Communications and Social Media Tools

Part 2 Communications and Social Media Tools
The relevance of social media utilization in healthcare contexts for communication purposes has in the past become largely apparent (Thielst, 2013). For this reason, it would be prudent to assess some of the most appropriate social media tools for a campaign seeking to minimize substance abuse among minority youths.
Types of communication and social media tools to be used in the dissemination of the campaign
In this case, I would be using two kinds of communication and social media tools, i.e. social networking platforms (primarily Facebook) and microblogs (primarily Twitter). It is important to note that various studies and reports have in the past revealed that teens spend a significant amount of time online. One such study indicated that “American teenagers spend an ‘astounding’ nine hours a day with digital technology…” (Fox and Edwards, 2019). It therefore follows that any effort to reach this age group ought to be anchored on this reality. While Facebook is essentially a social networking site that primarily seeks to promote interconnectedness, Twitter is a social networking service that strives to facilitate engagements between users using ‘tweets.’
Why the tools selected are appropriate for the target audience
In the words of Wong, Merchant, and Moreno (2014), “social media is a popular means of interaction for adolescents and young adults” (221). It is for this reason that I selected Facebook which remains one of most popular online platforms for young people. It is important to note that although Facebook is no longer as popular amongst young people as it was a decade ago, it would be the most appropriate platform for a campaign of this nature. This is in comparison to other very popular platforms such as Snapchat and Instagram.
Secondly, I selected Twitter due to the ease of distributing content. This is more so the case given that with twitter, anybody searching for a specific topic as well as the general public can be able to access targeted tweets and share them. For this reason, I will not only be seeking targeted followers, but also tweeting frequently. This is an approach that I believe will come in handy in the further distribution of the appropriate content – and hence enhanced reach to my target audience.
Ways in which I might adjust my public health message based on the type of social media used in my public health campaign
For Facebook: Longer public health messages laden with media (such as videos and educational posters) will be shared on Facebook. Towards this end, more definitive strategies on how to rein in substance abuse could be shared on this social media platform.
For twitter: Short and concise messages that are designed to elicit immediate responses will be shared on twitter. This is more so the case given that Twitter has a 280-character limit on shared content. Thus, for instance, short facts on how substance abuse impacts health could be shared on this platform.
Why it may be necessary to adjust my message depending upon age, community, and potential literacy levels of my target audience
My target audience in this case is minority youths – those within the 15-24 age bracket, and belonging to either of these ethnic/racial categories: Hispanics; Asians and Pacific Islanders; or African Americans.
To begin with, the messages will contain simple language that is easy to understand. Effort will be made to ensure that the use of technical terms is limited. This will be informed by the mere fact that the target audience is not necessarily a professional group.
Secondly, deliberate effort will be made to ensure that content is not unnecessarily detailed. This is more so the case given that those in this age group are likely to quickly become uninterested in content that appears overly detailed.
Third, formality will be avoided at all costs. Youths are likely to be interested in content they can easily relate with. For this reason, trendy catch phrases could be incorporated.
Approaches I plan to use to market my public health campaign
To begin with, I will be seeking to reach out to celebrities in an attempt to rope in my target audience and ensure that they are interested in my campaign on strategies to avert substance abuse. This is more so the case given that celebrities have been shown to have an immense influence on youth behaviors (Ruddock, 2013). The said celebrities could promote my message by amongst, other things, wearing t-shirts with my public health campaign message prominently displayed.
Secondly, I will also actively utilize hashtags on twitter. In this case, I could make a phrase/word that defines my campaign and then seek to promote it as a way of creating a buzz and further reaching as well as engaging my target audience. Some of the hashtags I could use in this endeavor include #drugsarefoolish, #saynotodrugs, and #happylifenodrugs.








References
Fox, M. & Edwards, E. (2019). Teens Spend 'Astounding' Nine Hours a Day in Front of Screens: Researchers. Retrieved from https://www.wvea.org/content/teens-spend-astounding-nine-hours-day-front-screens-researchers
Ruddock, A. (2013). Youth and Media. Washington, DC: SAGE
Thielst, C.B. (2013). Social Media in Healthcare: Connect, Communicate, Collaborate (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Health Administration Press.
Wong, C.A., Merchant, R.M. & Moreno, M.A. (2014). Using Social Media to Engage Adolescents and Young Adults with their Health. Healthcare, 2(4), 220-224.