Tag: medical content

healthcare content

4 Ways to Tell that Your Healthcare Content Needs an Update

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If you have been looking over your website recently, you might think that your website’s overall appearance is outdated. While you may see design issues that look worn out, do you give your healthcare content the same focus? While a website redesign does not automatically mean that you need to rewrite everything, it can be a great time to bolster your existing content. At the same time, your website might look fantastic, and you’ll still need to add some fresh content. 

Of course, if you aren’t sure that you need to emphasize your content, here are a few ways that you can see through the fog. 

Low or Decreasing Organic Traffic

While your content should be informative and engaging for your audience, it needs to do double duty. One of the purposes of having content on your website is to help search engines find the most relevant websites based on search terms. 

Google and other search engines are continually tweaking and refining the algorithms to identify the best sites to meet the user’s needs. If your website has never had significant organic traffic, or you’ve seen a decline in website visitors, it may be time for a rewrite. While you can attempt to tackle this work independently, you may be better suited to work with a professional that understands the current trends. 

Your Competitors Have More Healthcare Content

Go online and type in search terms that you think are relevant to your industry. Take a look at the first few websites that populate in your search. Compare the length of their medical content (blogs, landing pages, white papers, press releases). See how frequently they post blogs. How full is their content library? These are all clues to how you can improve your approach. It is likely that competitors that rank higher than you have full websites, post regularly, and have been doing it for a while. 

Many professionals suggest that content can take between 6 and 18 months to begin working, much less to dominate your field. 

Shifting Tone

Building a library of healthcare content is hard work. It doesn’t just take time, but dedication and an ability to understand and relay complex healthcare information to general audiences. Unfortunately, that is frequently completed by many different people. While a team approach can often be helpful to accomplish such big tasks, it can also affect the flow of your overall message. 

People tend to use different writing approaches, and having several voices appearing on your website can leave your readers feeling confused and frantic. In contrast, a consistent and flowing message can help to build trust and rapport with your audience. 

You Only Write Something to Solve a Past Problem

When we conduct an initial review of our client’s websites, we often see that their posts are reactive. Your patients want you to understand what they need before they do. Creating regular content on topics that are pertinent to your community is critical. If you’ve just completed a new training or acquired a cutting-edge piece of equipment, make sure that your patients know! In this way, they’ll see that you can take care of all of their existing problems and even prevent issues. 

Repairing Your Healthcare Content

Being able to produce content that fits all of these requirements can feel daunting. Fortunately, Medical Content Solutions offers a full staff of professional writers that can help you. If you’ve been considering revamping your current medical content, call, email, or text today! We’d love to help you get your content working, so you can focus on what matters – your patients

content types

Content Types and Why They Matter

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If you want to get your message to connect, you have probably been looking at different approaches. There are many different forms of writing that you can use, but each has a specific purpose. It is important to understand your goals before you start your content strategy. That’s why we created a short introduction to a few content types and why they are beneficial.

Blogging

One of the most common content types out there is blogging. Blogging is huge in the digital world. However, when you think of blogs, it’s not just for posting up cute cat pictures or documenting your recent travels and then being able to share that with all of your friends. Instead, many businesses are seeing the importance of blogging about their specific industry. Blogs offer a few critical benefits: 

  • They are fast resources to spread information to a wide audience on your website. Blogs tend to range between 300-2000 words. 
  • Blogs are quickly found and utilized by Google to help rank your website for organic searches.
  • This form of content can cover various topics and increase your audience interactions when utilized regularly. 
  • Blogs tend to be one of the most cost-effective means of advertising.

There are a few other things that you should consider when starting a blog on your professional website. Consistency is a major factor in building a blog that has a maximum impact. Some professionals blog once a quarter and other businesses put out multiple blogs every single day. The key is to know what is necessary for your audience and stick to it. 

For additional benefit, you should also consider other ways to create effective medical content to get the most value. These include backlinking to your website, utilizing SEO and keyword research, and including a CTA (call to action) that helps to drive sales of your product or service. 

Ebooks

Ebooks are a great way to bring value to your audience but are also one of the longest forms of content types out there. They are often used as an enticement to get people to give you their contact information or provide supplemental information. Many healthcare professionals utilize ebooks to cover topics that their patients may have been recently diagnosed with. 

