At first glance, there would not appear to be a natural union between public relations ― relations with the general public ― and social media, which is characterized by interaction at a personal level. However, in providing effective methods of customer communications and marketing, and for fostering brand interest and loyalty, social media is proving to be a valuable public relations tool.
As such, social media for business, organizational and public sector applications is a sub-category of the public relations function. The social media concept is relatively new. The term itself was reportedly first used in its current definition by Guidewire Group co-founder Chris Shipley in July, 2004. This was during discussions before the BlogOn 2004 Conference, about the merging of blogs, wikis and social networks into a new form of participatory media.
Healthcare and pharma companies lagged behind other industries in the use of social media and social media marketing technologies, largely due to uncertainty about regulatory constraints. That has changed, with a growing number of these companies communicating with physicians, patients, and the general public through various social media channels.
The Blogosphere
Blogs are powerful tools for message dissemination and to gain insights into how an audience perceives the message. The interactivity provides real-time opportunities to address misconceptions, refine messaging, gauge customer satisfaction, and enhance the company profile.
The rising popularity of healthcare and pharma blogs is evidenced with a cursory search via Google or Technorati. Entering “healthcare blogs” into the Technorati search box will display a list of 1,053 blog site URLs. “Pharma blogs” will display an additional 160 blog sites, and an informational sidebar indicates there are 825,402 blogs of direct or peripheral interest to healthcare and pharma discussions.
Social Networking, Video Sharing, and Bookmarking
Public relations efforts through social networking sites such as MySpace, LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook can be very effective, and at much lower cost than traditional advertising. According to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, adult use of SNS has quadrupled in the past four years. Similarly, video sharing sites like YouTube and Vimeo provide a budget-friendly opportunity for marketers to produce and upload catchy, creative video messaging. A direct link to the video clip can then be e-mailed to contact lists, and multimedia press releases can help assure maximum exposure.
Social bookmarking sites such as Digg and Del.icio.us also increase visibility, and can help the company track interest and obtain customer feedback. With the vast array of social media tools, a growing number of companies are incorporating Web 2.0 into their public relations strategies. The healthcare and pharmaceutical industries are now well-represented in that group.
Those interested in reviewing a comprehensive listing of healthcare social media examples should view the Pharma and Healthcare Social Media Wiki, which is maintained by Jonathan Richman of Bridge Worldwide.
Kaynak
http://community.pathoftheblueeye.com/wiki/public-relations-and-social-media-health-communications
