I launched my website - and first blog post - in early 2017. In August of this year, I published my 100th blog post. Depending on your perspective, 100 blog posts either feels like a lot of content to publish or not much at all. For me, it feels just about right. Here are five steps for blogging success that I've learned along with my top five favorite posts.
What matters most when starting and maintaining a blog? Based on my nearly four years of posting content, I've found that there are five key actions that any potential or current blogger should take:
Select a posting frequency target and stick to it
Write about what you know and care about
Share your content
Don't worry too much about response rates
Evaluate your approach on a regular basis
Select a posting frequency target and stick to it
My goal has always been to post at least twice each month. Since 2017, I've rarely gone below or above that target. I knew that two original posts a month was a reasonable, reachable target that I could manage given my schedule. If I had pushed myself to produce weekly posts, I'm sure that I would have failed repeatedly to reach my goal. Set a target that is right for you, but keep it achievable. If you exceed your target, that's great!
Write about what you know and care about
This advice probably seems obvious, but I think there is a tendency for people to write about what they assume others want to read or what is popular in the moment. My blog has largely focused on healthcare marketing and communications, which I know and care about as part of my career. There have been some infrequent deviations for social issues and cycling, but I try to stay focused. I write about what I know that most of my social media contacts will be interested in hearing from me about on a regular basis. I do keep an ongoing calendar of potential content topics to consult, but I often end up writing about something that occurs to me in the moment.
Share your content
You can create the best blog content ever, but you need a strategy to get people to actually see it. Generally, that means you either pay to advertise your content, you promote it organically or you use some combination of the two. For me, I don't pay to market my personal blog content. I share posts via social media, and I recently added a subscribe option to my website to directly send new content out via email. I did that because generating a lot of views on social media has become increasingly difficult. Of all the social media sites, LinkedIn works best for me.
Don't worry too much about response rates
My posts typically generate between 30 and 300 views on my website. Some blog posts that I really thought were great just did OK in terms of response. However, I don't get too upset if something doesn't hit because I'm writing the blog for personal enjoyment and creative expression. If other people enjoy a specific post that's a nice addition, but response is not a make or break proposition for me. It would be different if I relied on my blog to drive sales or create new contact leads.
Evaluate your approach
I suggest going back to your goals and evaluating your progress a few times each year. If you're not hitting your target or you're not enjoying what you're doing it's time to re-think things. For me, every time I step back and review my approach it confirms that my strategy around twice-monthly postings focused on healthcare topics works for me.
My favorite blog posts: 2017-21
Everything you need to know about healthcare marketing - in 5 slides!
Logic vs. emotion in the COVID-19 era
How to fight off imposter syndrome to keep your career momentum and personal growth going strong
The value of being a generalist in today's specialized workplace
Sports sponsorships: When do they make sense for healthcare organizations?
Thank you!
I really appreciate everyone who has read my blog posts and provided helpful feedback from time to time. I was also honored this year to receive the Medigy/HITMC blog of the year award. This was another nice validation that the content shared here is valuable to those working in healthcare marketing and communications.