Using social media as a tool in community outreach for public health initiatives
Raise your hand if you have a Facebook, Twitter, StumbleUpon, or some other social profile. According to the CDC, nearly have of all adults have used a social media site in 2010. So, in honor of these sites and February’s international Social Media Week I want to look at how social media can be used as a tool in advancing community initiatives and international development.
“#”, “@”, stumbling, hangouts, pinning it, tumblr, and blogging are just a few of the ways that social media is being used. During the week of February 19th to February 21st, companies and organizations from around the world joined in the discussion about new social media, new technologies, and how this can foster international development. Three of the biggest factors as to why social media is used for dispersing information are the number of people using it, less monetary obligation, and the ease of using sites.
Whether people in Ghana are visiting Facebook at an internet café or students in Los Angeles are exploring a new HIV/AIDS prevention program online, people are using the internet and social media more and more. The conversations are able to connect people from around the world to talk about topics and solutions to problems.[1]
As more people are online connecting one has to wonder why there is a switch from television, telephones, and emails not only in people, but also in how government and independent organizations interact with their audiences. Television is expensive for the consumer and the organization that is trying to disperse information. Telephones are also expensive and time consuming as a method of outreach, though it is more widely distributed. Emails are still widely used and they are inexpensive, however, often times organizations do not have access to their intended audiences emails. Social media on the other hand has an unusually low invest with a rather high rate of return, assuming the organization’s efforts are efficient and interesting. Using social media allows profiles and relevant findings to be posted to various sites where interest can be used as a tool in refining content for the audience The term “social data” refers to the amount of people and activity that organizations are harnessing from these various social media sites.[2] Organizations are then able to use this data to analyze their audiences’ interests. There are now sites that can allow organizations to use this data and make meaningful analysis of how successful their outreach is.[2]
Limits to using social media include the need for internet access for both the organization and the audience. Though the internet it not used everywhere yet, there is access to it in most, if not all, countries around the world. Another solution could be to create tools that can be downloaded from internet sites and then used in areas that do not have internet access. In addition, often times in developing countries much of the audience will be male young adult. This can narrow the scope of the organization’s outreach. One way to address this problem is to create information that can be used in family life. An even bigger concern is that since some countries have strict censorship laws this may be an obstacle in the way of accomplishing outreach programs.
Social media is not only cheap to use, but it is simple to set up and use. Type in the organization’s name and email, chose a password and the organization has a profile. While most people and organization must spend more time adding more content to their profile, the first steps are simple.
In light of all the new and various ways to create an organization’s brand online it is no wonder why people and organizations are online. It is not only less expensive, but communication is quick and it provides more entertaining ways of receiving information that can be interactive and shared with ease.
As organizations begin to go online and more people gain access to the internet and establish profiles there is a growing trend in social media as a tool for international development. Little monetary investment and the ease in setting up various social media sites makes it more accessible to organizations and their audiences. We should celebrate social media and how it fosters community imitative and international development. So next time when tweeting make sure to use those “hashtags” and “@’s” and be a part of the bigger, world wide conversation.
Acknowledgements: Thank you to Jennifer Renzas for her contributions to this blog.
References:
[1] O’Neill, M. Advancing Development through Social Media. USAID; 2013. Available at: http://blog.usaid.gov/2013/02/advancing-development-through-social-media/comment-page-1/#comment-66133. Accessed February 21, 2013.
[2] Crosby, C. Big Data for Global Change and Development. chriscrosby.com; 2012. Available at: http://chrisjcrosby.com/big-data-for-global-change-and-development/. Accessed February 25, 2013.