Does my Hospital Need a Blog?

The short answer is yes. According to an article in Social Media Today:

• 72% of Internet users look for health information online.
• 77% of Internet users read blogs.
• 81% of U.S. consumers trust advice and information from blogs.
• Companies that blog have 97% more inbound links.

OK, you say, this makes sense for a larger B2C brand. But what does it mean to me and my hospital? According to the Pew Research Center’s Health Fact Sheet:

• 72% of Internet users search online for health information.
• 77% of those healthcare seekers say they began their last session at a search engine.

Your consumers are online, and they’re looking for information about healthcare organizations, conditions or treatment options. If you want these people to land on your website, you better start blogging. Your website has a better chance of ranking on page one if you consistently add new, relevant content — and a blog is a very effective way to do just that.

Still not convinced? Here are a few other reasons you should be blogging:

• Your blog can provide information on timely topics, like Ebola or issues with the current flu vaccination.
• Your doctors can become involved in your marketing process by offering topics and writing blogs that showcase them as experts in their field.
• Your blog will improve search engine optimization by constantly adding relevant information to the site, driving more traffic to the site.
• You can use your blog to give your hospital a personality or show the personalities of the authors. This makes your organization more approachable and less institutional.
• Constantly adding new information through blogging gives people a reason to keep coming back to your site.

Remember, consumers are out there, looking for you. Make sure they find you. Start blogging!