Category: #HCSM

Keeping up with healthcare news is crucial, but the vast amount of information available can be overwhelming. That’s where healthcare newsletters or roundups come in, as they curate the most relevant and impactful news by topic, allowing readers to stay informed about the latest scientific breakthroughs, research, and policy developments without spending hours scouring the internet.

By creating a well-crafted healthcare news roundup, you can establish trust and credibility within your community while positioning yourself as a reliable source of healthcare news. In my latest article for the Patient Empowerment Network, I’ve shared some best practices for creating a regular news roundup that educates, informs, and inspires your readers.

Read it here

The past twelve months have brought about significant changes in the way we use digital technology, and these changes continue to evolve in unexpected ways. That’s according to the latest Digital 2023 Global Overview Report, an eagerly anticipated publication each year.

What can you expect to see in this year’s report?

• Global internet users have changed significantly
• Online activity is declining in a variety of ways
• Insights into evolving social media platform preferences
• Changes in how people access digital content and services
• Changes in online search behaviour around the world

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Twitter, with its vast network of users, has become an indispensable tool for healthcare professionals seeking to share knowledge and collaborate with their peers. The platform allows healthcare professionals to connect with one another, stay up to date on the latest industry news, and engage in conversations about healthcare issues and trends.

In my latest Medium article, I explore some of the advantages (and barriers) of using Twitter as a medium for healthcare communication and knowledge exchange.

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In this post, you’ll learn about some effective ways to discover the content your audience is looking for so you can create that content for them.

Creating healthcare content your audience will want to read is an ongoing challenge. I want to help you solve that challenge by sharing with you 7 different ways you can uncover the content your audience is looking for so you can create that content for them.

Let’s dive in.

1. Look To Your Analytics

Analyzing your website and social media analytics is a great starting point when creating healthcare content for your audience.  Use Google Analytics to track top-performing content on your website, and the native analytics tools of each of the social networks you use to discover the type of posts that get the most engagement (shares, comments, likes, click-through rates, etc.) By identifying your most successful content, you can replicate and build upon it in future content creation efforts. 

2. Ask Your Audience

Go right to your audience and ask them what kind of content they’d like to see from you. You can conduct surveys through email, social media, or on your website. When creating a survey, make sure to ask specific questions that will help you better understand your audience’s needs, such as what health-related topics they are most interested in, what challenges they are facing, and what types of content they prefer (e.g. articles, videos, podcasts). You can use the information gathered from surveys to tailor your content strategy and create more relevant and engaging healthcare content for your audience.

Tip: You can also create quick polls on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and post a question such as “What content do you want to see more of?”

3. Monitor Social Media 

Social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram can provide valuable insights into the conversations your audience is having and the topics they are discussing. By monitoring social media, you can identify trending topics, common questions, and challenges that your audience may be facing. You can also track engagement metrics such as likes, comments, and shares to see which types of content are resonating with your audience. To make the most of social media monitoring, it’s important to stay active on these platforms, engage with your audience, and participate in relevant conversations. This can help you build a stronger connection with your audience and better understand their needs and interests.

4. Check Out Competitor/Peer Websites

Keeping an eye on your competitors’ (or peers’) websites can provide valuable insights into what healthcare topics and content formats are resonating with your audience. By reviewing their websites, you can identify gaps in their content and potential opportunities for your own content. For example, if they’re not covering a certain healthcare topic that your audience may be interested in, you can create content on that topic to fill the gap. Additionally, reviewing their content can help you identify new angles and perspectives on healthcare topics that you may not have considered before. However, it’s important to keep in mind that while competitor/peer analysis can be helpful, you should focus on creating unique and valuable content that sets you apart from your competitors.

4. Ask Questions on Quora

Quora is a question-and-answer platform where you can either ask a question about your topic or simply do a search using your topic keyword to find what people are asking about that topic. It’s a great platform for healthcare professionals to engage with their audience and learn about their interests and concerns. By answering questions related to healthcare topics on Quora, you can establish yourself as an expert in your field and build trust with your audience.

Additionally, Quora can be a valuable source of inspiration for creating new healthcare content. By monitoring the questions being asked on Quora, you can identify trends and topics that are of interest to your audience. You can also use Quora to ask your own questions and gather insights and feedback from other healthcare professionals and consumers. When using Quora, it’s important to provide high-quality and informative answers to questions, and to engage with other users in a respectful and professional manner. This can help you build a positive reputation on the platform and attract a larger audience.

