How Writing A Book Can Enhance a Medical, Health or Wellness Practice

Writing A Book Can Enhance a Medical, Health or Wellness Practice

Writing a book can enhance your practice in a number of ways:

  • Increasing your visibility
  • Getting your message across to the public
  • Selling your programs 
  • Increasing your revenue
  • Making you a sought out expert that patients or clients want to work with
  • Increasing your brand awareness

Branding for doctors, health, and wellness professionals

What are my first steps in writing a book?

Whether you are a chiropractor who has shifted into nutrition, a personal trainer, a psychologist, a specialist in hormone therapy, a dietitian or any other specialist, you must determine how your knowledge can help patients/ clients / colleagues add to their knowledge base and /or transform their health and well being. 

  • Before you begin writing, you must choose a topic within your field of expertise
  • Figure out what do you want to become known for
  • Research the market
  • Find the time to write, set up a regular schedule and stick to it
  • Craft your overall vision
  • Outline your chapters

Should I self publish or look for a traditional publisher?

Traditional publishing

If you decide to publish traditionally, you must write a query letter and book proposal that you will send to a publisher or agent. You must also have developed a platform, whether it is a YouTube channel or a Facebook business page,  that demonstrates you have a significant following before publishers will take an risk on an unknown. 

Remember that marketability is the determining factor whether or not a traditional publisher will take you on. 

Self Publishing

This is a much simpler process and can be done through Amazon, the largest book distributor on the planet.

If you decide on the self publishing route, you will have to hire an editor, a book cover artist, and a book formatter. Your book reflects your practice and you will want to have a professional and polished product before you go live. 

Regardless, your content must be relevant to your audience and you must establish your credentials. 

Self publish on Amazon – steps

How do I publicize my book?

Whether you go the traditional or self – published route, you will have to do most of your own publicity. How will you do that?

  • Hire a marketing or PR firm
  • Take out ads on Amazon
  • Take out ads on Facebook
  • Start a newsletter
  • Create a YouTube channel where you discuss your topics
  • Go live on Instagram with small updates
  • Use Twitter to generate interest
  • Get on Quora and start taking questions relevant to your expertise
  • Create an online seminar
  • Guest on podcasts relevant to your topic
  • Guest on radio or television programs
  • Generate word of mouth interest among your followers, associates and social circle 

The main thing to remember is to start a buzz and generate interest and anticipation months prior to the launch of your book so that it doesn’t fall flat. 

Digital Marketing for Medical, Health, and Wellness

What if I am not a good writer?

The quality of your writing within the health, wellness, self -help, diet, and fitness fields is less important than the actual topic and tips you will be transmitting to the audience. 

  • You can get around sloppy writing by hiring an editor
  • You can record your chapters and then transcribe them
  • You can hire a ghostwriter
  • You can hire a writing coach

Other questions you may have about the process

Can you help me with writing my book?

Yes. I can coach you and help you with writing.

Do you edit?

Yes. I do developmental and line editing.

What is your previous experience with editing?

I have edited two medical texts, a self help book, and a book on psychological theory and early childhood development.

Do you have experience writing books?

Yes. I have written four novels and four sets of short stories. 

Have you coached anyone?

Yes. It is usually a matter of organization and time management. Once those barriers have been successfully overcome, the process becomes easy.

Sometimes, it is a matter of overcoming resistance to the process of writing. We may have a book inside us but we fear not being good enough. If you have the knowledge, desire, and willpower to  help others, you are already good enough. 

Can you help me through the publishing process?

Yes, I can recommend my partners who are book cover designers and formatters. They have excellent track records and portfolios. I can also help choose images for your book cover that will make your book a stand out. The old adage, don’t judge a book by its cover is not applicable in the digital age. Your book needs to pop – and in a thumbnail format. The psychology of colors, fonts, and images will have great impact on how your book will be received. Traditional publishers do a horrible job with this and you absolutely do not want to follow their example. Instead, we will research your self published competitors or those who have had success in similar fields to see what sells best. Remember, it’s all about the consumer and their perceptions, not your tastes.

Can you help me with the self publishing process on Amazon?

Yes. I can guide you or I can write your profile, create your account, and upload your typescript and book cover.

Can you help me with ads and marketing?

Yes. I have experience with best practices, ads, creating collateral marketing materials, and SEO.

What else can I do to publicize my book?

You can feature a page or section on your website that will link to your Amazon page. I like to use an image of the book cover in 3-d as a direct link. It looks sharp and highly professional. 

You are in charge and no one but you and your team can do it for you. Get comfortable being the face of your practice. People are going to see you when they come into your practice in any case. 

Work with us

We are passionate about health and wellness. We are equally passionate about making you stand out from your competitors. We will help you get off the ground with your book. 

Please tell us a little bit about your project and we’ll schedule a call.

Branding for doctors, health, and wellness professionals

Branding for doctors, health, and wellness professionals

Branding is a buzzword these days. We’re inundated with messages from marketers about branding and personal branding. We read that people prefer brands and that Google will rank brands higher on a page than non – branded competitors. Sure, you say, it’s fine for Nike, Coca-Cola and Starbucks, but I’m a health professional. What the heck does branding have to do with my practice? 

