogging?

As a physician, writing a blog can be a great way to provide your readers with the latest medical news and become an influential figure within your field. By driving traffic to your website, you will actually be raising awareness among current and potential patients. Yet, there are a number of dos and don’ts you should keep in mind if you want your blog to make a difference and be successful in the long run.

The DOs:

• Make your blog interesting!
  Give your readers something to look forward to. Come up with interesting content that will be of great benefit to them. This may include health suggestions, tips, reminders, etc. If you are able to grasp their attention, they will keep reading your blog posts and may even share them with others.
• Use SEO
  SEO, or search engine optimization, will help individuals find your blog posts, your website, and you! Make the most of your efforts by including appropriate key words that will stand out to your target audience. 
• Be consistent in your writing
  Ideally, you should have one individual who will be in charge of all your posts on social media networks. This way, you will be able to maintain a consistent tone and everything your readers read will have the same voice.
• Stay up-to-date on the latest medical news
  Your patients might be interested in reading the latest news on treatments, side effects, alternative therapies, supplements, and more.  As for your colleagues, provide them with your up-to-date, cutting-edge technologies in healthcare.
• Use links, include images, and respond to blog comments 
  Provide your readers with great content. Use images to provide a visual standpoint on a certain topic and include links to other websites that contain great information. Replying to blog comments is also an effective way to connect with your readers and gain feedback—no matter if it is positive or negative.
• Localize your blog
  Unless you are aiming to become a nationally recognized physician, you should localize your posts to draw in readers/patients in your area. Be sure to include local city keywords in your writing, and you may also want to post about local events in which your medical practice is involved. Make sure your address is on every page. 
• Keep it local
  Introduce your blog by localizing your posts so you are able to draw in readers—in other words, patients—in your area. Write about local events, use local city keywords, and, most importantly, make sure to include your address on each page, preferably with bold lettering.
• Focus on a specific area
  Find the one area you want your blog to revolve around and stick to it. If you are writing about wrist pain, to stick to wrist pain, prevention, treatment, news, etc., all about wrist pain. It is okay to include a few posts on different topics, but generally, focus on one area. 
• Pick topics that are dear to patients 
  The overall impact your blog should have is to serve as an educational reference for patients before they walk through your door. During office visits, ask them for any information they would want to read about on your blog.
• Categorize everything
  Go ahead and write as many blog posts as you want, but no reader will be interested if they can’t find any posts that are relevant to their needs. Sort your blog posts into categories and, before their appointment, send your patient a link to the category they need. Remember: your blog is supposed to serve as a guide to valuable medical information on the internet. 
• Provide your contact information 
  What is the point of visitors reading your blog if they are not able to contact you with questions or concerns? Make sure to include your contact information (name, number, company name, address, and website) in every post you write. 

The DON'Ts:

• Do not give medical advice
  As an authority figure, maintaining the integrity of the physician-patient relationship entails using social media wisely. A privacy policy must be applied, exactly as for any other social media accounts.
• Do not write poorly
  Blog posts that are poorly written (i.e., with grammatical errors and inaccurate facts) can take a turn for the worse and affect the reputation of your medical practice. Double check everything, or even consider outsourcing the writing aspect.
• Do not be negative
  Do not include your political viewpoints in your blog posts—keep that to yourself! You are not only representing yourself as a leader in your field, but also your entire medical practice. For this reason, avoid any negative commenting about the competition or your patients. Always remain professional in the eyes of others and demonstrate why individuals should choose you as their doctor. 
• Do not post pictures of patients without their consent
• Do not neglect your blog
  Be consistent with posting. Don’t let your readers come to negative conclusions as to why you have started something, but are not seeing it through. If you are going to start a blog, keep posting at least once a week or every other week. 
• Do not write about anything and everything
  Plan for your blog posts to spark interest and raise awareness. If you think a certain topic may not be relevant a week from now, do not write it. Focus on your patients’ overall interests and, most importantly, keep them reading! 
• Do not outright sell
  Avoid making your blog posts sound like sales pitches, as this will surely decrease your following. Provide your readers with content they can use or that will have an impact on their lives/well-being. 
• Do not post anything when you are angry 
  No further explanation is necessary. “Never” is a big word that fits very well here. 

Nowadays, one of the most prominent topics to search online is health-related information. Physician blogging can be a very powerful and useful tool in helping you keep in touch with patients and bring in new ones. Furthermore, it can do wonders for your business in terms of expansion. However, it is imperative that your blog does not irritate, offend, or send readers in the other direction. Before establishing a blogging presence or, rather, an online presence, consider the DOs and DONTs of physician blogging.