From lightning cable to type-c : Using Social Media to Supercharge Public Health Campaigns
Yup. You heard me right. No more of that radio, TV, newspaper nonsense, we're upgrading to that latest iPhone which uses the type-c, fast charge cable. Just kidding, we're actually using social media to boost public health campaigns. Social media is a game-changer for public health campaigns, opening up new ways to reach people especially the chronically online ones.
Now JUST A DISCLAIMER : This essay is gonna sound a little similar to my previous posting but that's not because I'm running out of creative juices. No. I will always have them flowing. However, I'll have to admit that some of my points will be similar since we are using social media to boost something again.
Back to my previous point, health organizations and community groups can get their messages across faster and engage with more diverse groups via socmed. Great! That's like 2 stones and 1 bird! Or is it 2 birds and 1 stone... Plus, creative formats like memes and influencer posts make health topics feel more relatable and relevant. But and but, of course there is a but - using social media effectively required thoughtful strategies, especially when it comes to tackling misinformation and ensuring campaigns actually resonate with the people. We're gonna dive into how social media can be used for impactful public health campaigns, including tips on working with influencers, building supportive communities, making content that's creative and engaging, and all the other good stuff...
1.The Power of Influencers and Memes
I'M BRINGING THE MEMES BACKKKKKK!!!!! That's cause influencer and memes are gold when it comes to boosting the reach of health campaigns. Partnering with influencers who are able to align with a campaign's message can amplify its reach and make the information stick (Kostygina et al. 2020). Influencers have already build the trust and connection with their followers, which is great for public health message that people need to take seriously. For example, Demi Lovato is a known advocate for mental health awareness, and she isn't shy to share that with her 145 million followers on Instagram (Zizzo 2024). When Demi shares health tips or personal experiences, it often feels more authentic and relatable, which makes people more likely to listen and engage with the content (in the form of likes, comments, shares, reposts, etc.)
Now, we talk about the memes. There is absolutely nothing terrible about them (maybe I'm just being biased)- they're easy to share, they make complex health issues feel approachable with a touch of humor, they make the suicidal thoughts go away... however, it's a balancing act. Go too far with humor, the message might get lost. Kostygina et al. (2020) remind us that keeping a sense of authenticity and relatability is key. However, if it's done well, memes and influencer partnerships can spark real great conversations about health in a way that feels fresh and organic.
Now I'm just gonna share a couple memes that tickled my funny bone during the pandemic.
All credit goes to Baltimore City Health Department for their creativity, sarcasm and slander towards anti-vaxxers.
2. Get the Creative Juices Flowing to Boost Engagement
Social media thrives on creativity itself. An analogy that I would give would be trees fighting for sunlight in the rainforest. To stand out among the other trees (other social media accounts), you have to be a little different, a little more... creative. Public health campaigns can take advantage of that creativity by curating content that resonates emotionally with the audience. Ashley & Tuten (2015) highlight the importance of using a mix of content formats- think interactive polls, visually striking infographics, or even videos that people want to watch and share. One way health campaigns can stand out is using user-generated content. This can be done by encouraging people to share into their own health stories using a specially curated hashtag. This can create a real sense of community and make health info feel more intimate and personal. This will definitely help with the reach and it will build engagement that sticks around for a while. As Ashley & Tuten (2015) found, the more a post resonates with people. they more people will engage with it. The outcome will be a health message that makes an impactful difference on the audience.
3. The Group Chat is Texting for More Support
Having things digitalized definitely makes a lot of things easier. Health groups can also be created virtually via social media platforms, and these digital health communities can become a safe space for people to come together and support one another, exchange tips, and learn about health topics in a non-judgmental environment basically like a drug rehab group. Ba & Wang (2013) explained that these groups are able to fulfill needs such as emotional connection, shared understanding, which will help drive up some positive changes with time. Social media makes it easier for users of different backgrounds to join these communities, whether they're dealing with chronic illness, trying to live healthier or just wanting to learn more about health topics (just a side note : this is wonderful because my current obsession is brewing kombucha and I've actually joined kombucha brewing groups on Facebook just to learn more from the aunties). For public health campaigns, joining forces with established health communities or creating targeted groups can be super effective. For example, establishing a cancer recovery rehab group in conjunction with an NGO that supports cancer. Campaigns that understand the value of these spaces often see higher engagement since members are already motivated and looking for support. Ba & Wang (2013) also observed that digital health communities can give people a sense of belonging, which in turn, helps campaigns foster a more sustained interest in healthy behaviour.
