Today is the birthday of one of the most awesome people to grace the Web on nonprofits using social media – the fantastic Beth Kanter.

Beth is turning 53 this year, but she isnt asking for a new iPhone or a Snuggie…she is asking that folks help her send Cambodian children to school. Here is the link (Facebook Cause) to where you can help her out.

Beth has been a shining example for me ever since I entered the world of blogging – her endless energy to crusade for the greater good has affected so many and I just wanted to make sure and say a big THANK YOU Beth for continually inspiring me.

One of the things I try to do here with Pulse + Signal is to highlight the human side of public health. Once again, although there are plenty of numbers and data to be examined in public health – it really boils down to the people that are affected and whose lives can be improved.

That’s why I am really excited to get the story of Angela Current, a friend of mine that I met through Twitter, out here for you all to be inspired/motivated. The fantastic thing about Angela is that apart from being a six year Liposarcoma survivor (in her leg), she is a dedicated runner that trained throughout treatment and three surgeries – running her first 5k race eleven months after diagnosis!

With Angela I wanted to delve into the psych and thought process of a cancer patient who gained encouragement & motivation through social media and online networks. Although many of the current trends in the 2.0 world are looking for the next big shiny thing, when it comes to the health of individuals sometimes it’s just finding support and pertinent information that is what’s needed. Don’t just take my word (or Angela’s for that matter), the Pew Internet Project has great numbers that reinforce how people use the Web for finding health information.

Here is the Q&A session I had with Angela:

Pulse+Signal: When were you diagnosed with cancer and what sort of information/resources did the doctor give you as far as learning about your condition and understanding what can be done about it?

Angela: When I was initially diagnosed, I had hounded my doctor until he told me over the phone. This was on a lovely Friday the 13^th, giving a whole new respect to that day. I was told that it was a Sarcoma and he didn’t know what the treatment would be, as it was such a rare form of cancer. I didn’t get to see the specialist the following Tuesday. With so little information, I spent the weekend expecting to lose my leg and having to go through chemo.

Once I saw the specialist (he informed me that there was no reason to lose the leg or go through chemo) and he did the biopsy, I was formally diagnosed with Liposarcoma (a six inch by 4 inch mass all behind and wrapping around my right knee). With that information, I was able to dig in and seek information online. Besides the basic information (name and a one page description) most of the information, I had to find on my own.

Pulse+Signal: Prior to being diagnosed, had you been familiar with social media and its tools?

Angela: Before diagnosis I had visited chat rooms and did basic research/internet surfing, but everything changed after that.

Pulse+Signal: When did you first think about engaging with social networks and for what purpose did you think it would serve?

Angela: I immediately dove into social networks to find research and just to find someone/anyone that had been through what I was about to go through. I was desperate to find someone that could tell me what to expect. I knew radiation and surgery was ahead of me and wanted to know that I was going to be okay

Pulse+Signal: Tell us about your first encounter with social networks geared toward your (then) life with cancer – pros and cons?

Angela: I ventured into a couple different chats for cancer survivors/caregivers, but found that the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Survivors Network to be the one I stayed with, along with the WebMD Cancer Support Board.

The chat was nice for instant moral support and for meeting people like me, with cancer. The only drawback was that on rare occasion, someone would stir up trouble, but that happens with any sort of chat. I developed some wonderful friendships through that chat and it assisted me in getting through a very difficult time.

The support board was nice in that you could post questions and often when you came back, the answers were waiting for you. I’m still very involved with this board and love the incredible relationships I’ve developed through it, as well. You could vent your feelings, without worry of someone thinking less of you, because everyone understood what you were going through.

Pulse+Signal: Overall, how did the use of social networks help you through your battle with cancer?

Angela: Overall, I can’t see how I could have made it through my cancer experience without the support I received through social networks. I was the only person in my family to deal with cancer, so no one knew how to deal with it or me. Being the youngest of most of my friends, I became a sad reminder that it can happen to anyone and most of my friends just vanished. They didn’t know what to do or say and I understand that, but it left me alone on a number of levels. The chats/boards became my lifeline and about the only social life I had for the next several months of treatment and therapy. The moral support was priceless.

Pulse+Signal: What can others learn from your experience? What advice would you give newly diagnosed individuals regarding the impact of social networks/media for getting through cancer?

Angela: Through social media, no one needs to feel alone when going through a crisis like cancer and the fears, depression, etc. that comes with it. It’s a wonderful way to find people going through exactly what you’re going through. I found a woman in Florida that was going through exactly what I was going through and she was an angel when it came to support.

I would recommend anyone dealing with cancer to get involved with the social support available out there. Especially if you’re lacking support and information, it helps to fill in the voids. There are some incredible people out there that have long since been through the battle and they have personally dedicated their time to assisting others. It’s wonderful to have a family to go through the battle with you, but sometimes it’s nice to be able to communicate with others that “get it” with cancer. Only those that have been through it can truly understand it.

