Health is one of the most popular blog niches of all time, and it’s not one that’s likely to slow down anytime soon. People are always looking for the best information to stay healthy and fit, both physically and mentally. Of course, with the popularity of the category comes a lot of competition, something the health blog niche is known for.
Making your health blog stand out in a sea of similar blogs and content is challenging, but you can get your new blog off to a good start by setting it up for success from the very beginning.
How to Start a Health Blog
The following tips can guide your blog planning before you open up your virtual doors and unleash your website to the world. Check out our beginner’s guide to starting a blog. Then, follow these health niche blogging tips:
1. Define Your Niche
Health is a broad category that won’t appeal to many with its generality. When web users search for health information, they usually search for something specific, like weight loss diets or children’s behavioral health. The health industry is one of the most crucial for you to choose a niche in to target your ideal audience and position yourself as an expert in your topic.
A few ideas for health niches include:
- Spiritual wellness
- Mental health
- Anti-aging
- Skincare
- Women’s nutrition
- Digestive health
- Supplements
- Relationship or sexual health
- Vegetarian or vegan lifestyle
- Substance abuse recovery
2. Take Time to Plan Content
Because the health niche is so competitive, developing a content plan is a must. Your keywords should have medium to high search volume with low competition. You’ll likely need to target precise keywords in your niche to make that happen.
The best way to organize your content and keyword ideas is with the use of a content calendar, which you can make with a spreadsheet or any number of content planning or project management tools. Outline your keywords, header ideas, and a tentative title. You might also want to link to a few stand-out published pieces that you’d like to compete with.
3. Gather the Necessary Tools
Make sure your blog is 100% ready to go before you start publishing. Your plugins, email list pop-ups, and design should be in place before you start getting visitors. Don’t forget share buttons and social media follow buttons to help you generate followers and blog visitors, and be sure to set up Google Analytics to help you track your blog traffic.
As a health blogger, you may also want to consider purchasing a few journal subscriptions for conducting research. It’s especially crucial in the health industry to back up the information you reference with research.
4. Be Active on Social Media
Not only can your social media profiles act as platforms for promoting your blog and content, but they can also be excellent curation tools for planning content. Stay active, and follow and connect with other health industry leaders to keep growing your channels and blog.
5. Think Outside the Blog Box
You don’t want your health blog to be like all the rest, or it’s bound to get lost in the mix. Instead, think a little bit outside the box of the typical blog.
One of the best things you can do to grow your audience is to include lead magnets that generate excitement and encourages visitors to sign up for your email list in exchange for a valuable tool or resource. For a health blog, this can be something like a digital clean eating cookbook or a free guide to HIIT exercises. Make lead magnets specific to your niche and each blog post rather than adding generalized pop-ups to your main page.
You might also branch out into video creation, book writing, and other paths that you can take alongside your blog to reach a broader audience.
6. Grow Your Network of Experts
Even though your blog is yours, it takes a network of people to make your blog grow. From the people who share your content to those who link to your content from their sites, you’re all connected in a web of other health enthusiasts who help each other.
Growing your network as you build your blog is a must. It’ll come in handy when you’re looking for quality backlinks, guest blog opportunities, and interviews with experts to add credibility to your health blog posts. LinkedIn is an excellent place to connect with experts and other professionals in the health industry. You can also link up in Facebook Groups or on your primary social media channels.
Automate Your Health Blog’s Growth
Setting some parts of your blog’s growth on autopilot lets you spend more time focusing on your content. Place our easy-to-install share buttons on your website with a single code, encouraging your fans to share the content they love. Need help tracking your content’s popularity and blog traffic? Try the Google Analytics Dashboard to see how your site performs!