The answer is you must present yourself and your practice consistently in a manner that will make you stand out from your competitors. 

Read on to discover which factors are most important in developing a personal brand. 

Forbes on personal branding

Your brand isn't about your logo

It’s nice to have a logo that can be associated with your practice. It makes you recognizable. But your brand isn’t your logo.

A logo is essentially meaningless unless it’s associated with an experience or a message.

Think Starbucks. What’s that double tailed mermaid about -and what does it have to do with coffee? What about Apple and computers?

Below is my logo. I like it, and  even though the snake and bowl are associated with pharmacy, it still suggests something  to do with healing. The lettering looks somewhat futuristic, hence digital. It took me about 10 minutes to create it. In itself, it will mean nothing unless a brand is associated with it.

What will it mean to people eventually? At some point, medical practitioners will see it in their social media feeds or elsewhere and associate with my practice and the fact that I give out good tips to marketing yourself online.

Which comes first my website or my logo?

Recently, I spoke to two corporate executives who were looking for a website designer. They actually asked me if they should spend their money on getting a logo first and then think about their website.

The answer is an emphatic no. Your message comes first. Your logo is a byproduct of that message. And your website is foundational to transmitting your message.

So what is your message?

Essentially, you have to sit down and think what distinguishes you from everyone in your field. Ask yourself what unique value proposition you can offer to your clients or patients.

Then you must determine your particular voice, and how you will  communicate your message to an audience.

To do that you must speak to that audience. 

Are you a pediatrician? A plastic surgeon? A massage therapist with a specialization? Do you practice integrative or Chinese medicine? 

The way you address your particular audience  is crucial to your success. 

Once you determine who your audience is and what distinguishes you from others in your field, you can take the next steps. 

What should I know before I start working on branding?

  • You are developing a consistent voice and look that will characterize you and your practice from this point on. 
  • Your website is your single greatest marketing asset. 
  • Social media exists to raise awareness of your brand and drive traffic to your website where conversions will be made.

What is actually involved in branding?

You are developing your public image. These are aspects you will want to focus on:

  • Your voice
  • Your colors
  • Your fonts
  • Your logo
  • Your tagline
  • Your images (photographs)
  • Your business card

Remember, you need to be authentic and true to yourself. Not touchy- feely? Then be informational and educate your clients.  We all have our strengths and weaknesses; the objective is to capitalize on your best qualities and make them work for you and your audience. 

How does branding work in real life?

From now on your voice, your look, and your message must be consistent where ever you choose to be seen, be it on social media, your website, media appearances, and in person.

That doesn’t mean your branding can’t change or evolve over time. 

It will do so as you grow and develop your practice.

Your aim is to:

  • Increase awareness of your practice
  • Establish your expertise and credibility
  • Educate the public
  • Grow your referral base
  • Get more patients /clients

Tip: If you are using Instagram, you must have a consistent look. Don’t be all over the place with your photos. Your look should be curated so that your posts are instantly recognizable, logo present or not. 

Tips for curating photos

Questions you may have about branding

FAQ

Most frequent questions and answers

Sadly, in our society marketing is as important as your skill set. As search engines move into voice search, Google reviews become a must. The more positive the reviews, the better you will be deemed to be by search engines. Send your satisfied patients a short message thanking them and a link to Google reviews on your Google business page. It should take them about two minutes to write a review.  

What is voice search?

It depends on your specialty. Remember that Facebook will only reach about 2% of your page’s fan base before embarking on your venture. Instagram has been bought by Facebook and is going in a similar direction.

LinkedIn and Google business pages are good places to be seen. 

YouTube works wonderfully well for a number of specializations if you are comfortable giving presentations or talks.

Remember to disseminate information taking in your clients’ or patients’ perspective under consideration. It’s all about them. You may think your credentials and experience should be your focus. They will probably  be more concerned about your bedside manner and ability to explain things clearly with resorting to condescension or jargon. 

Blogging and SEO.  Writing blog posts that answer a question so well that your blog post will be featured in Google snippets ( the answer box) is the goal.

Remember, the point of all this advertising is to drive people to your website and get them to convert. No marketer or marketing agency can guarantee results. You will simply have to test what will work for your practice. 

Should Health Practitioners Have a Blog?

What should my office/ space/clinic look like?

Yes, the physical aspect of your practice is important as well. The overall look of your office, comfort, cleanliness, decor, and colors are all important in establishing your reputation. 

Your staff, their professionalism and courtesy is probably even more important.

And finally, the quality time you invest in each client or patient, your empathy, and manner will be the making of your practice. 

Work with us

We are passionate about health and wellness. We are equally passionate about making you stand out from your competitors. We will use all of our design and writing abilities to tell your story and forge an emotional connection between you and your audience. 

Please tell us a little bit about your project and we’ll schedule a call.

Is HIPAA certified website design necessary?

HIPAA certified website design

Find out all you need to know about HIPAA certified webs design.