Pulse+Signal: Any resources you would like to share that have been a particularly helpful?

Angela: As I mentioned, WebMd has a wonderful Cancer Support Board on their website and the American Cancer Society has nearly limitless resources and support through their website. I can’t say enough about how wonderful both those sites are.

I always say that cancer is a lonely place and when diagnosed you need to be able to find people that understand where you’re coming from. It can make a huge difference in how you deal with the circumstances.

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Thanks so much Angela for this fantastic insight into how you approached interactive online resources to help you through your treatment! Angela is a certified resume writer and career coach – you can also find Angela on Twitter!

Alot has changed over the past several years as far as online social resources – her are some other great ones that are changing the way patients learn and cope with their diseases: PatientsLikeMe and my friend Alexandra Carmichael’s CureTogether.

When I think of healthcare, I traditionally think of barriers. Barriers to access or afford healthcare. Geographic, socioeconomic, and educational barriers. There are also communication barriers to overcome, from general public health education to basic health literacy where people are able to read and understand written directions from their health care providers. And, there is a barrier between healthcare organizations and patients and consumers who want to use new and “social” media tools to communicate in different ways with their healthcare providers.

Healthcare is surprisingly progressive in terms of using new, digital and social media tools to communicate with their public. However, due to the nature of the “emerging” medium, there are no standards or best practices. There has been no place to share or really learn about successes and effective communication in healthcare. Thus, it was essential to develop a community or central focal point to bring together professionals from a wide range of healthcare organizations and perspectives to discuss, build, and evolved best practices in health communications. Participants from hospitals, physician practices, government agencies, universities, PR/marketing/advertising firms, non-profits, student groups, and more should be able to collaborate through candid questions and answers from both leaders and those in the trenches working to improve healthcare communications. Thanks to #hcsm, they can!

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#hcsm, or healthcare communications & social media, is a hashtag conversation that started in January 2009 that has evolved into a large community on Twitter. Using the 140-character messages to enable the conversation, anyone with an interest in health communications can engage in an informative discussion about a wide variety of topics.

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The discussion is moderated via @HealthSocMed, with a moderator who leads the discussion each week. The moderator provides topics, selected from community suggestions, to cover each week. The topics are not limited to social media, and include all aspects of communications, but based on the audience participation and the nature of the communication channel, often trend to include some aspect of social media with most discussions. Anyone with a Twitter account and an interest is able to participate in the conversation.

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However, it is not required to have a Twitter account to watch or “lurk” in the conversation, with the help of search.twitter.com and the new search abilities on the home page of Twitter.com, so the conversation for the most part has few barriers to participation. There is no fee or credentials required to participate. Participants are asked to respect one another, to stay on topic while using the hashtag during the specific appointed hour, and not to “spam” or sell products or services to the community. Although Sunday nights are the main conversation, you can check out #hcsm any time during the day or night to find interesting conversations and links to #hcsm-related information.

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One of the benefits of this medium being “new” and “emerging” is that it is flexible and open-sourced. Meaning, we have the power and opportunity to influence the way we will use it for years to come. This is why I believe #hcsm is important; it gives #hcsm participants & contributors the opportunity to make waves & share their innovative insights with everyone.

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Public health probably has the most to benefit from emerging digital media trends and technologies – because we, the public, can help guide and develop it to fit our needs. We also have the opportunity to use these tools to reach people who previously have had no access. In the hands of public health professionals, the power and reach of social media may be limitless. We can set the agenda for change, and we can make an immediate difference.

My good friend Leslie Bradshaw recently gave a presentation on social media down in Jacksonville, FL. to an important group of people: physicians. In this new time of hyper-connectivity and consumers with real time information, the Florida Academy of Family Physicians got a real treat with this one.

Here is one of my favorite slides:

The Health 2.0 movement is definitely gaining steam and I’m glad that Leslie was able to dive in and spread some knowledge. I’m hoping it will be effective.

Here is the entire presentation she gave this past weekend -

So I’m really excited to announce that I was selected to be part of a new social media mentoring program at Purdue University (@mindofandre is my Twitter tag)! Thanks to the wonderful Dr. Mihaela Vorvoreanu, a professor focusing on new communication technologies, I will be partnering up with one of her graduate students to guide them along understanding the social media landscape. I have the honor of connecting with Jennifer Smock (@smocktweets on Twitter), a graduate student earning her Masters in Public Health (MPH). Jennifer’s interests focus on the use of new media to improve the field of public health, with her current research highlighting how the public feels about season flu and H1N1 vaccinations.

