In the early 2000s, there was an explosion of blogs, but I never pictured myself as a blogger.  But that changed four years ago when I started a weekly blog to share my health IT experiences and insights with others.

It is a weekly discipline I’ve maintained ever since.

I love data. So, I look at the statistics on views per week and per post. I’ve published over 200 blog posts and have had close to 100,000 views.

Over the four years, the posts on lean are by far the most popular – 6 of the top 20 posts – including huddles, visual boards, Gemba walks, and use of an A3. The lean community shares content broadly and openly as they learn from one another. A very good practice! So, maybe I shouldn’t be surprised at the popularity of these posts.

I ask myself “what generates views”? Is it the opening tease and blog title that attracts readers? Is it the title or general topic that causes subscribers to read a blog when they get the email notification? Is it the re-publishing by other publications or links from other sites?

Despite all the analytical tools and articles available on how to increase blog subscribers and readers, it comes down to valuable content. Yes, the catchiness of the title and the use of keywords make a difference. I learned that decades ago writing headlines when I was editor of my high school newspaper. But back then the world of content was all paper; now you can search for anything online in seconds. We all know that on social media you must compete for “eyeballs.” Hence, the importance of keywords.

When I first considered starting a blog, I sought out an expert to give me advice. I called Anthony Guerra at HealthSystemCIO.com. Was it a crazy idea or should I go for it? He encouraged me early on and I’m truly grateful for that. It helped me go from considering blogging to actually being a blogger.

I’ve learned how important amplification is in the world of social media: tagging people, likes, comments, and shares. Then there’s “going viral” – nobody knows the secret formula to that.

I’m grateful that HealthITNews and HealthSystemCIO.com have republished many of my posts over the past four years. And from time to time FierceHealthIT turns the content of one of my posts into a short online article.

People often approach me at conferences and say they like my blog, or they follow me on Twitter, or as someone sheepishly said to me recently, they “creep” on me on social media. I love hearing that what I write is worth reading and having an impact on people. It motivates me to keep writing. That’s what it is all about – sharing content means sharing lessons and experiences to educate, inform and help others grow professionally.

In addition to lean, the top 20 posts as measured by views the past four years covered HIMSS Stage 7, career advice such as interviewing and work life balance, and personal topics which people appreciate from a leader because they are authentic.

I try to be a strong voice for women and girls with many posts addressing issues that professional women face – sharing my own experiences and lessons while encouraging others.

From time to time, I write blogs I consider more political. I approach them with caution. I try my best to connect a very timely political issue or current event to healthcare and technology. One of those posts landed in the top 20 – it was on marriage equality after the supreme court ruling.

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And if you are looking to add a new blog to your reading routine, check out our StarBridge Advisors blog, “View From the Bridge”, and consider subscribing to it. We publish every few weeks. Topics covered in the past year include cybersecurity, innovation, analytics, telehealth, ONC updates, and selective outsourcing.

See you online.