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Let’s be serious, as a healthcare professional, you have a million things to do other than start a blog. Heck, you can barely grab time for lunch every day, let alone write articles in your non-existent free time. As an occupational therapist, I completely understand. I stumbled into the blogging world because of a product I invented called The Sleep Sleeve. I figured that I would need a website for the product and I didn’t want that website to be empty. I started writing one post, then two, then three, and found some surprising benefits. Not only did I enjoy blogging, it helped me professionally in ways I couldn’t have imagined. Let’s dive into some reasons why. 1) You can offer clients GREAT resources You’re working with a client and there’s some homework you want them to do before your next section. Turning to your stack of papers, you pull out an article that isn’t perfect, but is the best you could find on the topic. In the few minutes you have left, you try to tell your client about which parts of the article to pay attention to and which to ignore.Wouldn’t it be great if there was an article that said exactly what you wanted it to say?Well, welcome to the glory of blogging. By starting a blog, you can create the resources that your clients need to continue their treatment at home. Instead of carrying around stacks of worksheets and lists of web addresses, you can direct your clients directly to your site. And, we all know how frustrating it can be when your clients decide to fall in a wormhole of research and come to you with treatment ideas that seem like they were created on another planet. When you offer your own resources through your blog, you can better control and monitor where your clients are getting information.You already have a great thing going with your healthcare work. Expand the ecosystem by starting a blog that gives your clients resources even when they aren’t in your clinic. I started my blogging career with Bluehost and it was the perfect place for me as a beginner. I definitely suggest checking them out.While it will feel like a slog to write each post at first, overtime, you’ll have written a nice digital library full of content. The great thing about a blog is that you do the work once and it serves you forever. Now, this is not to undermine the effort it take to maintain a blog. Blogging is definitely a lot of work. But, a well written blog post can live on for as long as you want it to. 2) You’ll sound impressive in job interviews Maybe you love your job and never plan to leave it. Or, maybe you know you’ll need a change in the next few years or months (maybe now?). Having a blog can be a great way to get ready to prepare for a job jump in the healthcare industry.Just wait until you’re in a job interview and say that one of your blog posts is read by thousands of parents across the world each month because it ranks on the first page of Google. That’s pretty neat. So, after you talk about your thousands of monthly page views, you pull out a story from a client that emailed you about how much your blog has helped them. Slam, Dunk.Let’s face it. These days, it’s important to go above and beyond as a way to stand out in the workplace. Even in healthcare where the hours are crazy, there’s still an expectation to be the best of the best. A blog is an amazing way to sit in your pajamas on a Saturday morning and meet this above and beyond criteria.When job recruiters Google your name (we all know they do), they’ll see a “digital portfolio” of your nursing, therapy, medical, etc. expertise they can actually interact with. This is much better than performing a workshop once with no proof aside from a quick sentence about it on your resume. Are you worried that you didn’t answer the interview questions perfectly? Were there skills you wish you had time to talk about, but didn’t? Well, when your interviewer inevitably Googles your name, they’ll find your blog and your wealth of knowledge. This is a leg up over other candidates if I ever heard of one. Imagine that you have 50 blog posts on your blog displaying your expertise, while your competitor has none. I bet we can figure out who will get the job! 3) Adds an Extra Income Stream The great part about starting a niche healthcare blog is having the opportunity to monetize your efforts. If you're taking the time to write and share your valuable knowledge on the internet, you should be able to be paid for your time.Some popular methods of monetizing blogs are:SponsorshipsAffiliate programsGoogle adsIn addition, if your blog gains enough traffic, you can create partnerships with brands to have them pay you a monthly fee for having a banner posted in your sidebar. There are many different ways to add extra streams of income with side hustles while working in the healthcare industry. Many of the methods start with a blog! 4) You’ll get connected Even if you have a great network of coworkers and mentors at your current clinic, hospital, or private practice, it’s impossible to have the reach that the internet provides. Through my blog, I have met other occupational therapists in Canada, Europe, and all across the United States.The network you create once you start a blog will amaze you. While you’ll connect with a lot of other healthcare practitioners, you’ll make other types of connections as well. Due to my blog, I’ve connected with writers from Bustle and Real Simple, collaborated with other organizations doing important work surrounding disability, and chatted with every day people who enjoy my work. Building a digital network outside of your proper workplace can help you grow as a professional and stay on top of what’s happening in the healthcare world. Whether you have a new project you want to collaborate with someone on, or a new job you hope to land, having a large digital network can benefit you in many ways. It’s also fun.When you work in medicine and healthcare, it’s hard to find extra time to write blog posts. But, it can have a big impact on your reach as a professional and on your career overall. If you’re looking for a great hosting partner as a first time blogger, check out Bluehost. I used them when I first started blogging and was glad that I did. Their platform is easy to use and their customer service is great. They never laughed at all of my newbie questions!

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