Especially within the context of social media, I want to emphasize the term partnership. Although it’s considered a mentoring program, I strongly feel that all of us are learning together regarding this new landscape. I am hardly a guru (or expert, specialist, or any other title that I feel misleads) but I do really enjoy learning everyday and am passionate about finding out how best to apply these new ideas to public health. I’ve been involved in one way or another with social networks and new media for a couple years now so I have an increased understanding and appreciation for what these tools can do.

So please feel free to check out Jenny’s blog, leave comments there and stay tuned for guest posts from her on what she is learning.

As I tell my young nieces and nephews – education is one of those things that no one can take away from you. It’s the universal key to success in life.

Hey folks, another great opportunity to learn about how social media can be put to use in developing your next social marketing strategy! And for those of you who aren’t in the public health or social marketing spaces, make sure to understand what kind of social marketing we are talking about here.

My colleague, mentor and friend – Nedra Weinreich of Weinreich Communications is once again imparting her extensive knowledge on the social media landscape for the important work that we do. Most recently, she gave us lessons on how to make social marketing more effective. In the coming months of October and November, Nedra provides another opportunity to sharpen your marketing skills with the Social Media for Social Marketers Series.

From the site:

Why attend Social Marketing University Online?

• You will receive an intensive training in the fundamentals of social media that you can start to apply to your program immediately.
• SMU Online is an opportunity to learn from Nedra Weinreich, a noted expert who has worked in the field for many years, and benefit from her experience.
• Attend from anywhere – at work, home or on the road, even from outside the United States.
• Participation in the webinars is easy! All you need is an internet connection (no software to download) and a phone line (toll-free from the US/Canada). You can even connect to the audio through your computer using Skype for free.
• You will have access to the webinar recording to review as many times as you like at your convenience.

Spread the word and sign up – you definitely will get your money’s worth.

New media has brought about several different ways in which to interact with consumers – through blogs are good for reading up on new things, podcasts are great for on the go listening and video allows for the senses of sight and sound to be integrated into a great interactive experience.

Out of all the media venues that are available to us now in this social climate, I really think video is creating some special opportunities. Here are some statistics to chew on (from a recent Pew report):

• The share of adults who watch online videos via video sharing websites has nearly doubled since 2006
• Nine in ten (89%) internet users ages 18-29 now say they watch content on video sharing sites, and 36% do so on a typical day
• Broadband connectivity has helped to set the stage for high-quality viewing experiences and broaden the appeal of online video content. Among broadband users, 69% watch video on sharing sites, and 23% do so on a typical day
• Also check out film/video veteran, Matthew Balthrop’s article on additional statistics regarding online video

A little help visualizing the use of sites like Youtube, Dailymotion, Vimeo, etc.:

What does that mean for public health? Well something my good friend James Walker rang a bell in my head today when we were discussing the results of the H1N1 Flu PSA contest – he said it was a great example of ‘credibility and creativity’. That’s exactly how I feel about the use of film/video in public health. If we can get the right people on camera, discussing innovative initiatives to improve health and get messages across – it will be a great example of credibility and creativity. One of my favorite examples of this is Salt Lake Valley Health Department and their One Small Change video.

The public health world MUST catch onto the fact that it’s a new world of communication opportunities. Material that catches attention and connects with the public is essential to making Public Health 2.0 a reality. Other than holding the attention of the viewer, engaging them with a worthwhile story/concept is also important.

I recently had the pleasure of meeting with Professor Negar Mottahedeh of Duke University, who is an authority on film studies and global culture. I chatted with Negar about her thoughts on how film can be useful in highlighting important issues in public health:

Interview with Prof. Negar Mottahedeh – Impact of Film from Andre Blackman on Vimeo.

You can also catch more about our discussions at her blog, the Negarponti Files, where she expands upon some of the material she discussed in our interview. The bottom line is that we have a new opportunity to engage target audiences with stories and information that transcends the one-time-read potential of a brochure or flyer. Video can be spread quickly, translated into different languages just as easily and it becomes readily accessible anywhere online.

Stay tuned as I begin to think more about this form of media for highlighting innovation in public health.

Tired of those yawn-inducing PSAs that simply aim to inform you about an important health matter but do nothing for your creative side?

Well you’re in luck. I recently stumbled across something that might put a smile on your face.

Secretary of Health Sebelius is encouraging you and anyone you know, to put together a PSA that creatively helps spread the word of flu prevention. As she mentions in the video below, H1N1 has become the dark horse catalyst to remind all of us to take better steps to stay healthy from the flu.

The Prize

• One grand prize of $2,500 cash
• Top video(s) will be featured on broadcast TV and on government Web sites

I’m diggin this HHS!

For more details on contest rules,visit the official entry site here. Hurry, deadline is August 17th!

Raise You Hand is a brand new campaign from WorkSafeBC dedicated to promote workplace health and safety for the workers and employers in British Columbia, Canada.

