Every year, I work with several of my clients to create an editorial calendar for the upcoming 12 months. This calendar tells us exactly what content we need to work on and when. It also ensures that their website, blog, and other marketing material are kept up to date.
If you are a healthcare business or provider, here are a few tips for developing your editorial calendar for the upcoming year:
Make note of the major holidays. Some of your online content can be centered around holidays that your patients will likely celebrate. For instance, if you are a nutritionist, a piece about low-cal, yet delicious chocolate treats would be great around Valentine's Day. If you provide hospice services, publishing an article about the best Christmas gifts for parents in assisted living facilities is best suited for mid-November.
Think about your patient's recreational activities. If you treat [physically active patients, think about the sports they play or their other recreational activities when doing your planning. If many of them play golf, for instance, writing about how to stretch before hitting the course would be beneficial in the spring. If they prefer snow sports, posting a blog about how to deal with knee pain during ski season is a good one for early November (or whenever your area typically starts to see the white stuff fall).
Write about upcoming events. If there is an event in your area that tends to draw a crowd, include a post about it on your 2021 calendar. If you are participating in that event, even better. Even if you aren't, staying up-to-date on what is going on in your community, and writing about it, helps show your personal side. It tells your patients that you care about what is going on in their lives.
Consider your most-asked questions. There are some topics that are good to write about all year long. This includes the questions your patients ask you the most. Putting your response in a blog or social media post enables you to answer this question for patients who are also wondering, yet haven't asked for your input. It also gives you someplace to send future patients who ask the same thing.
Address your patient's biggest concerns. Another topic area that can be used to fill in your content needs between major holidays, your patient's favorite activities, and local events involves addressing the areas where they tend to struggle the most. Maybe you're a dentist and a lot of patients aren't flossing well enough or you are a chiropractor and your patients are constantly talking about their low back pain after sitting all day at work. Again, put your advice into a blog to help them solve their biggest problems. This also establishes you as the expert, increasing the likelihood that they'll turn to you when they have an issue that they can't fix themselves.
These are just a few ideas to think about when developing your 2021 editorial calendar. Deciding what you are going to post at the beginning of the year can keep you on track with your healthcare content. It also makes it easier to write the posts when they are due because you've already decided what they will be about.
If you are having trouble with your editorial calendar, let me know. I'd be glad to offer any advice I can. And if you want more in-depth, personalized help, we can even set up a one-hour editorial calendar creation session. I'll help in any way I can!