CDC Prescribes Social Media

One would think, with all the regulation, legal and confidentiality issues in the medical field, public health entities would shun social media the way everyone else shuns ebola. The Center For Disease Control, however, has embraced the media and is using it like a stethoscope with blue tooth.

Their MDs, PHDs and MPHs have found social media to be a great way to get information out about health issues and train people all over the world. They have several programs currently running and are expanding their capabilities. As they say on their website:

Why use social marketing?

Social marketing can be thought of as a mindset used in planning and partnership development, or a structured and strategic planning process. It can be used to influence the behavior of individuals or the behavior of policymakers and influential persons for policy and environmental changes.

The structured planning process allows you to make well-informed decisions about what audiences to target, what are their specific needs, and how you can meet those needs. The development of programs or products to effectively change behavior can be accomplished by understanding your audience.

They not only use these methods but they prescribe it for other health organizations. The center’s website has several case studies for health organizations to learn from and apply.

Below, is also the start of a video about how the CDC is using social media for H1N1. Click for the full video. It’s the first emergency where social marketing is used as a health tool. It won’t be the last.

Online Dating For Businesses

As a business, if you’re looking to meet new people, might I suggest online dating. Like the dating sites, eHarmony, Match.com, YahooPersonals, social media can work as a page for consumers and clients to find out more about your personality than a normal corporate web page.

Singles search for mates, much like consumers and companies search for brands. They peruse the profiles. Who are these people? What is their personality like? If I go out with them, what do they have to offer: humor, an interesting background, taste, or intrigue. Most important, are they like me?

Look at Graco? Graco is a company that makes strollers, cribs and other baby and toddler supplies. It’s a category where new parents compare and contrast all the competitors, wanting the best for their kids. They started a blog to court these consumers. Blog.gracobaby.com gives parents not only information about being a good parent, but shows the caring personality of the brand. It worked like any good profile, people related to it and it instilled trust. From this they’ve received over 55,000 visitors, inspired 2,000 comments, tons of mom blogs talking about them, and online parties with over 150 people attending each time. Every comment, blog statements, and party statement has been positive.

Of course, online dating online has it’s pitfalls. I’ve heard the stories of the pictures from 10 years ago. There are not-so-slight exaggerations when it comes to height, weight, hair, etc. that have people screening their calls the next day. Brands can learn from this as well, if people find you’re not honest, they’ll never go out with you again... and they’ll tell all their friends.