- By Write RN
When I started Write RN as a business, I was clueless. Coming from a nursing background, content marketing was not my strong suit, but I loved it. I loved learning about SEO, business tips, etc., and started to use them with my client base. Now, along the way, I have seen a lot of content marketing mistakes (some being my own!). This list will help you try to avoid the content marketing mistakes I made!
When I started Write RN as a business, I was clueless. Coming from a nursing background, content marketing was not my strong suit, but I loved it. I loved learning about SEO, business tips, etc., and started to use them with my client base. Content is a powerful tool that will help us, health professionals, extend our help to our patients more than what we can do at the bedside.
Now, along the way, I have seen a lot of content marketing mistakes (some being my own!). This list will help you try to avoid the content marketing mistakes I made!
Content Marketing Mistakes You Should Get Rid of Right Now
1. You don’t KNOW your reader
I can’t stress this enough. Figuring out who your ideal patients can be a struggle. I suggest you read the book Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen to figure this out. The last thing you want is a sea of readers that are not interested in what you are trying to sell.
2. You are writing content with insufficient research.
According to the Weber Shandwick survey, 52% out of 1,700 adults are concerned that today’s health-related information that they read online is false or misleading.
Each of the statements you provided should be backed by evidence or studies rather than just personal opinions. The medical recommendations and information they read on your website will help patients make a well-informed decisions. If your content’s purpose is only to sell your product or service, it is unlikely that you’ll gain your web visitor’s trust. Because patients turn online before they schedule an appointment or decide to seek a consultation, make sure that you provide timely, clear, and factual data.
3. Your website is loading…loading…loading
This is one of the common content marketing mistakes most healthcare businesses ignore. Back in the days of dial-up internet, nobody cared to wait. When your phone goes into a 3G mode, it feels like an eternity to get to a website. Don’t let your readers feel that way. If your website is taking more than 3 seconds to load, you may need a new WebHost. Right now I use Bluehost and it seems to run well.
4. You have a poor traffic strategy
Check your strategy on how you are gaining traffic to your healthcare website. Is everything on your website clear and understandable? Writing copy for websites should be straightforward and simple. However, the hardest writing to do can be straightforward and simple writing. Have someone read your website who’s not familiar with your business to get some feedback. Check Facebook Groups to do that for you.
5. You’re writing for SEO only
Writing for SEO is important, but writing for your patients is what’s most important. Writing for only SEO actually makes your website looks spammy. Keywords are important but knowing where to put them in your context is what’s most important.
Patient engagement is important, but keeping your customers’ information secure is equally crucial. That being said, make sure that your content is HIPAA-compliant. You may share your patient’s success story, but keep in mind to ask for their permission and do not include identifiers that will put their privacy at risk. These identifiers are record numbers, payment details, and other personal and sensitive information.
6. You’re being too pushy
Sales are scary for an introvert like me. What I have learned about sales is it’s not about being the used car salesman or the telemarketer that annoys you. It’s about pushing educational information to your patients, leaving them to trust you to take their relationship with you to the next level. I recently had a call with a client who said that I was so comfortable to talk to, which is exactly how I want my clients to feel. She opened up the conversation about working together before I could. Entertain your patients with informational content instead of selling…selling…selling.
7. You’re not pushing content to Social Media
Another common content marketing mistake that a lot of medical businesses make is overlooking the benefits of social media. They usually look at it as “just another thing.” I’m here to tell you that you have to include it in your content marketing strategy to gain traffic. The statistics are true about the number of users that are utilizing social media. People are searching on Google, but if you are on their feed on Facebook or showing up on LinkedIn or Twitter, you will gain engagement and therefore generate leads.
8. You do not utilize the power of email marketing.
An email has been an essential platform for delivering relevant and fresh content to your patients. It enables fast and personalized communication. It is one of the most cost-effective ways of reaching your audience in this fast-paced industry.
You can send automated campaigns in bulk and allow you to target specific people for more personalized messaging. Sending them a reminder of your upcoming medical mission, newly published blog post, updated news about the newly formulated medicine for their illness, or simply popping up on their inbox to share some health and wellness tips will help generate patient loyalty and a positive customer experience.
Of these tips we share, one of the most essential aspects of marketing is practicing human connection between you and your patients. After all, your content or website is not all about marketing. It is a tool that will help you make a difference and impact the life of your patients, which is actually the goal of your profession. If you are using different channels to communicate with them, you may hire a team or a few people who can moderate comments and handle complaints. Interacting with them will help you provide a better customer experience.
I hope these tips help you not make the same content marketing mistakes a lot of my clients and I have made. If you’re looking to take your content strategy to the next level, go ahead and book a call with me. It’s free. I want to hear all about your blogging issues, struggles, and how we can attack and conquer them.
Need more tips? Read Content Marketing ROI: How Content Writers Help Conquer your ROI Goals.
About the Author
Janine Kelbach, RNC-OB
Janine is a Registered Nurse since 2006, specializing in labor and delivery. She still works at the bedside, as needed. She built Write RN back in 2015 when she started as a freelance writer.
Over the years, and many clients later, she studied marketing, grew her marketing skills, her portfolio (over 200+ pieces), and her business to the agency it is today.
