Content Marketing for Doctors in 2024

What is Content Marketing: Understanding its Long-term Impact

Content marketing involves creating content to achieve positive business outcomes.

Effective content provides maximum value to consumers, often by subtly promoting your business rather than overt self-advertising.

Consider this: 70% of people prefer learning about a company through content rather than traditional ads.

The core of content marketing is the content itself, encompassing written, visual, audio, or video formats.

It’s misleading to measure content marketing’s ROI in the short term, as it is fundamentally a long-term strategy.

For example, evaluating the ROI of a few articles on a new website after a month often shows little to no financial return.

A month is nowhere near enough time for a new website to start showing signs of life.

Content marketing’s success builds gradually, sometimes taking years to yield substantial results.

This process’s pace depends on the quality and quantity of content.

ROI becomes noticeable once your content starts attracting significant traffic.

An article might take 4-8 months to reach its peak placement on Google, but can then drive traffic for months or years.

For further insights, I invite you to read my article on ROI-related content marketing statistics.

Why Should Doctors Engage in Content Marketing?

As a physician, you have a unique opportunity to impact lives on a large scale through content creation.

Content marketing allows doctors to educate, inform, and influence a broader audience than possible through direct patient interaction.

We’re in an era where an online presence can be leveraged for various goals – whether it’s reaching a wider audience, gaining recognition, securing speaking engagements, promoting books, attracting patients, or increasing income.

If you’re aiming for any of these goals, content marketing is an invaluable tool.

For more insights, my article “12 Reasons Why Content Marketing Is Important and How It Can Improve Your Business” offers further information.

Evaluating Worthwhile Content Marketing Channels

When considering where to publish your content, focus on channels that are either evergreen or currently surging in popularity.

Evergreen channels include blogging and YouTube. They are integral to search engines, with YouTube also being a search engine itself and closely integrated with Google.

Rising channels are LinkedIn and TikTok, gaining substantial user bases and offering content creators significant organic reach.

Despite any initial reservations, these channels deserve consideration, which I’ll explore further in dedicated sections.

Podcasts represent a unique blend, skyrocketing in popularity while also promising longevity as an evergreen medium.

Is Blogging Still Relevant?

Blogging, a cornerstone of the internet, remains potent today. 77% of internet users read blogs.

However, the blogging landscape has evolved. It’s no longer just about quantity of content; quality and quantity are both essential.

When writing an article, strive to create the best content for that keyword. Consumers seek comprehensive content, and Google prioritizes it, leaving no room for mediocre work.

While quality is key, quantity still plays a role. For new blogs, aim for 30-50 articles in the first 60-90 days. With millions of blogs and daily posts, standards have risen.

But blogging isn’t just about being first; it’s about being the best. High-quality, consistent content will naturally attract an audience and foster growth.

Why YouTube is an Excellent Content Marketing Platform

YouTube is more than an entertainment hub; it’s the world’s second-largest search engine.

Emphasizing YouTube as a search engine highlights the longevity and relevance of its content.

Quality videos can attract viewers for months or years, unlike the fleeting nature of content on platforms like Facebook or Instagram.

YouTube, with its 2.5+ billion users, is increasingly used for educational and problem-solving content. “How-to” videos, for instance, are witnessing a 70% annual growth rate.

Growing a YouTube channel requires the same dedication as blogging: consistency and persistence.

Successful channels, even those of professionals like doctors with vast followings, often have hundreds or thousands of videos published over many years.

Starting may seem daunting, but regular publishing becomes more manageable over time. Content needn’t be flashy; it’s the quality of information and authenticity that counts.

Even if you’re not a natural in front of the camera, remember, practice makes perfect.

Exploring this channel could be invaluable, regardless of your initial comfort level.

LinkedIn: A Rising Content Hub, Not Just for Tech

Gone are the days when LinkedIn was solely a tech recruiting platform.

Now, it’s akin to a business-focused Facebook, thriving as a hub for content creation and consumption.

LinkedIn’s user base is no longer limited to the tech crowd; it’s a diverse audience craving quality content across various topics.

