It doesn't make any since to go through the process of attracting and informing your blog audience if you don't also consider how you'll retain them. It's just as important to the growth of your blog as retaining patients is to your practice. One of the best approaches is to make sure the content you deliver has value to the reader. Successful copywriters will stress that the headline is what draws them in but if you don't deliver on that fancy headline by providing valuable content, you won't have people stick around for long.

Since your blog will become the central hub for all of your online communications, a funnel approach to conversion should be established. You can accomplish a great deal toward this goal through auto-responder emails, RSS feeds and social media platforms like Twitter.

Energizing Your Audience

I'm reminded of a quote by a personal mentor that states, "Enthusiasm is the yeast that raises the dough. No enthusiasm, no dough!" In essence what he's saying is that if you aren't enthusiastic about what you do and provide for patients, then the money simply doesn't flow. Take time to evaluate yourself to determine if you truly are passionate and in love with what you do. If you are, then you will automatically provide over-the-top care and content for your patients. You have to energize your audience to want more and to participate in the conversation of what you offer. The most effective way to accomplish this is by providing content that solves problems for your prospects and patients.

Remember, it's not about you, it's about them. Once you figure out what they want and desire, you can energize them with content that's specifically targeted toward meeting those wants and desires.

Recruiting People

What does it mean to recruit people? Basically, it means to call them into action for the benefit of both themselves and you. Now, obviously, this won't happen unless you produce valuable content that meets the wants and desires of your prospects. When you accomplish this, you'll produce "raving fans" for your blog and business. What is a raving fan? As Ken Blanchard wrote in his best-selling book Raving Fans, "if you really want to 'own' the customer, if you want a booming business, you have to go beyond satisfied customers and create raving fans." Having raving fans means that you have achieved the kind of service excellence that turns a customer into a lifetime customer. A raving fan is an advocate of your products or services in the marketplace.

Responding to People

Last but certainly not least, you must respond to people. This is not only the essence behind Web 2.0 and its platforms, but is also what people expect from business owners and their customer service personnel. If you remember the Internet during the middle 1990s, you'll recall how web sites were basically online brochures. They had text, possibly an image or two and nothing more. There was no interaction between visitors and the creators of the sites outside of an occasional email. This all changed with Web 2.0 strategies. Blogging software opened a new era of communication by allowing the visitor to comment and communicate very easily with the creator of the content.

And, now with the emergence of additional Web 2.0 tools, the world of social media has erupted onto the scene. If you simply stand on the sidelines and ignore it, business and customers will pass you by. In order to be THE chiropractor within your community, you must respond and communicate with your prospects. Its the conversation that builds relationships, relationships that build trust and trust that converts prospects into loyal paying patients.

So, there you have it. The six essential reasons why you should blog. If you have any additional questions or comments, I'd love to hear back from you.

Dr. Patrick MacNamara is an Apple aficionado, blogger, chiropractor, Christ-follower, coffer lover, cyclist, husband, father, social media advocate, web designer, and WordPress consultant. He's the founder of Chiropractic Marketing Websites, www.chiropracticmarketingwebsites.com, blogs consistently over at www.nextgenerationchiropractor.com, and helps chiropractors put together Internet marketing strategies that are completely hands-free and automated.