Learn about medical blogging. Tutorial on setting up a free WordPress.com blog.

1. +
How to Use Blogging for an
Allergist’s Practice
Nathan Hare MD, FAAAAI
2016 AAAAI Meeting: Session 1009
Friday, March 4, 2016

2. +
Conflicts of Interest
 None

3. +
Objectives
 Identify what a free blog is
 Discover tools for more effective blogging
 Set up a free blog

4. +
What is a Blog?
 a Web site on which someone writes about personal
opinions, activities, and experience
 a Web site that contains online personal reflections,
comments, and often hyperlinks provided by the
writer; also : the contents of such a site
 http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blog

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What is a Vlog?
 a Blog that contains video material
 http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vlog

6. +
Blogging Platform
 “The software or service that turn a regular site into
a functioning blog.”
 Key factors include:
 Pages / Posts
 Categories / Tags
 Image / Post Management
 Search Engine Optimized
http://goo.gl/5tl9Ie

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Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
 “The methods used to boost the ranking or
frequency of a website in results returned by a
search engine, in an effort to maximize user traffic to
the site.”
 “It is the process of getting traffic from the “free,”
“organic,” “editorial” or “natural” search results on
search engines.”
http://goo.gl/FOSCM4
http://goo.gl/JmpuzE

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Domain Name
 The website address for your blog
 For example:
 http://www.thebestallergyblogintheworld.com

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Hosting
 “a service that allows organizations and
individuals to post a website or web page on to
the Internet.”
 If provided by your Blogging Platform: hosted
 If provided by another company (you choose): self-
hosted
https://goo.gl/D6XEsf

10. +
Checklist for choosing a blogging
platform
 Do I want free or paid?
 Do I want hosted or self-hosted?
 Do I want my own domain name?
 Do I want simple (fire up the site and write) or do I
want more complex (more options for customization,
coding, etc.)?

11. +
Blogging Platforms
 Wordpress (Free, $)
 Ghost ($)
 Squarespace ($)
 Medium (Free)
 Posthaven ($)
 Blogger (Free)
 Svbtle ($)
 AnchorCMS (Free)
 Silvrback ($)
 Tumblr (Free)
 LinkedIn (Free)
 Postach.io ($)
 Scriptogram (Free)
http://goo.gl/P2R6UI

12. +
Free Blogging Platforms: Pros
 No initial start-up cost
 Easy to set up and maintain with no prior website
knowledge

13. +
Free Blogging Platforms: Cons
 No custom domain
 Appearance may not be as professional
 Fewer themes available
 Fewer custom options, like plug-ins
http://goo.gl/TzVfBR
http://goo.gl/eU84Ca

14. +
Free Blogging Platforms: Cons
 Limited advertising options
 Limited memory, bandwidth, video time
 Your blog can be shut down if it is perceived to
violate the terms of service
http://goo.gl/TzVfBR
http://goo.gl/eU84Ca

15. +
Blogging: Food for Thought
 Why do I want to blog?
 What is my niche?
 What will I call my
blog?
 How am I going to find
my topics?
 What do I want to
include?
 Words
 Images
 Videos
 Links
 Slide decks

16. +
Medical Blogging: Why do it?
 6 Reasons Why Doctors Blog, according to Dr.
John M., a cardiologist and electrophysiologist
(as summarized by Dr. Ves Dimov):
 The Practice of Medicine inspires
 To educate
 To better mankind
 To give a look behind the curtain
 To archive useful information
 To display our humanness
http://goo.gl/xVUWC
http://goo.gl/c6Q0uR

17. +
Medical Blogging: Why do it?
It can be fun!

18. +
AMA: Professionalism in the Use of
Social Media
 Refrain from posting identifiable patient information online.
 Use privacy settings to safeguard personal information.
 Maintain appropriate boundaries of the patient-physician
relationship in accordance with professional ethical guidelines
 Separate personal and professional content online
 Remember what is done online, as in real life, can have
consequences
http://goo.gl/gRtPHM

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General Blogging Tips
 Title
 Readers read the first 3 and last 3 words
 80% of readers read the title, 20% read the content
 Start with Story Telling
 Increases % of readers
 Increases time readers stay on the page
http://goo.gl/WhIu0K The anatomy of a perfect blog post

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General Blogging Tips
 Use fewer characters per line
 Include an image
 Boost the font size of your opening paragraph
http://goo.gl/WhIu0K The anatomy of a perfect blog post

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General Blogging Tips
 Use Subheadings to make your post scannable
 People scan rather than read
 Posts of 1500 words or more tend to receive more
shares
http://goo.gl/WhIu0K The anatomy of a perfect blog post

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General Blogging Tips
 Make your post as quotable and shareable as
possible
 For example: “Tweet this” and follow with an
important soundbite.
http://goo.gl/WhIu0K The anatomy of a perfect blog post

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Medical Blogging Tips
 Write it yourself
 Make sure every post has a different title and
description
 Focus on a topic that will be relevant more than a
week from now
http://goo.gl/h7jUdJ

