To build an effective online marketing platform, consistently creating content is the most important thing a doctor can do.
Today, a personal website with a blog is the best way to build a personal marketing platform.
But the question that then comes up, how often should you publish a blog post?
Don’t Let Motivation or Schedule Determine Your Blogging Frequency
One of the biggest mistakes I see physicians make is they are inconsistent in their posting frequency.
Either they create and publish content when they feel motivated or pressured, or when their schedule allows.
The truth is, if you want to have a successful online marketing platform, that just doesn’t work. Your blogging frequency cannot be all over the map if you wish to succeed.
Make A Commitment and Map Out Content
To avoid falling into the trap of infrequent blogging, commit to a writing schedule.
An easy way to remain committed is by creating a content list in advance. This can be done in a task management system like Todoist, or simply on an Excel spreadsheet.
Pro Tip: Utilize findings from a keyword research study to help influence what you blog about.
Weekly Blog Posts Are Best
Releasing one new blog post per week is what seems to work the best today for most doctors. It’s enough to keep a loyal audience engaged, but not overwhelmed.
Tim Ferriss has written about the concept of the minimum effective dose. While he was referring to the 4 Hour Body, it is a general principle I think applies well to blogging frequency for doctors.
One new, high-quality blog post per week is about perfect for this current time.
You’ll also want to make sure you always publish on the same day so that your followers can expect when your new posts will be issued.
Different doctors have different approaches to remain consistent in blogging. Some write for 20-30 minutes every day. Others dedicate a specific time slot each week to writing. Some batch their writings and create several posts at a time and schedule them in WordPress.
Whatever works best for your personality and schedule is totally fine. Just be sure you’re publishing once a week.