Yahoo Answers and Reddit are also good places to do market research online.

5. Conduct Keyword Research

Conducting keyword research can be a valuable tool for creating healthcare content that is optimized for search engines and meets the needs of your audience. By using keyword research tools, you can identify the specific words and phrases that your audience is using when searching for healthcare information online. This information can help you create content that addresses their specific needs and concerns. Additionally, by optimizing your content for relevant keywords, you can improve your search engine rankings and increase your visibility to your target audience. When conducting keyword research, it’s important to focus on long-tail keywords that are more specific and less competitive, as these can be easier to rank for and are more likely to attract high-quality traffic to your website.

#ThursdayTip: How To Find The Best Keywords For Your Website

6. Use Google Related Searches

Google’s “related search” feature can be a helpful resource for generating ideas for healthcare content. When you enter a search query into Google, the search engine will display related searches at the bottom of the search results page. These related searches are based on user interest and contextual words and can provide valuable insights into what topics are related to your search query. By reviewing the related search results, you can identify new angles and perspectives on healthcare topics that you may not have considered before. Additionally, the related search results can provide inspiration for creating new healthcare content that is relevant and useful to your audience. When using the related search feature, it’s important to focus on topics that are both relevant to your audience and aligned with your brand’s messaging and values. This can help ensure that your content is both engaging and valuable to your audience.

6. Find Inspiration at Conferences and Events

By attending industry events, you can hear from experts, participate in discussions, and network with other healthcare professionals. This can help you identify emerging trends and issues that you may not have been aware of before, and can provide valuable inspiration for creating new healthcare content. Additionally, attending events can help you establish yourself as an expert in your field and build relationships with other professionals in your industry.

Crafting healthcare content that connects with your audience can be challenging. However, by following the proven strategies outlined in this post, you can generate content that is both informative and captivating. By aligning your content with the needs and interests of your audience, you can establish yourself as a trusted and authoritative source of healthcare information, and nurture a following of engaged readers who will return to your content time and time again.

You might also like to read:

Need a topic for your healthcare blog? Here are 12 ideas to get you started

Health literacy is an essential component of health education that enables individuals to take an active role in managing their health and well-being. However, a significant portion of the population lacks the skills and knowledge necessary to navigate the complex health information landscape. Individuals with low health literacy may have difficulty understanding health information, accessing healthcare services, and making informed decisions about their health, which can negatively impact their health outcomes.

In recent years, social media has emerged as a promising tool for improving health literacy.

Firstly, it offers a platform for individuals to access a wide range of health-related information in real-time, from trusted sources such as health organizations, healthcare professionals, and patient advocacy groups.

Secondly, social media allows for peer-to-peer interactions, enabling individuals to connect with others who share similar health concerns and engage in discussions about their health. This social support and engagement can promote health literacy by increasing motivation, building confidence, and providing a sense of community. Additionally, social media can facilitate the sharing of personal experiences, leading to increased awareness and understanding of health issues.

Continue reading this post on Digital Health Matters

With the majority of people turning to the internet to search for healthcare information and services, it’s essential to ensure your website is easily discoverable and highly visible. In this post, I’ll provide you with some effective tips to increase the visibility of your healthcare website and attract more potential patients to your practice.

1. Audit Your Competitors/Peers

By auditing your competitors (or your peers) websites you can gain valuable insights into what works well and identify areas for improvement on your own website. If their websites are more streamlined, functional, and fresher than yours, they may be drawing in more patients with a stronger online presence.  Critically evaluate the sites in terms of look, design, and functionality. Do they include a blog? Helpful checklists? Pre-registration forms patients can fill out to save time before their appointment? An online appointment system?  Screenshot the design features you think work well and think about how you might incorporate them into your own website.

Read How To Conduct A Competitor Audit on Social Media for more tips.

2. Sign Up For Google Analytics

Google Analytics is a free tool that will help you identify how well your website is performing over time. By analyzing your website’s metrics, such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, and time spent on the site, you can identify areas for improvement and develop strategies to enhance user engagement. A high bounce rate can negatively impact your website’s search rankings, as it indicates that visitors quickly leave your site without finding what they were looking for. By regularly monitoring and analyzing your website’s metrics, you can make informed decisions to optimize your site’s content and design, resulting in increased visibility and improved user experience.

