This is a tough time for medical bloggers. There’s no doubt that the prevailing topic on many people’s minds when they think about their health is the persistent threat of COVID-19 and the limitations that the pandemic has placed on their lives. They want to stay well, but they want to have lives, as well. They want to protect the ones they love, but they crave human contact and interaction. They want to leave the house once in a while for something other than groceries or cleaning products.
As a medical blogger, you have a unique level of responsibility right now. You are responsible for not only putting out content that is engaging and share-worthy but also delivering information that encourages staying safe while going about the business of having a life.
With all of that in mind, I want to provide you with some tips and ideas about how you can keep your blog centered on the things that matter at the moment and also position you as an authority in your niche. If you want to be looked at in that way, if you want your audience to perceive you as a thought leader, your medical blog content strategy must bring something unique to the table. Here are a few content areas that I think will help you achieve that goal.
Travel
This is a difficult topic to address in a medical blog, mostly because so many people have felt stuck for so long. Is it even responsible to bring up such a sore subject? Will it endear your readers to your efforts to remind them of the isolation they’re experiencing right now?
There is a way to frame this subject that allows enough latitude to allow people to satisfy their wanderlust while staying safe. The easiest way to achieve this right now is to blog about road trips and safe destinations. Most people are safest alone or among people they live with in their cars, so emphasize the value of short-distance, preferably outdoor travel.
As people look ahead to springtime, encourage being outdoors in less populated places. Encourage daily cleaning and sanitizing of vehicles to ensure continued safe travel. Encourage masking whenever there is a probability of encountering other people. Anytime we step outside these days, there is a degree of risk. That risk remains low when we add a few easy steps to the process of being out and about.
People will trust medical resources on this subject more than they would a travel blog whose interest is in motivating people to travel. Leverage that trust and offer some good content on this subject to your readers.
Workplace Safety
One of the most fearful parts of the pandemic is the reality that many people still have to work and interact with the public every day. Your blog can be a source of valuable information about staying safe at work, especially if you work around customers and co-workers who don’t apply the same level of care to how they interact with others.
This is a scary time for frontline workers. It’s also the best time to help them feel more secure about doing their jobs and staying well. As the saying goes, “action cures fear.” Even if they can’t avoid the risks, there are plenty of ways to minimize them. Zero in on these topics and provide your readers with a sense of security even when the work environment doesn’t provide one.
Entertainment
Movie theaters, bars, and large entertainment venues remain closed or operating at very limited capacity across the U.S. People’s entertainment options are extremely limited, and they’re craving opportunities to have a little safe, social-distanced fun outside their living rooms.
Let’s be honest: There’s no such thing as “safe” public space right now. I don’t suggest encouraging risky behaviors or going places without clearly defined cleaning procedures, nor do I think it’s wise to simply accept that every public venue is “following recommended safety guidelines” without proof.
These are the kinds of things to have your readers think about right now. If they do go out, how do they increase personal safety and reduce risk? When does it become time to accept that being out in public poses too much of a threat? How can the consumer deal with public venues that clearly aren’t following those fabled safety guidelines?
You can recommend virtual gatherings all you want. You can warn people of the risks. Guess what: They’re still going to do what they want. It’s a better plan to write from the perspective of human nature than it is to try steering the ship away from the iceberg. Assume your readers are going to go out and socialize. Educate them about the risks involved with that and the rewards of seeing to their own safety and that of others when they venture out looking for a little fun.
Health and Fitness
Right now is actually a very good time to educate people about fitness and what they can do to win the battle of the bulge when the gyms are closed or at capacity. Exercise and fitness blogs that center on home-based training are a hot ticket. Capitalize on that subject in your medical blog. Again, this is an area where you can leverage a lot of trust, so use it to your advantage.
Also, encourage keeping up with personal wellness. This doesn’t have to mean making an appointment with a doctor or even scheduling a tele-med visit. Educate people about staying well. Encourage things like flu shots and keeping up with prescribed meds. Finally, encourage getting tested for COVID-19. With so many people downplaying the importance of testing, medical information sources must use their voices on this subject and compel people to be sure they’re well.
Diet
On the subject of weight management, now is a very good time to consider blogging about good dietary habits, especially after the holidays. We all still indulged a bit even without the safety net of fully accessible gyms and health clubs. Now, it’s time to hunker down and be more mindful of what we eat. Diet is going to be the key element to weight loss for many right now, so why not steer your blog in the direction of healthy eating? It’s a subject where medical bloggers have a big voice, and it’s a perennially popular and engaging subject that isn’t going to diminish in public attention anytime soon.
As a final thought on this subject, if you find yourself a bit overwhelmed or not sure where to focus your attention, enlisting the aid of an agency like Beez could help get things moving in the right direction. Our team of talented medical copywriting professionals is here to help you develop a blog that engages and converts. Contact us to learn more and discuss your medical blog project today.
