DC to DC: writing a chiropractic or health care blog to bring in patients — Part II

Part II on why a chiropractic or health care blog, written and marketed correctly, is an important part of bringing in new patients and educating current ones

A chiropractic or health care blog can increase your website traffic, enhance your social media presence, and bring in new clients, as we outlined in Part I of this article.

We interviewed Mary Klimek, DC, co-owner of Sonic Chiro and Lake Union Wellness; Allison Gregg, ACC, a freelance communications manager who supports Sonic Chiro and Lake Union Wellness’ communications; and Tyeson Anderson of Atlas Core Marketing about the crucial points that chiropractors need to know in order to not only blog efficiently and effectively but to see results.

What follows is Part II of our interview, edited for length and clarity.

If you have never blogged before, how should you begin a chiropractic or health care blog?

Klimek: The best way to begin is to just start writing. Approach writing blogs like writing a report. Think about 3-5 questions your patient would have about a topic. List out the questions and then start answering the questions. Next, go back and write your chiropractic or health care blog. Your writing isn’t going to be submitted for a Pulitzer Prize, so just write — don’t overthink it.

Gregg: Blogs should be no more than 500 words and be free of jargon — write like you’re having a conversation. Our approach, which has really saved time, is that we write out the questions, then I interview the chiropractor. I take their answers and ghost-write the blog. This process takes no more than an hour, and what really works for us is that we have the chance to inject our distinct voices in the blogs. We have one doctor who likes pop music references and another who is sassy and humorous.

What should they write about? Or not write about?

Klimek: Do write about relevant topics that appeal to your patients. For us, our patient profile is younger, physically active, and highly educated; we write to their level about things that they care about and are relevant.

Write about what you want to treat — don’t write about issues that you don’t know about or can’t treat. Write what you know and care about. Envision who your patient is and what question they’re going to ask, and answer them in a blog. Most patients ask the same questions, so you just need to take note of what your patients are asking, and that’s how you start the blog topic list.

Don’t write about things you don’t want to treat — if you don’t love adjusting shoulders and extremities, don’t write about it. Remember your topics should be relevant to your services. Keep your chiropractic or health care blogs focused on your business and services.

What are the best things chiropractors can keep in mind when writing a blog?

Gregg: Be personable and avoid jargon in your writing. Make your blogs engaging, fun, and informative. Create videos and inject fun into them.

Klimek: Let your readers know that you’re the subject-matter expert.

Gregg: The biggest mistake is not having a chiropractic or health care blog. Blog mistakes are inconsistency, being controversial, and not promoting them — and overthinking it so much that you don’t do anything.

Klimek: It’s important to remember that people read your blogs — and that means more than just your dad.

How can they keep track of it their chiropractic or health care blog is helping their business?

Klimek: You should expect your readers to become patients — and they’ll likely have more questions about the topic that drew them into your office. Chiropractors should expect results to take a few months. Writing blogs is about getting new content on your website to drive up your search engine standings. It takes time.

You can keep track of your blog’s impact on your business by asking new patients where they found out about you. Working with a professional web developer is also important — they are up on trends and can track website traffic. Remember, we didn’t go to school to be webmasters and writers — we went to school to be chiropractors. Hire professional consultants to help you. Remember you don’t have to be the master of everything — just surround yourself with people who are experts.