Should my website designer be HIPAA certified?

The short answer is no, there is no such thing as HIPAA certification for website designers. When I began to search the best training available, I was confounded by the plethora of companies on the market that purportedly trained for HIPAA compliance. I called the American Medical Association and spoke to one of their lawyers in Washington.  She told me the following:

  • There is no recognized company that has the authority to confer certification on anyone.
  • The primary reason for the above is that the rules themselves as set down by the government are rather nebulous. 
Everything you need to know about the rules of HIPAA compliance

Does my website need to be HIPAA compliant?

Only if you are transmitting PHI.

  • If at some point you decide to transmit protected health  information you can add features or move to more secure hosting.  
  • You could begin by anticipating that one day you will be transmitting PHI and allow for it. 

How to make my website HIPAA compliant?

  • SSL certificate for security
  • Encryption of forms and data. There are services which will do this like Paubox or Virtru
  • Storing the data on a server which is HIPAA compliant. These hosting providers are more expensive than regular hosting but in light of recent lawsuits and damages awarded, they provide great value. 

Remember:

  • Encrypt all shared patient information
  • Back up all data up so that it can be recovered

Who must be HIPAA compliant?

From Forbes:

‘If you belong to the category of “covered entities’ or “business associates,” and you handle “protected health information (PHI),” you and your business are required to be HIPAA-compliant. “Covered entities” describes U.S. health plans, health care clearinghouses, and health care providers.

  • Health Care Clearinghouses

Health care clearinghouses are organizations that collect information from a healthcare entity, processes this data in a industry-standard format and delivers it to another entity. Examples of clearinghouses include:

  • Billing services
  • Community health management information system
  • Health Care Providers
       
  • Business Associates

“Business associates” refers to any organization or individual who acts as a vendor or subcontractor with access to PHI. Examples of business associates include:

  • Data transmission providers
  • Data processing firms
  • Data storage or document shredding companies
  • Medical equipment companies
  • Consultants hired for audits, coding reviews, etc.
  • Electronic health information exchanges
  • Medical transcription services
  • External auditors or accountants
To read further

What should my website designer know about HIPAA?

Your website designer must know or be able to advise you on the following:

  • Your website designer must direct you to the most secure hosting possible. There are hosting companies that specialize in hosting secure medical websites.
  • A SSL certificate is mandatory. Your host will provide it. 
  • Your website designer must EITHER 1. Know how to build a portal for your patients to sign into. 2. Recommend services such as Paubox or Virtru, which specialize in encrypted communications and eliminate the need for a portal. 
Encrypted email solutions

Other questions you may have about / for your medical website designer

FAQ

Most frequent questions and answers

To be a Google partner, a company needs to spend $10,000 or more on advertising with Google within 90 days. It must also have two employees who are certified in Google Ads.

Someone who has taken classes online and passed two tests is eligible for certification. 

It depends on:

  • the nature of your business
  • consumer behavior
  • the device they are using

Desktop: If consumers are ready to purchase a product, they will click on a paid ad.

Mobile devices: Supposedly,  people utilizing mobile devices are more likely to click on paid ads. However, the reality is more complicated. To read more:

Do mobile PPC ads work?

Marketers will tell you that Google Ads work. However, Google Ads  (Pay per Click) can get costly. The benefit is that you only pay when someone clicks. 

If you are actively searching for clients, it might work for you. 

Remember, younger people will usually ignore paid ads and go straight for organic results. Those over 65 might not realize they are dealing with ads at all. 

Display advertising is geared towards building your brand. A good example of a display ad is the type of banner you see on the right of your Facebook page. Those types of ads are usually more effective if you include image or video content.

To read more about the types of ads involved:

Display advertising

Blogging and SEO.  Writing blog posts that answer a question so well that your blog post will be featured in Google snippets ( the answer box) is the goal.

Local SEO, including Google business pages.

Remember, the point of all this advertising is to drive people to your website and get them to convert. No marketer or marketing agency can guarantee results. You will simply have to try to see if PPC works for your practice. 

Should Health Practitioners Have a Blog?

What should my medical website have to be competitive and compliant?

Every Medical website needs to have / be: 

  • Speed. Your website needs to load quickly.
  • Great navigation. Your website needs to be organized in a logical format. Each topic needs to be easily found.
  • Responsive. That means a website that will work and function equally well across all devices. 
  • Attractive. No one will stay on your pages if you have an outdated or ugly website. People make rapid judgments. If your website is cheap or outdated, they will think your knowledge base and practice are outdated as well. 
  • Optimized for local and voice search.

If you are storing PHI:

  • SSL certificate for security
  • Encryption of forms and data. There are services which will do this like Paubox or Virtru
  • Storing the data on a server which is HIPAA compliant. 

Work with us

We are passionate about health and wellness. We are equally passionate about making you stand out from your competitors. We will use all of our design and writing abilities to tell your story and forge an emotional connection between you and your audience.  In the end, we did take a HIPAA training course and were awarded a certificate of completion on October 29, 2019. 

Please tell us a little bit about your project and we’ll schedule a call.