3. Tailor Your Site’s Information To Reader Needs

Is your website nothing more than a glorified brochure? By identifying the most frequently asked questions in your practice, you can create content that directly addresses these concerns and provides helpful answers. This can include blog posts, videos, and FAQs that provide practical advice, tips, and insights related to common health issues or medical procedures. By offering this type of content, you demonstrate your expertise and establish trust with potential patients, which can ultimately lead to increased traffic and conversions on your website.

4. Use Keywords Strategically

Keyword research is the process of identifying the words and phrases that people use when searching for information related to your business or industry. By incorporating these keywords into your website’s content, meta tags, and other elements, you can help search engines understand the relevance and value of your site for those search terms.

Recommended Reading: The Power of Long-Tail Keywords for Driving Traffic to Your Website

5. Optimize Your Site For Local Search

If you want more people to find you online, you need to optimize your website through good search engine optimization practices. And if you want to attract new patients, your website also needs to be optimized for your local area. When someone uses the internet to locate a Medical Practice nearby, it’s critical that your website appears in those results (searches on mobile devices containing the phrase “near me” has skyrocketed in recent years). Optimizing your website for local search includes adding your practice’s name, address, and phone number to your website. You should also include local keywords in your website content, such as the name of your city or town. Additionally, getting positive reviews from patients on popular review sites like Google My Business can also help improve your local search rankings.

Why and How You Should Optimise Your Medical Website For Local Search

6. Optimize Your Site For Voice Search

The majority of patients searching for information on the web still trust search engines but the way people search for information online is changing. Increasingly, people are using voice search on their smartphones, tablets, or voice assistants (like the Amazon Echo or Google Home devices) to search for information on the internet (yet another compelling reason to make sure that your site is optimized for mobile). In essence, voice searches are largely about answering questions. Here are some tips to consider while generating content for voice activation devices.

7. Make Sure Your Website Is Mobile Responsive

With the increasing use of smartphones and tablets, more and more patients are searching for healthcare information and services on their mobile devices. In addition, Google’s algorithm now prioritizes mobile-friendly websites in its search rankings, which means that having a mobile-responsive website can have a significant impact on your visibility in search results.

To check if your website is mobile-responsive, you can use the Mobile-Friendly Test tool provided by Google. Simply enter your website URL, and the tool will analyze your site and provide feedback on its mobile-friendliness.

8. Include A Blog

Including a blog on your medical practice’s website can have numerous benefits. It can help establish you as an authority in your field and provide valuable information to potential patients. Regularly updated blog content can also improve your website’s search engine ranking and drive more traffic to your site. When creating blog content, consider the topics and questions that your patients are most interested in. This can include information about common health conditions, treatments, and preventative care tips. You can also write about industry news and updates, and share patient success stories or testimonials.

Need a topic for your healthcare blog? Here are 12 ideas to get you started

9. Drive More Traffic With Social Shares

Enabling social sharing buttons on your website is an effective way to encourage visitors to share your content on their social media profiles, which can help increase the visibility of your website and attract more traffic. By making it easy for visitors to share your content on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, you also increase the chances of your content going viral and reaching a wider audience. This can ultimately lead to more traffic, more backlinks, and higher search engine rankings.

10. Include Patient Testimonials

Adding patient testimonials to your website is a great way to build trust and credibility with potential patients. Make sure to include testimonials from a variety of patients, including those who have had different types of procedures or treatments. You can also include testimonials from patients who have had positive experiences with your staff or who have been pleased with the overall atmosphere of your practice. To make the most of patient testimonials, consider including them on your homepage or a dedicated testimonials page. You can also sprinkle them throughout your site on relevant pages or blog posts. Finally, don’t forget to promote your patient testimonials on social media and other marketing channels to maximize their impact.

11. Use High-Quality Images and Videos

Adding high-quality images and videos can be an effective way to create a more visually appealing website and improve the user experience for visitors. In the healthcare industry, images and videos can be particularly powerful in helping patients understand complex medical procedures or conditions. However, it’s important to keep in mind that using images and videos comes with some considerations. For example, it’s important to ensure that any images or videos you use are properly licensed and don’t infringe on copyright laws. Additionally, images and videos should be optimized for web use to avoid slowing down your website’s loading time.

10 Places To Find The Best Free Images For Your Healthcare Marketing

12. Add Clear Calls-to-Action

Your website should have clear calls-to-action (CTAs) that encourage visitors to take the desired action, whether it’s to schedule an appointment, fill out a form, or call your office. Make sure your CTAs are prominently displayed on your website and are easy to find. Additionally, it is important to use action-oriented language in your CTAs to make them more effective. For example, instead of just saying “Click Here,” use a more specific and action-oriented phrase such as “Schedule Your Appointment Now.” By using clear and compelling language in your CTAs, you can increase the likelihood that visitors to your website will take the desired action.

