I am a huge proponent of blogging to help mHealth companies gain more exposure for their brand and to create a dialogue with their audiences and influencers. But, having said that, I want to add a word of caution to my own advice. Blogging is not a spectator sport and requires your commitment to be successful. The commitment must start at the top and once given the green light, it’s important to make sure everyone is on the same page. I’ve learned a lot about blogging dos and don’ts as the social media world has matured, and as my marketing firm has fine-tuned the process for our clients. The major point is that a successful blog does demand the commitment of time and effort from the blogger/bloggers, but in addition, the company as a whole needs to be involved and dedicated to its success.
If you are on the fence at all about starting a corporate blog, I think Joe Pulizzi’s article, “10 Questions to Ask Yourself Before you Blog,” provides a great starting point.
Ask These Questions Before Starting Your mHealth Blog
- Who would the primary reader (subscriber) of your blog be?
- What do you want to tell them? (What’s your story?)
- Do you understand the key informational needs of that person? What are their pain points?
- Are you hanging out online where your customers are? Do you or can you make a target hit list of blogs or sites that your customers frequent online?
- Are you leaving comments that add to the online conversation on the blogs you cover?
- Do you have a firm grasp on the types of keywords to focus on that your customers are searching for?
- Do you follow those keywords using Google Alerts or watch their usage on Twitter?
- Can you commit to blogging at least two times per week? Content consistency is key.
- What is your ultimate goal in starting a blog? One year from when you start blogging, how will the business be different?
- How will the execution process work within your company, and how will you market the blog?
My experience is that companies with an “early adopter” attitude are the ones who jump at the opportunity to communicate with their audiences through a company blog. It’s not the only way to become “social,” but when combined with other platforms in an integrated fashion, it can be a very effective tool.
