Social Media for Health Communications Channels, Challenges and Celebrations Federal Training Center Collaboration Annual Meeting 2012

Diane Brodalski Social Media Team Lead

Social Media Definition Internet-based tools for sharing and discussing information. Refers to activities that integrate technology and social interaction.

Social Media Quick Facts More than 350 million active Facebook users access through their mobile device. Source: Facebook, 12/2011 Social media accounts for one out of every six minutes spent online in US. Source: comScore,7/ % of Twitter’s users produce at least 80% of the site’s content. Source: Problogger, 7/ % of cell phone users in the US utilize the device to look for health information. Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project, 5/2011

Complements and strengthens traditional CDC health communication Increases direct user engagement to maintain and increase trust and credibility between CDC and its audiences and stakeholders Gives CDC the ability to share health information in new spaces Provides opportunity for CDC to reach new audiences Allows CDC to listen to its audiences Allows for rapid and emergency communication Translates research and policy into actionable plain language Importance of Social Media at CDC

Influence of the internet to change people’s relationships Significant source of health information –Online sources –Advice from peers Driving online health conversations –Availability of social media tools –Increased desire for those living with chronic conditions to connect Social Life of Health Information Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project, The Social Life of Health Information, 2011, Accessed May 31,

Social Media Tools Overview

Social Media Continuum Source: CDC. The Health Communicator's Social Media Toolkit. August 2010

Social Media Toolkit ( released July 2011) Introduction –Overview –CDC’s Top Lessons Learned Social media tools –Overview of a variety of tools Buttons, widgets, online video, podcasts, social networks Social Media Campaign Example Vital Signs Resources and Worksheets Found at cdc.gov

Buttons Buttons - Graphics embedded in websites, blogs and social networking sites –Include a call-to-action message and a link for more information –Ability to share health information about campaigns and causes, increase awareness about health topics and show support for a cause –HTML code copied

Widgets An application that displays the featured content directly on your web page. Content can be embedded on personalized home pages, blogs, and other sites. No technical maintenance is required. CDC.gov updates the content automatically.

CDC Widgets CDC’s complete gallery of widgets can be founds at cdc.gov/widgets

Online video Used by partners to share tailored health communication messages Most popular online video sites are YouTube, MSN and Yahoo

Blogs A blog is a regularly updated online journal Readership varies – some target a small audience, others may have national readership comparable to national newspapers. Allows readers to leave comments and engage in conversation.

Reasons to Blog To share content in a way that allows readers to leave comments and engage in discussion. To discuss a topic that may be too complex for a tweet or Facebook post. To give your topic or program a more personal and engaging presence than a website allows.

Twitter A real-time information network Twitter users send updates, or “tweets,” that are 140 characters or less in length, and can follow other users’ posts.

Why Use Twitter? Immediate communication Reaches engaged user networks Fosters collaboration and partnership building Expand research on the health impact of social media Twitter Guidelines and Best Practices: guidelines/pdf/twitterguidelines.pdf

Twitter Trends Expanded use – beyond simple message posting Twitter Chat – Often includes Q & A sessions Twitterview – Interview with short-form responses Twitter Town Hall – Followers submit questions on a specific topic Live Tweeting – Tweeting live from an event, often utilized for conferences

Recommendations Establish a posting schedule Post frequently Link back to resources for additional information Promote your profile on both traditional and social media Post (retweet) relevant content Evaluate Track click-throughs Analyze influence

Social Networking Sites Online communities where people can interact with friends, family, coworkers, acquaintances and others with similar interests. Most sites provide multiple ways for their users to interact such as chat, , video, voice chat, file- sharing, blogging, and discussion groups.