Raise Your Hand is a young worker movement focused around worker rights: the right to know about hazards at your job and how to protect yourself, the right to participate in making sure your job and workplace are safe and healthy, the right to the right to refuse unsafe work. Unlike many young worker safety campaigns, which take a ‘shock and awe’ approach to scare young workers from being unsafe on the job, Raise Your Hand focuses on the positive steps young workers can take to prevent injury and death at work.

The campaign is found where the target audience – youth aged 18-25 – gather, at summer festivals and online.  Key elements of the campaign are the Raise Your Hand anthem (see above) and buttons that people can customize and either wear or create digital versions to put online. The creative theme is inspired by 70s movements – psychedelic album covers, peace, love.
The 70’s inspiration came about because of the affiliation of grassroots movement with that decade. RYH is very much about empowerment and participation to join this movement to make a difference.

View the Raise Your Hand Anthem.

The Raise Your Hand campaign contains many features as seen in this post and very important is the online strategy including a Button Generator, anthem video, ringtones and mp3 downloads, mashup of event anthem videos, Raise Your Hand Blog (currently features Nick Perry, a young worker who was injured on the job and is now a WorkSafeBC representative who visits schools around BC to discuss young worker safety) and of course educational information about the 3 rights, key statistics and tips on staying safe.

Social Media is also important to reach the target audience. For each event they will send a young person who acts as the Raise Your Hand correspondent to capture video and images to share on YouTube, a Facebook Fan page, Flickr and Twitter.

“Traditional media — like TV, radio and magazines — are not typically where young people get their information anymore,” explains Scott McCloy, WorkSafeBC’s director of Communications, who oversaw development of the campaign. “We knew we had to reach young workers where they spend most of their time — online. And we needed to present the information in an authentic and engaging way.”

Raise Your Hand will be at major festivals throughout BC this summer: Virgin Fest, Rock the Bells, the Dragon Boat Festival, Merritt Mountain Music Festival, Crankworx, and Nakusp. In September they will participate in Campus Crawls at universities and colleges throughout BC. Raise You Hand will have a branded tent and ambassadors at the events.
The three key activities will be the opportunity to have your photo taken and a create a customized button, participate in an anthem contest to create mashup music videos for each event, or play the Know Your Rights Plinko Board game for a chance to win Tshirts and trucker hats. These will be supported by other activities and displays. Their open guitar cases will have Raise Your Hand buttons for people to take, rather than asking for money.

Campaign posters:

Agency:
Wasserman + Partners
Additional credits:
Account Team: Pauline Hadley-Beauregard, Maxine Wu
Creative: Liam Greenlaw, Terry Lin, Allen Forbes
Brand Activation: Oliver Flaser, Anne Buch
Interactive: Liv Hung
Media: Antonella Frustaci
Production: Claire Khan, Kylie Kumar

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Marc van Gurp is the founder of the globally renowned Osocio blog which examines the world of advetising in the social change/non-profit landscape. Marc resides in Amsterdam.

So I know that this is not a new subject, but I thought that since Pulse + Signal focuses on social marketing/health communications, I thought I would take some time to set the record straight here on the blog – especially after seeing the mistake made time and time again.

Two main differences right off the bat:

• Social Marketing is old
• Social Media Marketing is new

According to Wikipedia’s definition, the social marketing movement began in the late 1970s. Long before the Internet was made popular, long before there was AOL Instant Messenger and <gasp> decades before blogs and Twitter. Jackie Huba, of the Church of the Customer blog, pointed out last year the definition of social marketing and quickly followed it up with a definition of social media marketing. To make it easier to understand, let me take the most important chunk out of each definition to set them apart.

Social Marketing:

Social marketing is the systematic application of marketing along with other concepts and techniques to achieve specific behavioral goals for a social good. Social marketing can be applied to promote, for example, merit goods, make the society avoid demerit goods and thus to promote that considers society’s well being as a whole.

Social Media Marketing:

Social media marketing, on the other hand, is about building ways that fans of a brand or company can promote it themselves in multiple online social media venues.

Basically, social marketing is used for increasing healthy/positive behavior changes in society while social media marketing is about companies or individuals using social media to promote themselves or their brand. I think that sums it up about the differences…

Make sense? No? Well then check out my friend and mentor, Nedra Weinreich’s blog post (that has been updated a few times since its initial posting) which gives a side by side chart comparison on the differences between social marketing and social media marketing. I think this makes it as plain and simple as possible to see what makes each different.

For more individuals who are fighting the good fight in the social marketing world, feel free to check out:

1. Craig Lefebvre: veteran pioneer and thought leader in social marketing, who is also quite tech savvy
2. Alexandra Rampy: the Social Butterfly herself, part of the new generation of social marketers
3. Mike Kujawski: Canadian social marketing dynamo, founder of the Centre for Excellence on Public Sector Marketing
4. Mike Newton-Ward: fellow North Carolinian and passionate veteran in the social marketing world