13. Make Sure Your Website Is Secure

Ensuring that your website is secure is crucial for building trust with your patients. HTTPS encryption protects the data that is exchanged between your website and your visitors’ browsers, making it much harder for anyone to intercept or tamper with that data. It’s especially important if you have a patient portal or any other feature that requires users to submit personal information. In addition to HTTPS encryption, displaying security badges, such as the Norton Secured Seal or the McAfee SECURE trustmark, can help reassure visitors that your website is safe and secure. These badges are a visual indicator that your website has undergone certain security checks and meets certain standards.

14. Consider Paid Advertising

While organic search results are important, consider using paid advertising to increase your visibility online. With tools like Google Ads and social media advertising, you can target specific demographics and interests, allowing you to reach the people most likely to be interested in your services. Additionally, paid advertising can be a good way to supplement your organic search results, especially if you’re in a highly competitive market. Just be sure to set clear goals, track your results, and adjust your strategy as needed to get the best possible return on your investment.

Wrapping Up

Your website is pivotal to your digital marketing strategy. And with more patients than ever searching online for you, it’s imperative that your website is optimized for them to find you.  Investing time and resources into optimizing your website can pay off in the long run with increased traffic, more patient inquiries, and ultimately, more business. It’s a worthwhile investment that can help set you apart from your competitors and position your practice for success in the digital age.

The internet is a vast and ever-growing space, with billions of users accessing an endless array of websites every day. But which websites are the most popular, attracting the highest number of visitors?

With an estimated two billion websites in existence, the internet can seem like a never-ending maze of information and content. However, traffic numbers reveal a select few websites receiving the bulk of internet traffic.

A recent article by Visual Capitalist has delved into the data to reveal the top 50 most visited websites, offering insights into the most popular online destinations and the types of websites that attract the most traffic.

With the internet becoming increasingly central to our daily lives, the ranking of the top 50 most-visited websites provides valuable insights for healthcare marketing. By understanding the websites that receive the most traffic, healthcare marketers can determine the most effective platforms for promoting their services and connecting with their target audience.

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Looking for some inspiration for Valentine-themed content?

Check out these examples from previous campaigns. I really like the way they’ve incorporated the theme but stayed nicely on brand.

 

The Irish Heart Foundation tick a lot of boxes with their use of a dedicated hashtag #showsomelove.

Your patients are searching for you online. In today’s digital age, patients are more likely than ever to turn to the internet when seeking health information and medical services. As a result, it’s crucial for medical practices to have a strong online presence in order to attract and retain patients.

With 77% of all health inquiries starting at a search engine, and 72% of internet users looking for health information online in the past year, having a well-optimized website, an accurate Google My Business listing, and relevant, up-to-date information can make a significant impact in attracting potential patients and establishing a trustworthy reputation.

In this post, we’ll explore why and how your medical practice should prepare for the increasing trend of online health inquiries through voice search. By preparing for voice search, medical practices can stay ahead of the curve and ensure that they are easily discoverable to patients searching for health-related information online.

While the majority of patients searching for information on the web still trust search engines the way people search for information online is changing. Increasingly, people are using voice search on their smartphones, tablets or voice assistants to search for information on the internet – yet another compelling reason to make sure that your site is optimized for mobile!.

With the increasing use of virtual assistants and other voice search devices, people are able to search for information hands-free and in a more natural, conversational manner. This shift towards voice search makes it even more important for medical practices to optimize their websites for mobile devices and ensure that their content is optimized for voice search queries, using clear and concise language, conversational tone, and schema markup to give search engines more information about the content on their site.

How people are using voice search

In research carried out by BrightLocal, consumers were asked how they used voice assistants and voice search for local business. The top three most demanded voice search functions involve finding restaurants, grocery stores, and food delivery, with clothing, accommodation, and medicine following closely behind.

The Voice Search for Local Business Study also revealed that 46% of voice search users use voice search to find local businesses daily.

How to optimize your website for voice searches

In essence, voice searches are largely about answering questions, not about focusing on individual keywords. SEO is fast becoming AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation). When people talk to their voice assistants, they don’t form their inquiries the same way that they do in typed search queries. Rather, they tend to ask conversational questions, for example, “What’s the closest dental clinic to me?” instead of “dental clinic near me.”