In light of Social Media Day having been celebrated yesterday, June 30th, perhaps its time to think of the year ahead and make some resolutions for pharma in social media
1st Resolution: It’s no secret that most pharma companies have yet to embrace the culture of social media but one way to make a step down the right path is to begin monitoring online conversations about the disease states addressed by their brands. This process is called “social listening”. Social listening sheds light on the true trials and tribulations of patients, allowing pharma companies and their marketers to gain a better understanding of not only their target consumer but also the real impact their work in this industry is having on people’s lives. Read Full Entry
A colleague of mine spent a good week or two telling all of us here at GSW that we absolutely must read The Thank You Economy by Gary Vaynerchuk. I took her up on that advice and have been so thankful (pun not originally intended) I did.
In the book, Vaynerchuk cites 11 excuses he hears from companies time and time again about why they’ve dismissed social media. Pharma has been quick to write off social media using several of the reasons he cites, but the final road block to social media bliss is usually Vaynerchuk’s ninth reason – “the legal issues are too thorny”. Increasingly our clients are realizing the value of the relationships enabled by social media but, alas, they do not proceed as result of direction from their legal department. Read Full Entry
From a recent article I wrote elsewhere on the web:
The way people make buying decisions has dramatically changed. Again.
You might remember the headlines from circa 2006 that first turned our collective attention to the critical role of social media: That year’s Edelman Trust Barometer ranked “someone like me” as the most credible source of information about businesses and brands. The value of peer opinion had risen to surpass that of doctors and academic experts for the first time. In the USA alone, trust in “a person like me” increased from 20% in 2003 to 68% in 2006. In those boom years between dot-bomb and the most recent recession we looked to each other for what to expect and what to buy. Read Full Entry
Joe Shields, Director of Worldwide Innovation at Pfizer, wants our help. He’s starting a new job on Monday where his chief responsibility will be to recast his company’s role in healthcare. He knows that truly advocating for the patient is different from marketing to them. And, he knows he wants those patients at the center.
But, where to focus?
What are the key questions in eHealth?
Who should he talk to? Read Full Entry
Odds are good that at some point in time, you’ve gone online for medical purposes. And more than likely, you’ve participated in some level of health conversation on the social web. But in case you don’t have time to read about multiple medical topics from multiple sources on multiple social platforms, I’ve got you covered.
I’m going to share some of the ways patients, caregivers, and physicians are using forums to gather useful information and build meaningful relationships. Yes, there are also blogs, Twitter, and a number of other ways the social web is connecting the health industry, but let’s focus on one thing at a time— the forum.
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