Why your blog strategy is so important

This is the first post in a series of three
Creating a Sustainable Blog Strategy for Your Integrative Center
How to Maximize Readership of your Blog Content

Each week FON studies a number of websites for clients of various types and sizes that provide integrative medicine services. We focus on four primary areas: design, functionality, messaging and content strategy.

Over the next few weeks I will be blogging about content strategy, starting with a tight focus on why it’s so important for clinics and centers of all sizes and types to employ and sustain a viable blog, how to go about it and how to maximize its effectiveness.

A blog provides your center with a platform to engage consumers, giving you the ability to establish trust and thought leadership with current and prospective patient clients.

No Longer Static

All Web sites contain a portion of core static content that rarely changes. This messaging is vitally important and must be very SEO (search engine optimization) friendly. You may have added your Twitter or Facebook feed, but these features and your core static content alone do not drive SEO or raise organic page rankings on search engines like Google or Yahoo! Once you commit to a properly implemented blog program, creating fresh content, you begin to distinguish your brand (center) from others in your competitive set.

Marketer or Publisher?

You may think of yourself as a marketer, but effective marketing today must include content creation and delivery. You are now a publisher. Remember, the consistent delivery of informative blog content builds a valuable editorial archive that over time, drives more and more organic traffic to your site through SEO

Content-Driven World

The well-informed health consumer absorbs tons of media when they or a loved one is diagnosed with a condition or illness. Depending on specific needs and interests, these consumers will look for information and help through Web searches. Content is king—and your center needs to own, not link to, its media.  This is how you will be found.

A Smart Content Strategy Starts with Your Blog

A quality blog program is fundamental to good overall content strategy. Much of the content used in blog posts can conveniently be re-purposed for other uses, i.e., monthly e-newsletters, print newsletters, videos, mini-magazines, social media efforts and more.

Ease of Use

Blogs are easy to author, edit and upload (images, sound and video). If I can do it, anyone can. Built-in content management systems (CMS) like WordPress make it simple. Your center should be able to upload blog posts and make simple edits in other areas of your site at will. If you are still relying on an outside vendor to make Web updates, it’s time to re-think your internal process. Your site is your most important communication vehicle, thus you need to be in full control of the content and authoring process.

Snapshot of the Integrative Medicine Blog Landscape

Here are several integrative medicine centers that do a pretty good job with their blogs:

• Dr. Frank Lipman
• The UltraWellness Center
• Block Center for Integrative Cancer Treatment
• Integrative Health Institute
• Flatiron Functional Medicine

These centers are consistently delivering useful, relevant content around their brand, engendering trust and building their own media. Pay attention to the frequency of posts by Dr. Lipman, and Dr. Hyman at The UltraWellness Center.  Consistency is crucial.  Assuming proper keywords are used and simple optimization techniques followed, over time, the branding investment these centers are making will steadily pay dividends, by building organic SEO, raising page rankings on the major search sites and pulling in new prospective customers.

About FON

FON is a leading integrative health and medicine business development and strategy consulting firm. FON specializes in custom solutions for growing patient volume, developing programs, and increasing product sales. Our practical business models are driven by innovative marketing, clear messaging, and customer engagement via branded storytelling.

Contact us today to schedule a complimentary 30-minute consultation to discuss your business development or personal brand needs.