This weekend there will be a mini-reunion with Alicia Silverstone and cast members of the movie “Clueless”. The movie made phrases like “As if”, common in every day conversation. Alicia capitalized on her naive, Pollyanna outlook on life and her clueless attitude toward daily life challenges- and she made it funny!
But Alicia Silverstone is far from clueless. She is a producer, author of two nutrition books and activist for animals in addition to her acting career. She’s earned the 1994 MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Performance, and gained further prominence as a teen idol when she appeared at the age of 16 in the music video for Aerosmith’s “Cryin’“. She starred in the comedy hit Clueless (1995), which earned her a multimillion-dollar deal with Columbia Pictures, then receiving a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy.
So, how does this pertain to you?
5 Ways to Start a Blog When You Think You’re Clueless
The most important thing to keep in mind is that information that you think is commonly known by everyone…isn’t! You have important information to impart that will help others even though it comes easily to you. (and that’s a good thing!) Even better is that this information posted on blogging, is at the heart of content marketing.
But you think– “I’m not a blogger, I wouldn’t know what to write”
I often hear this protest but let me clue you in. Bloggers didn’t start out as professional writers or need a degree in journalism. They are typical people that you meet regularly. They tell stories and impart their messages- much like you do with your patients everyday. Blogging provides information that your patients and prospective patients want to know. Blogging provides entertainment. Let your personality shine through because patients want to know you- from behind that white coat or surgical mask.
Sure, the thought of blogging and coming up with new ideas all the time can be overwhelming. But it needn’t be!
5 Easy Steps to Content Creation
Here are some ways to get great content that your patients and prospective patients will love:
- Interviews
Interviews are a great way to get expert advice on your blog or show how you are knowledgeable in the topic you are highlighting in the interview. Select a topic and research some experts,or influencers with knowledge in that topic. Get in touch and ask them if they would be willing to answer a couple of questions. Not only will this benefit the viewers and give you fresh information, it will also associate you with authorities and celebrities, making others perceive you as one yourself!
Not only that, interviews give you additional SEO and often added social media exposure.
- Expert Panel Discussions
Pose one question and get a few experts to answer. The best part is that you get expert opinions on a topic that you select – and the experts do most of the content creation. Simply insert a small introduction to each expert and a lead on the question.
- Content Curation
Curation is where you take information that you have seen on other media sites, add your opinion, increase value, give it your twist, comment about it and it becomes yours! The key here is to make sure that you personalize it!
Look at forums and recently published blogs on a chosen topic that were highly received. Create a weekly news aggregation: What’s new in my niche this week. Social Media Examiner did something like this in their category “This Week In Social Media.”
Or you can make a weekly: What I loved reading this week. Mari Smith does this with her “Social Scoop.”
You can even present the breaking news of the week in your field. This is not unethical – a ton of experts do it and it is quite popular. You know why? Because it provides value!
- Lists
People love lists. They’re easy to scan and easy to get the information quickly. Easy for you too- you don’t have to come up with witty paragraphs. One or two sentences per item with a list of 20 items can easily provide you with a useful list. The best part- list posts often go viral on social media!
- Use More Images
Spice up your blog posts with images or insert videos. You can create meme images, or research some quotes on your chosen topic and put these on an image you create with tools like Canva. Images can upgrade your blog posts. People love images. They attract your audience’s attention.
Consider adding slides. You can create them on PowerPoint with the information on each slide.
Giving a talk to your colleagues or your audience at the local library? Upload the slides to Slideshare and embed them into your blog posts or offer them to your viewers.
According to Buzzsumo, posts with an image every 75 – 100 words get the most social shares. That is about 2-3 sentences per image.
Recap
Don’t let the thought of blogging be overwhelming. You get better with each post. Keep in mind also that you can assign some blog posts to your staff about topics that they deal with regularly. Try to figure out a structure for your post first and then fill the structure step by step. Think of the topics you want to highlight and make an editorial calendar.
Helpful tip:
Grammarly is a tool that can help you avoid the worst spelling and grammar mistakes – and make sure your text is readable.
Still feeling a bit anxious or just don’t have the time? No worries. Call 561-325-9664 and we’ll get you started!