Ebook content can range anywhere from about five pages to 50 pages in length, especially if you consider utilizing a layout that is full of images, graphs, and other charts. Ebooks must have value for your audience. Ebooks on relevant topics will increase your credibility and trustworthiness, while missing the mark will make you appear unprofessional and out of touch. 

Typically, this form of content is more time-consuming than other options. For this reason, many individuals choose to hire a professional writer to handle this task. Of course, to ensure that you add value to your work, it’s important to use writers who specialize in your field. 

Press Releases

This content is designed to be pushed out to other publications. A press release should spread the word about something big that’s happening in your office. Is your office the first in the area to start using a cutting edge medical approach? Have you been published in a major publication for your expertise? Is your office expanding to a new location or bring on a phenomenal new staff member? If any of these is pertinent to you, a press release could be the perfect way to make sure you get the recognition. 

Additionally, well-written press releases can create additional media. Press releases commonly produce requests from news agencies or local publications that want to run a story. While many practices attempt to write press releases without a professional’s help, this is one of the most important content pieces. You can’t afford to get it wrong. Without the proper tone or editing, your press release can become a PR nightmare.

Website Content

New or outdated websites need to ensure that they have the best information on all of their pages. Over time, some content can become dated or irrelevant. If you’re building a new website, then you need to make sure that your launch produces a website that looks full, authoritative, and provides valuable information for your patients. 

Website content helps to explain every step and angle of your practice. You will want to have a page that explains each of the medical and healthcare procedures you offer. Additionally, you probably want to build rapport with your potential clientele. We find that staff biographies, mission statements, and discussions about why your community is important to you help connect your audience with your practice. 

 

Let Us Handle Your Content

There are a variety of t content types and approaches for every practice. However, content that isn’t properly used or optimized for your specific practice can be ineffective. Even worse, content that isn’t well-written can make you appear unprofessional and sloppy. If you’re considering creating any type of medical content for your practice, contact us today. We have a team of fully vetted writers that are ready to tackle your healthcare content needs!

How to Structure Your Medical Content for 2021

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As we begin to put 2020 in the rearview mirror, healthcare professionals may be feeling apprehensive about transitioning their medical content for 2021. While the past year may leave us feeling a bit traumatized and in need of a (well-earned!) vacation, you may also be looking at how to adapt to the upcoming year. 

2020 changed the healthcare landscape and how people look to get information from and about their personalized care. One of the most important lessons that we take from the COVID-19 pandemic is messaging issues.  We’d like to help you regain the authoritative voice that your patients need. 

Themes for Medical Content 2021

Healthcare Spending and the Economy

One of the dominant issues that we’ll face going into 2021 is the economic landscape. While the 2008 recession was caused by housing and investment issues, the healthcare industry experienced effects, too. Looking behind the 2008 recession, the National Health Expenditure Accounts, or NHEA, showed that accounts dropped from 6.5% to 3.9% or a 2.6% drop. However, that reduction was also influenced by a 1.6% reduction in inflation. The realized percentage drop was closer to 1%. While that can affect a family’s ability to seek the same medical attention, it’s a less stark outlook than many had expected; welcome news when you view other economy sectors during the recession. Structures experienced around a 10% reduction. 

Additionally, while there was a slight reduction in healthcare spending, many offices continued to remain understaffed. This puts stress on hiring and training appropriate medical professionals. 

The 2008 recession wasn’t caused or related to health issues, and there wasn’t much of a dip in the healthcare market. Coming out of the Coronavirus pandemic, the healthcare industry is poised to have an upswing, regardless of the economic situation. Patients who have postponed regular appointments or elective procedures will be seeking to have their needs met. 

Elective Procedures

When you look at the upcoming year, there is certainly room to be optimistic. During the global pandemic, many institutions stopped offering elective procedures. However, this didn’t eliminate the need for those procedures but just postponed them. Healthcare professionals should expect an increase in the number of procedures and visits from their patients. 

