Social MediaThe Promise for Public Health

Dramatic Change1995

Hype alert: Why cyberspace isn’t, and will never be, nirvana

By Clifford Stoll | NEWSWEEK ... Visionaries see a future of telecommuting workers, interactive libraries and multimedia classrooms. They speak of electronic town meetings and virtual communities. Commerce and business will shift from offices and malls to networks and modems. And the freedom of digital networks will make government more democratic.

“Baloney. Do our computer pundits lack all common sense? The truth in no online database will replace your daily newspaper, no CD-ROM can take the place of a competent teacher and no computer network will change the way government works.”

What is Social Media?

Facebook: Still growing

• 750 million users• 50% log on every day• Avg. user: 130 friends• 700 billion minutes

spent on FB every month

• Woman 55+ fastest growing demo

Sharing Doubles Every Year

YouTube: Ready for Its Close-up

• More content in 60 days than 60 years of TV

• Almost 500 million users

• Avg. user 15-25 minutes per day

• 2nd most search site after Google

First Video on YouTube

Keeping it Short & Simple

• 5 years old • 140 characters• 200 million tweets/day• 10% users follow more

than 50 people• 1.5 million accounts

follow more than 500Source: @chartoftheday

First Tweet Ever

What does it all mean?

Innovation and disruptive change isn’t easy, but it’s usually worth it.

The 7 P’s of Getting Social Media Right

1. Peruse

• Listening is key– Google Alerts, Google

Blogs, Twitter search• Are people mentioning

you?• What are they saying?

(+/-/=)• Are they talking about

your issues?

2. Participate

3. People

4. Policy

5. Plant your flag

• What will be your digital outposts?• You don’t have to be everywhere• Do what works for you, but…• Stay committed to where you are

6. Plan for Content

• Editorial Calendar • Make it rich• Make it relevant• “Reimagine” your

content• Enable sharing

7. Promote

What are the challenges & risks?

@Redcross Account: “Ryan found two more 4 bottle packs of Dogfish Head’s Midas Touch beer…when we drink we

do it right #gettngslizzerd.”

What are some of the rewards

• Get Info out faster• Unfiltered message• Community building• Direct communication• Increases Trust• Leverage Word of Mouth• Positioning• Traditional Media

Amplifier

Why is it important for Public Health?

Thank you.Tom Lyons

tlyons1@gmail.com508-433-0006

www.thedigitalpitch.comTwitter: @thlyons

LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/thlyons