4. Turn on Waze Cause It's Time to Navigate Through These Misinformation and Audience Gaps
This point, I have spoken about as well previously, but I am here to address it once more since it's kinda crucial. I think the most common misinformation spread online was during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic where aunties and uncles are spreading misinformation about various cures to covid (such as a certain health minister encouraging us to 'just drink hot water'). With information spreading like wildfire online, since it can be spread with just a couple clicks, it's just as easy for false health tips to reach the gullible users which may undermine public trust in reliable sources. According to Kanchan & Gaidhane (2023), campaigns should be transparent and back up their information with evidence or proven, legitimate, scientific research. Addressing misinformation head-on, maybe even in a Q&A format, can go a long way in building credibility. A great example would be the video posted by WIRED on YouTube, starring Dr. Ken Jeong. Dr. Ken would answer medical questions posted up by users on Twitter and he cleared a lot of health misunderstanding and myths through that simple video.
Aside from misinformation, there might be audience gaps at times as well. Campaigns need to understand their audiences to make sure their messages resonate. Ramanadhan et al. (2013) found that successful community-based organizations pay close attention to what their audiences care about and adjust the content accordingly. This is another great thing about social media- it's great for testing content, so if something isn't engaging people, you can quickly pivot and try a different approach. However, I understand that there are still those out there who have issued with access, not everyone has the digital literacy and tech access to engage with virtual campaigns equally. That's why, a great strategy would be working with the government or even non-profit organizations to help get the message out to those who aren't always online.
OKAY. We're kinda done here.
Social media has made it easier than ever to spread public health messages and connect with diverse audiences. Whether it's teaming up with influences, getting creative with content, or fostering supportive communities, there are a lot of great ways to use social media to it's full potential. However, it's important to still keep a close eye on challenges such as misinformation and make sure the campaigns are inclusive (CAUSE NO ONE GETS LEFT OUT). In the end, the most successful public health campaigns will be the ones that feel authentic, with solid information to back up, and it resonates with people they're trying to reach.
References
Kostygina, G., Tran, H., Binns, S., Szczypka, G., Emery, S., Vallone, D., & Hair, E, 2020, ‘Boosting Health Campaign Reach and Engagement Through Use of Social Media Influencers and Memes’. Social Media + Society, vol. 6 no. 2, viewed 9 November 2024, < https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305120912475 >.
Ashley, C & Tuten, T 2015, ‘Creative strategies in social media marketing: An exploratory study of branded social content and consumer engagement’, Psychology & Marketing, vol. 32 no. 1, pp. 15–27, viewed 9 November 2024, <https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.20761>.
Ba, S. and Wang, L 2013, ‘Digital health communities: The effect of their motivation mechanisms’, Decision Support Systems, vol. 55 no. 4, pp.941-947, viewed 9 November 2024, <https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dss.2013.01.003>.
Kanchan, S. and Gaidhane, A 2023, ‘Social Media Role and Its Impact on Public Health: A Narrative Review’, Cureus, vol. 15 no.1, viewed 9 November 2024, <https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.33737?>. Ramanadhan, S., Mendez, S.R., Rao, M. & Viswanath, K 2013, ‘Social media use by community-based organizations conducting health promotion: a content analysis’, BMC public health, vol. 13 no. 1, pp.1-10, viewed 17 November 2023, <https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-13-112
Zizzo, M. (2024). 10 Celebrity Advocates Raising Mental Health Awareness - Stigma Free Mental Health Society. [online] Stigma Free Mental Health. Available at: https://stigmafreementalhealth.com/blog/10-celebrity-advocates-raising-mental-health-awareness/.