Electronic Resources

COVID-19 expanded the patient’s use of telehealth services, and many healthcare practitioners found themselves having to purchase specialized equipment and software to handle this new need. Of course, following the pandemic, maintaining telehealth options has benefits for your patients. People recognize the benefits of telehealth for the following reasons:

  • Reducing travel
  • Limiting exposure to illness
  • Easing time restraints on their busy schedules. 

A study before the pandemic shows that many family physicians spend only 27% of their time with patients, and almost half (49%) of their time is spent on administrative duties! 

More than 60% of the surveyed family physicians felt that the increase in administrative duties was the biggest issue facing their practice. One of the big factors in running any medical practice is updating and maintaining your online presence. These efforts continue to chip away at already tight schedules and further reduce your ability to focus on your patient’s care. 

Strategizing for 2021

Just getting through 2020 is a major accomplishment, but you need to prepare to enter a busy year for the health industry. You should continue to utilize and promote your digital services, maintain an online presence, and invest in continued training, education, and hiring for your practice. 

If one of the main issues your healthcare practice is facing is reducing the administrative workload, consider bringing Medical Content Solutions to your team. With a fully-vetted and functioning content team, we can help create the content that your practice needs. Our skills include newsletters, email campaigns, press releases, and ebooks. Additionally, we provide content for your website, including landing pages, articles, blogs, and staff biographies. 

Our approach allows you to have a single point of contact while gaining a full staff of writers, editors, and project managers to ensure that your 2021 is the best year yet! 

What Does Your Medical Content Say About You? 

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Medical professionals are great at what they do. The level of expertise and professionalism that it takes to run a successful practice is genuinely astounding. However, when it comes to crafting great medical content, many doctors are left feeling lost. If you are looking to craft great content that connects with your patients, there are a few things that you should consider. After all, it takes a great message to convey your great ideas. 

Focus on Your Audience

If you are trying to connect with patients, it’s unlikely that they have the same vocabulary and terminology that you do. It is essential to think about specific phrases that your potential patients will type when they search. You can avoid using the technical terms for conditions and opt for common language. It is a great idea to have somebody else read over your content and figure out the simplest ways to phrase a thought. 

Be Yourself

Today’s world is changing. In a competitive market, your potential patients aren’t just looking for the doctor who graduated at the top of their class with an ivy league degree. Instead, online reviews, bedside manner, charisma, and your personal story all make a difference. Patients want to feel a common connection to the people who care for them. With this in mind, it’s okay to put a more casual tone into your online content. Tell a story about your background, what makes you human, and why should they trust your practice? 

Avoid the Self-Promotion

Studies show that customers and patients react negatively to gimmicky or blatantly biased advertising. Instead, focus on pushing informative and relevant content. You want your patients to leave your website with answers to their questions. We’ve also found that patients who come into the office with a basic understanding of office practices are more likely to be compliant and trusting of your diagnosis and treatment. 

Be Patient

Writing content can often seem like a thankless job. The results aren’t immediate. We often tell our clients that they shouldn’t expect to see an increase in website traffic for at least three months, but it can often take longer depending on local variables. However, content can also produce sustainable traffic over long periods through generic search results. Generic traffic doesn’t cost you anything. It is the result of having a website that answers your patient’s questions. 

Of course, writing content, especially for months on end, takes a lot of time and dedication. Additionally, if you don’t get things just right — all your hard work could be wasted. If you’re considering incorporating content into your medical blog, contact Medical Content Solutions today! We work with you to develop authoritative and informative content that connects you to your patients.

content meeting

The 2020 Healthcare Outlook

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It’s crucial to stay on the latest trends within your field, especially when working in the healthcare industry. Healthcare professionals are responsible for understanding the newest technologies and staying abreast of modern research. 

Medical Content Services is committed to adjusting your content strategies to meet your patient needs. 

The Covid-19 Era

While 2019 closed out with hints of the major pandemic, the continued strain on everyday life has only furthered the need for medical assistance. Additionally, Coronavirus has altered how people are visiting the doctor. 

Many patients that recognize they are in higher-risk categories are scaling back on elective procedures and routine doctor visits. However, if you can offer telehealth services for your patients, you may be in higher demand than ever. 

