Here’s the site : http://www.naturecuresclinic.com/content/view/21/36/ Greg Eckel is the guy I’ve talked to – he indicated that he’s had folks come to his clinic from afar after hearing his podcast. Interesting, no?

I’ll definitely check out your article. I agree, Wordpress is just… awesome.

Eric

“I just want to point out that I do know of at least one natural medicine practitioner who DOES attract a fair number of patients with his blogging/podcasting here in the Portland area.”

Can you give us the link or the name so we can check out what he’s doing? Thanks.

Also, I’d like to point out I just wrote a report on using Wordpress as a website management system. You can get it at http://www.AcupunctureClinicWebsites.com/report if you’re interested.

Wordpress is amazing, it’s not only great for blogs, but for general websites too!

If my office were located in east Bellevue instead of North Bend, you better believe blogging could help me. Why? My target patient probably works at Microsoft. S/he probably knows computers and having a blog along with a good looking website WILL make them more comfortable. That offers the two of something in common.

Additionally, if they are looking for information about their condition and I write about it on my blog (and they find it doing a search) I will probably convert them.

Bellevue and Microsoft (Google, Intel et al) can only support so many acupuncturists so what about everyone else?

So I practice elsewhere. Perhaps I specialize in doing cancer support. It’s a population I like. Okay, I write a blog about treating cancer. I may talk about Cancer from the perspective of TCM–maybe I write generally or specifically. Maybe I review new articles and studies. I might add in new information on cancer that has a broad appeal to my clients. Additionally, I make sure my patients are aware of cancer related events in the local area. I’m speaking at this support group. This great guru is speaking at this support group. This support group is starting up. Relay for Life is this weekend. Have you signed up? Have you donated? etc etc.

At this point I’ve become a great community resource for my patients about an area of health that they are very interested in. I’m offering an added value to the services you provide in your office. They start learning how to subscribe to a newsletter or an RSS feed (offer both–I HATE giving out my email for newsletters but I love RSS).

My website grows not just from search engine traffic for people looking for a topic (although with a blog that specific it will), my main readership growth will be through word of mouth–from others who are reading. This type of organic traffic is infinitely more valuable in the long run because these are the people most likely to be most interested not only in what I write but the services I can provide (in their community).

New people may get referred to the website but as they learn that I have a professional and ethical site that is useful to them, they start considering me as their acupuncturist. Or they consider that I might be the acupuncturist they should take their Mom or their Dad too for support.

At this point, I don’t really need to worry about page rank etc. My content is providing a service to the people who need it. They’ll find me because people will talk about it.

Oh and M. Reynolds–My cat doesn’t understand LOLcats. She speaks better English than the current president. Which is why she is running for president…

LOLcats.