10 Tips for Nursing Blog Success

This post will outline tips and strategies to build a successful nursing blog.

Nursing blog success doesn’t have to be an elusive dream. You can make an impact on nursing and the world if you implement strategies to ensure that your message is clear and far-reaching. I’ve spent years building a personal and professional brand and want to share some key strategies that will bring your success with your nursing blog.

I received a very flattering email from an aspiring blogger who fancied me as “whimsical” a little while back. They wanted my advice about starting a blog as a healthcare professional. Of course, in my usual rambling style, they got a short novel for their answer. Since I had already written it out and everything, and I enjoy sharing things I have learned with others, I decided to write a post detailing some of the things I’ve learned after over a year of blogging as a nurse. Frankly, all nurses should blog.

The Book on Blogging for Nurses

There are hundreds (if not thousands) of books about blogging. However, to my knowledge, there is only one book about blogging specifically for nurses. There are several nuances and uniqueness to blogging as a nurse. From HIPAA to employment concerns, The Nurse’s Guide to Blogging is a step-by-step guide to feeling confident as a nurse blogger – whether you’re doing it for pleasure or for profit.

The Nurse’s Guide to Blogging: Building a Brand and a Profitable Business as a Nurse Influencer

A few things that I think has made my experience with blogging more fulfilling and have increased my reach, and consequently expanded the impact of my voice in the blogosphere:

Write Awesome Content

Lots of its, and good SEO optimization. Half my traffic is from google. Actually probably 1/4 of it comes from one topic “lateral violence” or “bullying in nursing” or some form of that phrase, and I have less than 10 post out of nearly 200 that deal with that subject…. it’s sad that people google that at all, but writing about topics that people face but don’t talk about, especially personal experiences, are what readers are looking for. They are looking to see they are not alone in what they face. They want a connection. Give yourself to your readers, be professional, but personal and treat your blog like your child and not like a job. You’ll enjoy it more and it will show in your writing.

There are so many types of nursing blogs that you can write, and the content varies between them. Whether it be a nursing lifestyle blog, a diversity nursing blog, a nursing education blog, or a nurse coaching blog, you have to produce quality content.

Be Present on Social Media

My favorite social platform is Twitter. It’s easy to hop on throughout the day and participate in engaging in conversation with tweeters, not just tweeting blog updates or personal musings. You don’t have to spend all your time on social, but you should at least have an account on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

When you share blogs links on Twitter, remember to include “via @theirtwittername” when you share, so they’ll see it, and they’ll likely come and read your blog and return the favor. IT’s like the unwritten blogger code… and now that I’ve written it down, well I may be forced to turn in my copy of WordPress and be banned from my WYSIWYG editor… gah. I hope you are worth it! 🙂

Find other nurses, doctors, and healthcare bloggers, comment on their blog. Hopefully, they’ll return the favor, your content may even inspire them to post, and they will link back to you. This is GREAT for google search and sends others to your blog. -Other bloggers are going to be your biggest allies in spreading the word about your blog. Make yourself known, do a little ego stroking by commenting and spreading their content.

Guest Post on Other Blogs

At first, you’ll be doing this for free, but after a while, you may be approached to write for blogs on a paid basis. I had to pick my jaw up off the floor when someone offered to pay me to write for them. If you don’t do this at least comment on other blogs a lot. (But only thoughtful, meaningful, and relevant comments!)

Be mindful that many may not be interested in a guest blog, especially from a stranger. Do your best to attempt to build a relationship with the blogger via social media or other means before making this request. Nobody likes a cold pitch email with a request for your time and access to your platform and audience.

Mention Your Blog on Social Groups

Facebook groups and LinkedIn groups are a great way to build a network. Once you’ve established yourself as valuable in the group, you may be able to reference your blog or specific posts. Do this only when relevant and be sure to abide by any rules that the group has. If you’re not sure, then ask the group admin.

Make Your Content Easy to Share

Make sure your sharing buttons are obvious but not intrusive. If your social buttons aren’t easy to find, people are going to be a lot less likely to share your content. I recommend that you use a social sharing plugin and include the big 5 (TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram) plus LinkedIn. You can find the social share tool I recommend on my blogging tools page.

Engage with Others

I can’t say that enough. Blogging is unique because it’s about personality and community. Your readers will come because they saw a random link, but they will come back because they enjoyed what you had to say or how uniquely you said it.

Make your Blog Beautiful

Invest in a good theme that’s built for SEO and allows you to easily customize it for the look you want. Genesis framework, by Studio Press, is one of the most popular, and I think can be had for between $60 and $300 depending on the options you want. It has tons of options for good customization and great SEO built right in. I should really just suck it up and spend the cash to get something good!

Don’t Be a Downer

Your content as a healthcare blogger will get you a good amount of search results. Write about what you know and love. Write about what you hate as well, but try not to be a downer. We all need to rant and enjoy reading a good rant every now and then, but the healthcare profession needs more uplifting individuals representing itself in the blogosphere. So do us all a favor, and make our professions look good!

Write with Passion

Share your passion with the world. If you do what you love and love what you do, it will shine in your writing. It is so uplifting to read the writings of inspiring nurses, doctors, and other healthcare providers who take the time to share what they do with the world. I have found that our stories can touch the lives of those who don white coats and those who don’t.

Bonus: Promote Yourself in Your Emails

And because I love all you folks in the blogosphere so very much, I’m gonna go ahead and throw in a bonus tip for you. Yep 11 tips for the price of none, cause you’re getting them all for free anyways. Make yourself a nice email signature with your social media links. This should include your blog address, email, and primary social media outlets.

TikTok is THE place to be if you want to grow a following fast. Once you get to 1,000 followers, you can add a link to your bio. Once you get to 5,000 followers, you can promote TikTok shop items as an affiliate. Whether you plan to start a nursing blog or launch another nursing business online, you need to have a strong presence on Tiktok. I can teach you to both, fast!

Some More Great Nursing Blogs to Follow

Every year, I see nursing blogs fall on and off the top nursing blogs lists. Here are some of the best nurse blogs that have consistently been producing content and providing valuable resources to nurses and nursing students for years.

Frequently Asked Questions about Nurse Blogging