• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Health Writer Hub

Health Writer Hub

Medical Writing Courses & Certification

  • Writing Courses
    • How to Write Patient Education Materials
    • Principles of Health & Medical Copywriting
    • Introduction to Health Writing
    • Medical Editing Course
    • Build Your Portfolio Masterclass
    • Freelance Writing Course
    • Breaking Into Health Writing
  • Digital Tools
  • Blog
    • Free Course
    • Pitching Guide
    • View all Posts
  • Reviews
  • About
    • Accreditation
    • Contact
    • Subscribe

How medical blogging can enhance your career

I know what you’re thinking: nobody wants to read your blog.

LAST UPDATED January 12, 2023 | FIRST PUBLISHED February 26, 2013 | BY Michelle Guillemard

LinkedInFacebookTweetPinPrintEmail

I know you’re thinking: Medical blogging is a lot of work. Nobody wants to read your blog.

You don’t want to write for free.

There are enough blogs out there already.

Right?

Here’s the truth: getting starting a health blogger will be one of your most important business strategies.

A blog is a must-have for anyone starting a medical writing career (freelance or permanently employed, beginner or old-hand) who want to build a profile, retain your freelance clients, network with other writers, and stay ahead of the game.

What’s medical blogging all about?

In a nutshell, medical blogging enhances your business.

Blogging shows that you care about being a medical writer and that you have something interesting to offer.

It establishes you as a credible expert, and it showcases your writing skills to the rest of the community.
Great bloggers encourage their audience to choose their services over someone else’s by posting excellent content and building trust with their readers.

Medical blogging and writing

As a medical writer, you would know that medicine is an exciting industry for writers to be a part of: it’s ever-changing and controversial.

There’s massive potential for debate, discussion and education.

Health impacts everyone, and there’s always something to say about it.

If you’re blogging to grow your business, try to write about an area of medicine with good potential for dialogue that also relates to the services you offer.

You need to be confident that you can tackle the big issues with authority.

Some ideas include: clinical trial design, medical ethics, evidence, complementary and alternative medicine, issues in practice, health topics, and the craft of medical writing.

health blog template

Health Blog Template

My Health Blog Template pack explains how to structure a high-quality health blog and how to allocate words to each section of the blog. Use these templates when you’re writing health blogs for brands, businesses, or your own personal or business blog. You can also use these templates if you’re writing content for your portfolio!

BUY NOW

The medical blogosphere

When blogs first began to emerge in the digital realm, they were often used as online diaries in which writers could express their own private thoughts and frustrations.

Over the last few years, blogs have evolved considerably and now function as highly-regarded business tools offering expert opinion and advice. They are breaking news outlets, collaborative spaces, and digital portfolios.

Blogs are also places where writers can provoke thought and encourage debate on particular topics that they feel passionate about: for example, “10 Reasons Why Randomised Controlled Trials Are Useless”.

The best blogs focus on one particular subject – in order to be relevant and engaging. One of my all-time favourites is the emergency medicine/critical care blog Life In The Fast Lane.

Materials and methods

Luckily, you already have the writing skills down pat. Here’s what else you need to add to your medical blogging toolkit.

  • Software: Firstly, you’ll need a free account with a specialty blog provider like blogger.com or wordpress.com – it’s easy to set up and after a few clicks you can be blogging immediately. If you already have a website, consider speaking to your web developer about integrating a blog.
  • Target audience: Who is your ideal reader? Try to pick a specific niche (medical students) as opposed to a small segment with limited potential for growth (paediatric gastroenterologists based in northwest Tasmania).
  • Inspiration: What do you care about in medical writing? What makes you happy, sad, angry, or frustrated? Find your passion, because this is where your great writing will come from.
  • Motivation: There’s nothing worse than blogs that flatline after a few weeks, so think of some motivational strategies to keep up your good work.
  • Commitment: Find a way to commit to regular blogging. Some busy writers find it easier to blog to a schedule, while others prefer to wait until they’re inspired by a topical news item or something interesting that’s happened while working.
  • Consistency: Decide on your theme, and stick to it. Consistency is one of the foundations of authority.
  • Strategy: How will you market and leverage your great content? Share your content on your other online platforms and in other relevant groups. Ask others to repost your blog on their blogs, and return the favour.

How medical blogging can get you more clients

Google rankings

Blogging helps you to get the best results in a Google search – but only if you produce relevant, topical and engaging content that your target audience would be searching for and want to read: for example, “5 Ways For Medical Students To Make More Money”.

