Social media present one of the latest set of opportunities for marketing and communications programs for health promotion and social change. Since I first talked about blending these approaches at the Social Marketing in Public Health Conference, I have been invited by colleagues at several universities and agencies to reprise elements of it. The presentation (pdf file) has been posted at the conference site along with a number of other highlights from the meeting.
My intention is to present an introduction/overview of Web 2.0, social media and social marketing. Two key goals are to (1) create interest and enthusiasm for trying out new technologies that focus on social networks and not individuals, and (2) encourage adoption of some of these technologies in your professional life.
Some of the key points in the presentation are:
- The often neglected social nature of many health behaviors we focus on in public health interventions.
- How new technologies and software are making social networks more tangible both in terms of interacting with them and measuring results.
- Principles of marketing, such as segmentation, still operate in this new world.
- Audience generated content and engagement is a reality for developing public health programs in this new environment. [Note: this subject is the one that generates the most concern among my audiences.]
- Many people are approaching the new media with the cookie cutters they used before; this needs to change to realize the power of social media to facilitate a multi-directional communication and influence process.
There are also four quotes in the presentation that make up the takeaway:
Web 2.0 sites are not online places to visit so much as services to get something done -- usually with other people – Business Week
The Social Web empowers people's ability to engage in self-expression and communicate and share information with whomever they choose – Tech Crunch
Social technologies succeed when they fit into the social lives and practices of those who engage with the technology – Danah Boyd
It’s not about using new technologies; it’s about new ways to use technology – Craig Lefebvre
Consider this my first take on the new world of social marketing, social networks and social media. I'll be picking up on several of these themes, and some newer ones, over the next few weeks, including at the National Health Promotion Conference in Atlanta next month. What will you be doing in the new world?
technorati tags: Behavior_Change, Health_Communications, Health_Promotion, Public_Health, Social_Media, Social_Marketing, Social_Networks
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