The Prescription for a Vibrant Blog
Doctors have special skills. Diagnose illnesses and injuries. Save lives. Heal people.
Smart. Vastly experienced. Innately concerned about their patients’ well-being. Worth every penny of the expensive office visit deductible.
However, they are not necessarily good bloggers.
We asked one about blogging. He has such a caring demeanor in the examining room. His guidance would be useful for sick people searching on Google.
“Couldn’t do it,” he said. “I would anguish over every word. It would take me days to write one. At worst, it would read like a medical journal entry. At best, it would be boring.”
To be a successful blogger, you don’t necessarily need doctor smarts. You need to know your subject. And you need basic writing skills.
Mostly, though, you need AUTHOR PERSONALITY. When a reader connects emotionally with the author, the blog becomes relevant. When readers sense your character traits, moods and thinking process, they become engaged. Knowing the “who” helps them relate to the “what”.
With all due respect to physicians, here is our prescription for injecting Author Personality into blog writing:
Write as If You are Having a Conversation Around the Kitchen Table
Write the way you talk with family or friends after a great meal. Share a story. Be relaxed. Be genuine. Nurture a relationship with your readers.
Reveal an Interesting Part of Yourself or Your Business
Let your humor, compassion, anxiety and creativity shine through. Make your writing and your expertise easily recognizable. Own your writing style. Allow your personality to pave a path to your readers. Make them want to walk with you along your journey.
Pepper Your Blog with Pronouns
Bloggers who drone on about themselves can be a turn-off. However, readers seem to connect better if your blog includes references to people – like yourself. They feel a connection to “me”, “we” and “you”.
Use the Right Words
Remember, you are trying to connect - not impress a research team at the Mayo Clinic. Make certain your word choice is appropriate and accurate. Make sure the word is relatable to the average person. If you use a word suggested by Thesaurus, review the definition. Use power words (bombastic, shellacking) that make your points memorable. Likewise, you should avoid weak ones (really, very).
Keep Your Thoughts Simple and Focused
You have a lot to say. We all do. But avoid taking a Tower of Babel approach to your blog. Good writing is inherently organized. Readers want to laugh or learn a point. KISS it when considering your topics and related points.
Take Liberties with Your English Teacher’s Inner Voice
Everyone had that class where you learned formal outlines, proper sentence structure and verb agreements. You should remember and use those lessons – but to a degree. A blog (again) is a conversation. If it reads like a formal “theme”, it might come off as dull. Sentence fragments and punctuation for emphasis spice up your points.
Read Your Blog Out Loud
If it sounds like a monotone medical conference presentation, rewrite it. If you laugh, cry or feel emboldened when finished, publish it.
A blog with your dynamic personality will be just what the doctor ordered for you and your readers.