Your blog can also help you to rank well in Google if it is optimised for search engines, meaning you should make the effort to use relevant key words and terms in your page titles, headings and content: “In Stitches: A blog For Medical Students” as opposed to just “In Stitches”.

Tip: Choose relevant page titles for your blog. Google “medical writing blog” and see who comes up first!

Expertise

Blogging on a regular basis helps to build your credibility in your niche as the go-to person in your field. When issues break, others will begin to look to you for comment. If you have a blog with regular posts, some good reader feedback and original content, you’ll appear more credible which will provide you with more followers (and more paid work).

Tip: The more controversial your post title, the better! It’s your hook to lure the reader into your digital realm.

Networking

Networking with other high profile bloggers will get you more exposure and help to build your credibility. You can write guest posts for other blogs and encourage other bloggers to do the same on your blog. Links to your blog from other websites also help your Google ranking. Commenting on popular blogs with a link to your blog is another great way to get more traffic.

Tip: Join as many industry and writing groups as you can on Linkedin and Google+ to stay up to date with the latest issues and industry trends.

Learn how to write amazing health blogs

Introduction to Health Writing Course

Starts Monday 6 March 2023

Enhance your health blogging skills.

Learn how to write health blogs, news, feature articles, web content and sales copy.

Enter your email for a free course outline!

You'll also join 20,000+ others who receive our regular emails. Opt out at any time. View our Terms and Privacy Policy.

Loading
Published work

Blog posts are published articles you can use to build your online portfolio – a bonus being that you can generate comments and debate, showing that your posts are widely read and appreciated. If you’re an emerging writer who is just considering a career in medical writing, a blog is a great way to practise and build up a base of published work. Novice writers have secured book deals off the back of only a blog.

 Tip: Ask other writers to check your work before you publish it if you’re unsure of the quality. Your blog is just as important as any other published work and should be treated as such.

  • If I have a blog, do I need a website? These days, many businesses and writers have their blog as their main website. Both options work, so it comes down to personal preference.
  • What should my writing style be? The style of writing of your blog can be as casual or as academic as you like. Don’t feel that your blog should be peppered with complex medical terminology because you’re a medical writer. Blogging should be instantaneous, and medical writing is very detail-orientated. Decide on one approach and stick to it.
  • What if I really don’t want to blog? Blogging isn’t for everyone, and you certainly want to avoid blogging for the sake of it – if you do, your writing will become stale, uninteresting and you won’t bring new, fresh ideas. You can build a dedicated community of followers through Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin without having your own blog. Social media still allows you to talk to your readers, share valuable content and engage with other writers.
  • Can I blog for someone else?  If you don’t feel as if you can commit to your own blog, consider finding other blogs and writing guest posts for them. In order to leverage this you should always link your guest posts to Twitter, Facebook or Linkedin.

Medical blogging is one of your most valuable marketing tools. Every medical writer who is serious about growing their career should blog regularly.

Do you have a blog? 

LinkedInFacebookTweetPinPrintEmail

Filed Under: Growing your career, Health blogging

About Michelle Guillemard

Michelle Guillemard is the founder of Health Writer Hub, the Past President of the Australasian Medical Writers Association and a freelance medical writer. Blogging about health & medical writing since 2012, Michelle teaches health writing courses and communication workshops to students and corporations around the world. Michelle is passionate about creating better health outcomes and changing lives through effective health communication. Connect with her on Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook.

You might also be interested in …

plain English guidebook

How to Write in Plain English Guidebook

Our How to Write in Plain English Guidebook is essential reading for anyone who writes health & medical content for consumers.

This detailed workbook will show you how to write clear, best-practice health content and improve your writing skills.

BUY NOW

Health writing courses

Not sure which course is right for you?

Get in touch, and let's have a chat about your skills and experience.

HELP ME CHOOSE

Footer

Join 20,000+ writers who are learning now. Get the latest health writing advice and course news.

Opt out at any time.

SUPPORT

Contact
FAQ
Payment
Disclaimer
Terms
Refunds

ABOUT

About us
Student feedback
Alumni
Accreditation
Subscribe

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter

Courses

Health writing
Freelancing
Medical copywriting
Medical editing
Health marketing
Career course
View all courses

Health Writer Hub © 2023. All Rights Reserved. I acknowledge the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the first inhabitants of the nation and the traditional custodians of the lands where I live, learn and work.

Share this ArticleLike this article? Email it to a friend!

Email sent!