The uncertainty of living with a  pandemic and changing local and federal guidelines has pushed many patients to research medical help online. The increased stresses have also increased the need for mental health professionals. 

Managing Healthcare Consumerism

There is a rise in private practices opening for specialized and general practitioners across the board. This increase means that every practice is in a battle to attract patients. Some of the issues that ranked the highest for patient satisfaction were: 

Patient Satisfaction – The overall experience for patients is a big issue. It is important to streamline every [part of your practice to ensure that scheduling, appointment arrivals, wait times, and bedside manner is flawless from a patient perspective. 

Review Your Service Options – It may be time for you to send out questionnaires for your patients to get valuable feedback. Are your current offerings capturing everything that your patients want? It is also essential to evaluate if bringing on new equipment is necessary. In some instances, it may only take up precious capital and space in your office. 

Make it Better – Patients are always concerned about the costs of services, so if you can lower your expenses to gain a competitive edge, that can be a great strategy. If you cannot reduce costs, you can look for ways to improve your patients’ experience or ease of service. Can you offer telemedicine for appointments? If so, you can tout the time and financial savings by eliminating the commute. 

Manage Your Marketing

Many large healthcare organizations have recognized the value of utilizing digital marketing strategies. They update their websites, optimize the content to ensure that patients find what they are looking for, and increase their rankings on search engines. Large organizations will look to maintain a competitive advantage by outsourcing significant portions of their work to content agencies. 

Small agencies can also take advantage of hiring content agencies. However, they should look for companies that specialize in the medical field. These agencies can work with you to build an appropriate strategy to reach your local market and increase your visibility and patient satisfaction. 

Whether you’re a juggernaut in your medical region, or a single practitioner office, Medical Content Solutions has the right strategy and price to meet your needs. We offer a variety of services to ensure that your patients get the information they want. Contact us today to structure a free personalized quote. We’re so confident in the work that your first blog is on us! 

newsletter

4 Tips for Writing a Great Physician Newsletter

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If you are not using a physician newsletter but want to figure out how to connect with your patients, you miss a great opportunity. Newsletters can help you reach your patients with valuable information on a quarterly, monthly, or even weekly level.

However, we find that many newsletters cannot connect. Newsletters can also quickly become another to-do item on a long list of staff responsibilities. Here are a few tips for writing a fabulous physician newsletter!

Be Brief and Engaging in Your Physician Newsletter 

Research suggests that it takes under a minute for your patients and potential patients to look over your newsletter. This information can seem like some great news for some offices. While you don’t need a lot of text to reach your audience, you need to consider the different subjects you will cover.

One approach is to ensure that your current newsletter focuses on issues pertinent to the current timeframe. This means that physicians can focus on topics like dehydration in the summer months, and skiing injuries in the winter.

Additionally, rather than give long sections of text, break up your newsletter with pictures that illustrate the topics, and utilize catchy headings to the different sections.

Your Physician Newsletter is Not a Sales Pitch

While the result of your newsletter is to engage patients and keep them thinking about your services, it is essential to avoid coming across with a gimmicky sales pitch. Instead, utilize your newsletter to convey your authority on your area of expertise.

Newsletters can be used to bring patients up to speed on changes in-office staff, additional locations, or the newest technology that your office is offering. The purpose of this document is to allow your patients to feel like a part of your family and medical team.

While you should avoid the appearance of a sales ad, a newsletter can subtly notify your patients about relevant information. For example, you may want to include that you’re offering a discount for referrals, or a specific service for the month.

Utilize Your Platform

Doctors often feel like they should only distribute their newsletters with a single method. Once you have crafted a great newsletter, you want to be sure that your audience can read and interact with it.

Rather than mail out your newsletter in an email, you should also consider uploading it or linking your newsletter to your social media accounts too. This allows you to spread it to your current patients and reach further into your local market. You may even want to mail a hard copy depending on your patient demographic.  Many individuals feel that receiving a piece of mail from you is the equivalent of a greeting card.

Get it Completed

Of course, all of these tips are useless unless you begin and complete your newsletter. At Medical Content Solutions, we understand that you and your staff are busy taking care of your patients’ needs. We offer a variety of writing services to meet all of your needs. Contact us today for a free quote.