So, you want to kickstart your freelancing career in the dental industry. Congratulations on taking the steps to make it happen.
Understandably though, it can feel overwhelming if you’re new to writing for paying clients, especially when trying to take everything on board and simultaneously learning to be a dental freelance writer.
And, of course, you probably have a million and one questions. I know I did when I first started.
Hopefully, I’ll address most of your key concerns as I add blog posts to this site, but if there’s something pressing I haven’t already covered, feel free to drop me a line.
In the meantime, today we’re going to discuss one of the fundamental questions newbie content writers often ask – and that’s:
“What types of dental content should I focus on to start?”
In this post, we’ll quickly go through the various types of dental content, where you should concentrate your efforts, and why.
So if you’re ready, let’s go!
If you don’t already know, dental clients can ask writers to create many types of written content. This could be anything from website copy to social media posts to landing pages, treatment/procedural pages and clinical case studies.
However, there’s one type of content that I think you should focus your efforts on as a newbie dental content writer, and that’s blogs.
Here are five cool reasons why:
Reason #1 - Every dental business needs blogs
As a dental content creator, I get to see many dental websites. Unfortunately, I would say that 75% of them don’t have a current blog, or it isn’t kept up to date. Yet most dentists understand the benefits of regular blogging, like:
- Improved search visibility
- The ability to drive more website traffic
- The ability to convert traffic into leads
- Establishing authority and,
- Driving long-term results
However, many dental professionals understandably don’t have the time to blog regularly; alternatively, they started with all good intentions but ran out of steam.
So, you see, there’s already a dilemma that you can help them with.
The bottom line is that every dental clinic website needs blogs. Of course, they may not know it yet, and it’s our job to try and convince them otherwise.
One way to do this is to send them an introduction email, saying who you are, what you can do and how you can help.
If you’re unsure how to do this, don’t worry, I’ve got your back. Check out my post on how to send a cold pitch that gets clients.
In the meantime, know that every dental clinic, dental supplier and dental-related business needs a constant supply of blogs, and that’s where you come in!
Reason #2 – it’s regular work
The holy grail of content writing for freelancers (and the dental industry is no exception) is to have regular work, and that’s what blogging for clients is.
Regular gigs mean you don’t need to frantically scratch around for work when your client pipeline is drying up.
For blogging to succeed, it needs to be regular and consistent. So what does that mean for freelancers writing those blogs?
You get paid regularly!
Regular pay means you can better budget and plan your life rather than experiencing the highs and lows of one-off projects.
Look at it this way…
Let’s say you charge a client between $60.00 and $75.00 a blog post, and they have just one blog post per week. That’s $240 to $300 per month for one client.
Okay, so while that doesn’t sound like a lot of money, let’s say you have four clients needing regular blogs. That’s anywhere between $960 and $1200 per month.
Now, that may not be enough to live on (depending upon where you’re based) but also remember that writing four blogs per week for various dental clients is unlikely to take up all your time.
Of course, blogs need to be well-written, engaging and factually correct. But if you already understand the procedures, treatments and processes that occur, I would say it isn’t impossible to write a quality 800-1000 word blog post in 4-6 hours.
So, this could be a part-time gig until you land more clients – something you do on evenings and weekends.
#3 – Writing dental blogs is (relatively) easy
Once you’ve mastered the art of dental blog writing, the best way to gain confidence in your ability as a dental writer is to ease yourself in gently. If you know your subject matter, blogging for places like dental clinics is relatively straightforward.
Why?
Because, for the most part, you’re writing is aimed at Joe Public. Ultimately, you need to know more than a potential patient. Or, at least, understand enough to convey an air of knowledge and authority on the subject you’re writing about.
If you’ve been working in the dental industry or understand the latest dental treatments well, this shouldn’t be a problem. Also, the more dental blogs you write, the better (and quicker) you’ll get – simple!
#4 – Blogging leads to other opportunities
Regular gigs such as dental blogging mean regular client contact, allowing you to build a solid rapport with them over the long term. Provided you do a good job, offer excellent service and deliver when you say, you should build up a decent level of trust.
Over time, the client gets to see how well you write and your writing style and may even ask you to produce more content.
For example, I have one client who initially required just two blogs per month. Over time this increased to weekly content, and now, I also write content for her husband. He is also a clinician and gives me a lot of regular work. That’s work I haven’t had to go searching for.
The bottom line is that most dental clients don’t have the time to search for a constant stream of writers. They would much rather stick with someone they trust and work with them for the long term. Moreover, dentists naturally talk to other dentists, and it probably won’t be long before someone asks, “So, who writes all your content?”
Before you know it, boom! You’ve landed another client.
#5 Blogging is a relatively easy sell
When answering what types of dental content you should focus on, one point often forgotten is that blogging is a relatively easy sell to a potential client.
Look at it this way…
It’s far easier to say:
“Hey, I see you don’t have an up-to-date blog. Do you need help with that”
rather than trying to convince them why they need to hire a dental copywriter for a complete website rewrite.
Most clients feel more at ease taking a punt on a smaller project like blogging, whereas they may think twice before hiring you to rewrite their website.
But as stated in the last reason, blogging leads to other opportunities, so it’s a great place for newbie dental writers to start offering their services.
So there you have it. the types of dental content you should focus on to start and why.
Hopefully, this has given you a good base point to consider when commencing your dental writing business.
That said, there’s nothing to stop you from learning the dark arts of copywriting in the meantime. That way, you’ll have more ammunition in your arsenal to land more dental clients, but for now, if I had to begin again, offering dental blogging services is where I’d start.
If you like the content I provide, or if you have any further suggestions of topics you might like me to cover in future, leave a comment below.
Alternatively, if you’re still considering taking the plunge and becoming a dental writer, you can always start by downloading my free guide. It gives you all the necessary info, from getting started to landing your first, well-paying dental client.
Here’s to your success!
Dale
Business owner