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Medical Blogging Tips
 Separate your blog for patients and referring
physicians
 Categorize everything so patients can find it
http://goo.gl/h7jUdJ

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Medical Blogging Tips
 Pick topics that patients want to hear about
 Use your blog as an educational tool for patients
 Keep your blog posts for local doctors and patients
http://goo.gl/h7jUdJ

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Medical Blogging Tips
 Incorporate Search Engine Optimization into your
blog
 Use key phrases your patients are using
 Put your contact information on each page so
patients can find you
http://goo.gl/h7jUdJ

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Example Allergist Blogs
 Dr. Paul Ehrlich
 http://asthmaallergieschildren.com/
 Dr. David Stukus
 http://700childrens.nationwidechildrens.org/
 Dr. Sakina Bajowala
 http://allergistmommy.blogspot.com/
 Dr. John Weiner
 http://www.allergynet.com.au/

28. +
Contact Information
Nathan Hare MD, FAAAAI
Twitter: @AllergyTalk
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/APLewisburg
Blog: www.th2skewed.com
Thank You!

29. +
Starting a Wordpress.com Blog
 https://wordpress.com/create/

30. +
Starting a Wordpress.com Blog:
Choose a Theme
 https://wordpress.com/start/themes

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Starting a Wordpress.com Blog:
Find a Domain
 https://wordpress.com/start/domains

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Choosing a Domain Name
Wordpress.com gives you the option at this
point for:
Free WordPress.Com address
Custom Domain
They will search for you to see if the name
you want is currently available

33. +
Choosing a Domain Name
 They return both the free WordPress.com address
with your chosen name, in addition to customizable,
paid options
 They also offer the option to pay to have any domain
you currently own mapped to your new
WordPress.com blog

34. +
Choosing a Domain Name
 For this exercise, I would recommend a Free Wordpress.com
address
 Enter allergy(first initial)(middle initial)(last name)
 My name is Nathaniel David Hare, so my address I would enter
would be allergyndhare
 It then searches to see what options are available

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Starting a Wordpress.com Blog:
Find a Domain
 https://wordpress.com/start/domains

36. +
Starting a Wordpress.com Blog:
Pick a Plan
 https://wordpress.com/start/plans

37. +
Starting a Wordpress.com Blog:
Pick a Plan
 https://wordpress.com/start/plans/compare

38. +
Starting a Wordpress.com Blog:
Your Blog
 https://allergy(first-initial)(middle-initial)(last-
name).wordpress.com/

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Your First Post on Your New Blog
Text:
 Start typing
Pictures:
 Can copy and paste right into your post
 Make sure you have permission to use the pictures
you include
 Are the images copyrighted?

40. +
Your First Post on Your New Blog
Video
 If using a YouTube Video, click on the Share button
underneath the video on the YouTube page
 Copy the link to the video, and paste it into your post
where you want it.

41. +
Your First Post on Your New Blog
PowerPoint
 Set up a SlideShare.net account (free)
 Upload any presentations you want to share
 Copy the WordPress Shortcode from
www.SlideShare.net
 Paste it into your post wherever you want

42. +
First Blog Post Exercise
 Title: Christmas Tree Allergies
 Text:
 We know or suspect the following about Christmas trees and mold:
 Some people (estimated at 7% by a 1970 study in the Canadian
Medical Association Journal: http://goo.gl/4gj3kY) have allergic-type
symptoms that can be related to bringing a Christmas tree into a
home.
 Christmas trees can have mold on them.
 Some molds are known to cause allergic symptoms in humans.
 Trees can have pollen, insects, chemicals that have been sprayed
on them, loose needles, or other debris.

43. +
First Blog Post Exercise
 Image of Pollen Grain:
 http://www.aaaai.org/Aaaai/media/MediaLibrary/Im
ages/pollen%20and%20allergies/grasspollen2.jpg
 "Source: American Academy of Allergy,
Asthma & Immunology/ www.aaaai.org."
 YouTube Video about Christmas Tree Allergies
 https://youtu.be/FaBeEJNbCWk

44. +
First Blog Post Exercise
 PowerPoint Slide Set of Allergic Rhinitis
 WordPress Shortcode from www.SlideShare.net
 [slideshare id=21544483&doc=allergicrhinitis2-
130520161831-phpapp02]

45. +
First Blog Post Exercise
 Copy and paste the supplied text, image with source attribution,
YouTube video, and WordPress Shortcode into your blog post.
 Give it a title.
 Customize as desired
 Click Publish when ready.

46. +
Important Tips
 My Sites: Configure: Sharing
 Allows you to set up the Blog to share your posts
with your Social Media accounts
 My Sites: Personalize: Themes: Customize:
Widgets: Sidebar: Add a Widget
 Add your Facebook and Twitter feeds to your Blog

47. +
Contact Information
Nathan Hare MD, FAAAAI
Twitter: @AllergyTalk
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/APLewisburg
Blog: www.th2skewed.com
Thank You!