What comes to mind at the thought of a clinic that specializes in cosmetic procedures for the hair and skin? If you are like most people, your perception may include imagery and information that is very technical, dry and clinical, and not very interesting or worthy of social discussion. But, through a different perspective, topics and content on hair and skin can be made interesting and highly relevant to the average person.
Content That Engages - Wanted By Humans and Search Engines
In a previous entry regarding the importance of on-site SEO, I discuss the importance of content creation that captivates and engages the reader. One metric that Google's algorithms (e.g. Rank Brain) pay close attention to is dwell time, or the time spent by users on the site. This serves as an indication of how interested they are in the contents of the website. And it is also a rough signal for how in-demand a content piece is.
Although Dr.U often comes up with his own requested topics, I also made efforts to help establish the clinic's brand as a leading voice on areas having to do with hair and skin. I worked to formulate highly original concepts for content deliverables, particularly those which appeal to broader interests as well as socially relevant and trending areas of conversation.
Within my own writing process, I invest in preliminary processes that set the stage for better ideation and the the development of interesting, thought provoking concepts. My end goal is to offer value to the reader, along their learning journey as they look for the answers to the questions on their mind.
Besides research and the consolidation of thoughts and ideas, writing is also about teaching. It is important to enjoy the process of teaching and imparting knowledge in ways that are interesting, enlightening and connected to real world situations.
A Note on word count and long-form content - Consider the Concepts and Ideas, Different Formats Can Always Be Accommodated
The writing samples described below have been created as long-form articles, which have been shown to offer a wide range of SEO benefits. However, I am aware that this format may not be preferable to all company brands.
This entry has also been written, not just to showcase my ability to write long articles, but rather to illustrate the conception of unique concepts, thoughts to develop content that is relevant and of high interest to today's consumers.
Aside from long-form content, I am able to repurpose and develop concepts to accommodate other formats for online presentation (e.g. general video/podcast scripts and planning, e-newsletters, social media posts, ebooks, whitepapers etc.)
Here are top three examples that I would like to highlight.
Blog Post: The Growing Importance of Hair Sunscreen for Healthier, Shinier Tresses
Dry, frizzy hair is a common problem that men and women eagerly seek solutions for. Just about every adult is aware that as children, our hair was soft and shiny. And as we became older, our hair became stiff, dull and dry to the touch.
Many people are unaware that a major culprit is sun damage. The core of each hair strand contains water. UV rays from the sun denature the protein structure of our hair, leading to the loss of moisture. This is one of the main reasons why our hair becomes drier and frizzier as we age.
I felt that this was a very important topic to shed light on. This blog post also discusses a product that most people are unaware of, which is hair sunscreen. It formulated to protect the hair without the heavy, greasy consistency of sunscreen for the skin.
Process: Flow, Structure and Presentation of Ideas
The structure of this content post was designed to educate readers through a logical, easy-to-follow presentation of facts and information.
Why are hair sunscreens something we need to be paying attention to?
What experts and influencers are recommending the use of hair sunscreens?
How does the sun cause damage to the hair, contributing to the problems of dryness and frizziness?
What other forms of hair damage are caused by the sun?
What are the ingredients we need to look for in an effective hair sunscreen product?
What are some examples of natural, plant-based ingredients which also offer sun protection for the hair?
Each of these points can also be repurposed and developed into additional content assets for social media, videos, podcasts and other formats.
This post, entitled, The Growing Importance of Hair Sunscreen for Healthier, Shinier Tresses, along with other writing samples can be accessed here.
Blog Post: Trendy Beauty Supplements - Do They Actually Improve Your Skin and Hair?
A new type of vitamin supplement is being embraced by millenial-aged consumers. Unlike Centrum and other types of supplements found as over-the-counter products at pharmacies and major chains like Target, Walgreens, Rite Aide etc, there is now the designer beauty supplement.
There is nothing special or spectacular about the ingredients. What has fueled the demand for this type of product is:
the packaging
the overall the look and feel
a stronger focus on the concept of natural.
Despite their popularity and social media hype, should we actually be taking beauty supplements to improve our hair and skin?
Before writing this post, I conducted research from various sources on this general question and what medical experts actually recommend.
Process: Flow, Structure and Presentation of Ideas
I then decided to develop the flow and presentation of facts, insights and information to guide the reader from the point of their basic questions to understanding the truth behind beauty supplements in order adopt a more informed and useful perspective for making better decisions.
The problem we all face when it comes to taking our vitamins - It is something we know we should do. But it is not something we enjoy and look forward to doing.
Understanding the visual and branding appeal of designer vitamins which drives consumer purchases (i.e. colorful, candy-coated, pretty look-and-feel, magical and imaginative branding names like Moon Juice and Beauty Dust)
Reality- What are the actual facts behind the effectiveness of beauty supplements?
The common misconceptions about how vitamins and supplements actually help the hair and skin. Why this matters for having realistic expectations.
What factors actually do contribute to youthful, healthier skin?
Do collagen supplements actually help your skin look younger?
What about the hair? Do trendy hair vitamins result in longer, thicker, shinier hair?
How Biotin, a common ingredient found in hair supplements really works?
The dangers of excessive Biotin and the risks of incomplete testing by designer vitamin brands
The truth about hair loss and hair growth
A realistic perspective for considering the purchase of a designer beauty supplement
As noted earlier, each of these points can also be repurposed and developed into additional forms of content for social media, videos, podcasts and even other blog posts.
Access the blog post, Trendy Beauty Supplements, Do They Really Improve Your Hair and Skin, here.
Blog Post: Is Hair Loss Caused By Genes or the Environment? A Look At Studies on Identical Twins
These days, it seems that hair loss is affecting a greater number of younger men and women, compared to previous generations. Many of these individuals report that what they are experiencing did not happen to their parents or grandparents etc. until their later years.
A natural question that arises is whether or not hair loss is caused by a person's genetics, the environment or a combination of both? Answers are starting to reveal themselves through studies on genetically identical twins.
Due to the fact that so many people online are fretting and worrying about their hair loss, I felt that presenting truthful information, supported by science would be immensely important for helping these individuals. As the case with the other two posts discussed above, the answers to questions on the minds of real people would affect consumer behavior.
Instead of rushing to purchase a product which claims to solve hair loss problems, individuals need to be aware that there is a genetic component to this issue which can be influenced to some degree by the environment? So the next question to ask is which factors (aside from genetics) are contributors to (pattern) hair loss?
Process: Flow, Structure and Presentation of Ideas
I first learned about the studies and gathered the key facts that I thought would be necessary for constructing this blog post.
Next I determined a logical sequence for the presentation of information that is best aligned with the naturally occurring thought processes of general readers.
In some people, hair loss is clearly evident through family histories. In other cases, it sees to stem from environmental factors like stress. So does pattern/common hair loss result from genetics or other types of factors that we can control?
How studies on identical twins can help answer the question of nature versus nurture when it comes to hair loss?
A summary of the research led by Bahman Guyuron MD on identical twins and hair loss in men and women
What do identical twin studies reveal about environmental/ health factors (not genetics) as they pertain to hair loss in men?
Which non-genetic factors contribute to hair loss in women, according to studies on identical twins?
What about hair loss and stress? Is it a pure myth that stress can actually lead to hair loss? Or is there some truth behind it?
Can hair loss ultimately be controlled?
Each of these items can be developed further into additional content formats, as pointed out in earlier sections of this entry.
Access the post, Genes Versus the Environment, A Look At Identical Twins and Hair Loss, here.
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