Health Literacy and Communication for Health Professionals
Transferring Information: Using the Best Channels 7.3
Using Social Media
It is important to understand the demographics for each platform when building a message. The
following graphic shares social media tactics and the best tools for the job.
Social Media Benefits:
·ð Listening and learning. Your audience can listen and learn from your message just as you can listen and
learn from their reaction to your message.
·ð Building relationships with your social network, community and other people are not only important but
help spread your message
·ð Build an awareness of issue(s)
·ð Improving the reputation of an organization
·ð Motivates content generation by supporters
·ð Increasing relevant visitor traffic to your pages that ultimately generate higher page rankings
·ð Increasing perceptions of social norms
·ð Social support to people, communities, etc.
·ð Taking action that may lead to behavior change.
Measuring Social Media Messages Impact
When measuring your impact, ask yourself these questions:
1. What metrics will you use to track your objectives? How often will you track?
2. What systems and tools will you set up to track those metrics?
3. What qualitative data can you collect to help generate insights?
Six steps with you to help you get you started:
Step 1: Define the goal
Step 2: Understand the audience
Step 3: Define the benchmark
Step 4: Define the metrics
Step 5: Pick a tool (one that measures relationships, not how loud you shout)
Step 6: Insight & action (analyze your data)
There are also some tools to help you along the way to measure the following areas:
·ð Content analysis: messaging; positioning
·ð Survey research: awareness; perceptions
·ð Web analytics: engagement; action
The CDC has a  Social Media for Public Health" series of that consists of six webcasts and is available from the
National Prevention Information network (NPIN).
(http://www.cdc.gov/socialmedia/tools/guidelines/socialmediatoolkit.html)
The six webcast titles are:
·ð Twitter
·ð LinkedIn & Slideshare
·ð Gaming & Mobile
·ð Facebook & Image Sharing
·ð Google & YouTube
·ð Measurement & Evaluation