Currently, LinkedIn’s algorithm generously amplifies organic reach, reminiscent of Facebook’s golden days in 2012.

Even a new account with no followers can see engagement on their articles.

With 9 billion content impressions weekly distributed among just 3 million content creators, the platform presents a unique opportunity.

But remember, this window won’t stay open indefinitely.

Seize this chance while it lasts.

TikTok: A Platform Everyone Should Consider

TikTok has evolved into a cultural phenomenon, captivating not just teens but a broader audience.

Despite the platform’s youth-centric reputation, its 1.7 billion user base offers a vast, untapped market.

In the U.S., only 4% of social media marketers have ventured into TikTok, highlighting its potential.

While the current demographic skews younger (16-24 years), remember how Facebook’s audience matured over time.

These younger users have older family members, offering a creative route to reach a broader demographic.

TikTok’s appeal lies in its extraordinary content engagement and reach, often surpassing what took years to build on other platforms.

Consider medical professionals who’ve gained large followings:

• @drleslie – 890k followers
• @mamadoctorjones – 1.2 million followers
• @austinchiangmd – 570k followers

Explore their content and imagine the potential for your own presence on TikTok.

Even if TikTok is a passing trend, the current growth, reach, and engagement levels are too significant to ignore.

Why Podcasting Should Be Part of Your Content Marketing

Podcasting is experiencing a surge in popularity.

In the U.S., over 51% have listened to a podcast, and 32% listen monthly. This trend isn’t surprising, given our tendency to listen to audio during commutes or while multitasking.

Many now prefer audio-only content, even using YouTube as a background audio source.

I often do this myself, finding it a practical way to enrich mundane tasks.

Podcasting’s growing integration into our daily routines ensures its longevity in the content landscape.

If you’re concerned about needing elaborate equipment, don’t be.

Podcasts can be created with minimal gear, even over the phone or Skype.

Like YouTube, content quality in podcasts is more crucial than production value.

Content Marketing Strategy Essentials

Setting goals and understanding your audience is key in content marketing.

However, don’t get too bogged down in this phase.

Initially, your primary aim should be to consistently create and release content.

Over-planning without adequate content output won’t yield results.

Let your content shape your strategy. Pay close attention to feedback, and cater to your audience’s preferences.

Engage with comments and prioritize consumer needs.

This approach will gradually give you insights into what resonates with your audience, helping you craft a more informed content marketing strategy.

Maximizing Quality Content Production

This is a key question for anyone juggling content creation with other commitments.

With only 24 hours in a day and limited time for your ‘side-gig’, it’s crucial to extract maximum value from each content piece.

Repurposing content across platforms is a smart approach. A video, for example, can be shared on YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, and more.

Each platform has its own user mindset, but don’t get bogged down by this initially. As you gain experience, you’ll learn to fine-tune content for each platform.

Let’s explore a hypothetical scenario to demonstrate how a single content piece can yield multiple outputs.

Example: Maximizing a Single Content Piece

Imagine your channels include:

• Podcasting platforms
• Blog
• YouTube
• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• X
• Instagram

You start with a one-hour podcast episode that’s also filmed.

Step 1: Extract audio for podcast platforms.

Step 2: Upload the video to YouTube.

Step 3: Transcribe the podcast, edit, and create a blog post.

Step 4: Republish the blog post on LinkedIn.

You’ve already created 4 pieces of content.

Post-podcast, jot down notable points and take a selfie with your guest.

Step 5: Tweet twice – once promoting the episode with the selfie, and once with an insightful thought.

Step 6: Make two Instagram posts – one Story promoting the episode and another post with an interesting thought.

Step 7: Share the thought on LinkedIn and promote the episode on Facebook.

Now, you’re at 10 pieces of content.

Next, extract engaging segments from your video.

Step 8: Share these segments on YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Step 9: Trim the video for Instagram and X, add captions, and post.

Your count reaches 15 pieces of content from one podcast episode.

This is a conservative estimate – you could potentially double this output.