I just met with our interactive agency to review last month's web stats. We are lucky to receive extremely detailed reports every month, complete with charts, graphs, and even the eye-color of our visitors.

Each month, I try to come up with engaging topics to attract consumers to our hospital's blogs and websites. For example:

Tips for heart-healthy eating
What should you do if you suspect you're having a stroke?
How to survive a lightning strike

But guess what article last month broke all previously held blog-view records?

The Duck Rescue Mission.

This was a story about ducklings that hatched in our enclosed healing garden and their subsequent rescue in a cardboard box by one of our environmental services employees. We included a few pictures of our Marketing Specialist holding one of the saccharine-sweet critters. The Duck Rescue Mission also was our highest scoring e-blast article (by 460+ clicks) and our third best performing tweet.

So, maybe when it comes to what articles might play well on your hospital's blogs and social media sites, you should consider softer territory than aneurysms and orthopedics. We think a blog about babies laughing uncontrollably on your DaVinci robot might fare much, much better.