Source: Source: Facebook 845 million monthly active users Largest website in the US User audience: 57% female, 43% male One in every five page views online occurs on Facebook Average visit to Facebook is 20 minutes Visit share by age group has evened out

Social Network Trends Facebook and Linkedin most popular Growth trends – increase in social networking among users over 35 92% of social network participants use Facebook US Facebook users total million 35% of Facebook users have a college or advanced degree Significant increase of sites via mobile devices Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project, Social Networking Sites and our Lives, 2011, Accessed May 31,

CDC Facebook Page 194,000+ Fans since launch May 1, ,000+ Fans since launch May 1, 2009

Recommendations Allocate resources Develop an posting calendar Link back to resources for additional information Promote your page on both traditional and social media Create content worth sharing Develop a comment policy Resources Facebook Guidelines and Best Practices

What is mHealth? mHealth or mobile health is the use of mobile technologies – mobile phones, text messaging services, or applications – to support public health and medicine. Personal and portable

Significance of Mobile Unique Characteristics –Simplicity – suitable for regularly scheduled events with a minimum number of steps/clicks –Immediacy – instantly delivers content to users –Context – Delivering services relevant to a user’s location Mobile usage is on the rise — 93% of the American population have mobile devices — 35% of American own a smart phone Significant increase of sites being accessed via a mobile device Source: CTIA Wireless Association. Wireless Quick Facts. CTIA. [Online] October [Cited: January 2011.] Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project. Smartphone Adoption and Usage. [Online] July 11, 2011: [Cited: October 2011]

Challenges Establishing goals and strategy –Social media is part of a larger integrated communications plan Identifying a Social Media Champion in your organization –Leadership buy in –Approval Justification –Provide examples of similar organizations utilizing social media Security Issues

Challenges Content creation –Writing for social media is different than traditional audience –Consider clearance procedures Embracing and understanding social media’s open platform –The nature of an open platform –Allow for healthy debate –Monitoring is essential –Comment policy

Celebrations: Integrated Social Media: Flu Extensive message promotion –Twitter 165,578 followers), Facebook, YouTube, m.cdc.gov, text messaging updates through CDCgov and CDCFlu Interactive tools — Pledge, IQ Quiz CDC flu app challenge Spanish channels created Flu social media evaluation

Celebrations: Expanding Reach: Vital Signs Vital Signs: — Total social media reach Jan – Dec 2011: 12.3 million Full range of social media products — Facebook posts — Tweets — Buttons, badges, widgets, eCards, YouTube videos, podcasts — Digital press release — Social and traditional media monitoring and web analytics

Celebrations: Leveraging Timely Events: Contagion Over 30 Facebook and Twitter posts Leveraged video blogs on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter Promoted blogs and website Hosted 3 Twitter chats: –350 participants –Over 87 questions answered –Gained 615 new followers –Partner participation by APHA, State Health Departments, Dr. Besser and ShareCare. On September 16, Dr. Jenni McQuiston, Cathy Young, and the OADC social media team held a live Twitter chat on how CDC investigates deadly diseases and protects against their spread.

Developing a Social Media Communications Strategy

Social Media Communications Strategy Step-by-step template for strategy development

Before you get started: Listen Listen to your audience and do the following key activities: Monitor social media channels Identify opinion leaders Determine knowledge gaps, “hot topics,” and any misconceptions that could be addressed in your communication Become familiar with how messages are constructed for the medium

Social Media Communications Strategy Key Points Define the target audience(s) Define the target audience(s) you want to reach. Be specific as possible. Determine objectives that are: Specific Measurable Attainable/Achievable Relevant/Realistic Time-bound

Social Media Communications Strategy Message development –Consider objectives, audience and audience communication needs –Pretest if possible Resource needs –Staffing, budget and time requirements

Social Media Communications Strategy Identify social media tools and channels –Determine what tools will effectively reach your target audience. –Match the needs of the target audience with the tools that best support your objectives and resources.

Social Media Communications Strategy Define audience communication needs: –People access information in various ways, at different times of the day, for different reasons. How does your audience use social media? –Resources: Pew Internet and American Life Project HubSpot comScore Goal Integration –How do your objectives support your organization’s mission and /or overall communications plan?

Social Media Communications Strategy Identify key partners –Identify key partners to promote and support your social media efforts –Identify new potential partners Define measures of success and develop evaluation plan – Develop plan before you implement – Identify measures of success

CDC Resources: Health Communicator’s Social Media Toolkit Available on CDC website : olsTemplates/SocialMediaToolkit_BM.pdf olsTemplates/SocialMediaToolkit_BM.pdf Provides guidance and lessons learned. Contents include information on developing communication objectives, overview of social media tools, resource section, and campaign examples.

CDC Resources Gateway to Health Communication and Social Marketing Contains information from CDC and other public and private resources to help you build social marketing or health communication campaign or programs.

CDC Social Media Guidelines

Diane