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Post by stromana on Oct 2, 2014 21:45:34 GMT -5
In our lectures and reading this week, we learned about visual engagement strategies for social media platforms such as Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr etc. For this week's discussion I chose to write about the Fan Free Clinic. This clinic was founded in 1968 as the first clinic in the Richmond area which focused on the well being of women's health and education on sexual transmitted diseases. After the huge epidemic of HIV/AIDS in the 1980's the clinic began testing and educating individuals. With some people not having the money for affordable health care the Fan Free Clinic focuses primarily on those individuals. This non-profit organization uses both twitter and facebook for their social media platforms. On their Facebook page they do use pictures to show what their organization does but they do not use many pictures. If I was a person looking at their Facebook page I wouldnt really know what the organization was about. Although this organization uses pictures on their social media platforms they do not use videos. One thing that I think is very important when trying to attract an audience, is video. Video makes things more personal and believable. They probably wouldnt be able to use their patients because of HIPPA laws but using some visual strategies that are a little more appealing could be useful. They do have several videos on their twitter page which for me would be more appealing. Some people may be interested in watch a video versus reading a long article. I do think their organization is very successful because they provide healthcare services to people that need them the most. www.facebook.com/fanfreeclinic/photos_stream?ref=page_internalwww.fanfreeclinic.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Connections-AUG2014_web2.pdf |
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Post by duddydm on Oct 4, 2014 11:21:16 GMT -5
I love that you chose Fan Free Clinic. Its a much smaller nonprofit than many that have been discussed. I think Fan Free Clinic has really done some good in our community and I love that this topic is so close to home. I agree that they should use much more visuals and videos to help get the word out. Like many other organizations that offer health care to those who can't afford it, The use of photographs to see the actual faces of the people and their families can really help increase awareness. I think Instagram could really be utilized in this case.
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Post by jefflint on Oct 4, 2014 20:08:25 GMT -5
I agree, I love how you choose Fan Free Clinic, it is definitely one of the smaller organizations that have been highlighted in our forums. It is a great place and they do a lot to help people in need in the Greater Richmond area.
It is too bad that they don't use Facebook to their advantage, as it would be a cost-effective marketing strategy to get their name out there and keep people involved. Maybe they could use an Instagram/Vine type of platform so that people could connect more with the patients and folks that Fan Free Clinic helps, but they might run into confidentiality problems and the like.
Great post!
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Post by Jeanine Guidry on Oct 5, 2014 1:06:43 GMT -5
Since HIPAA is a definite issue when dealing with a clinic, what do you think would be some good topics/ideas of topics they can use?
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Post by reinsbergrb on Oct 5, 2014 8:46:31 GMT -5
I like how you chose a local organization that has been such a great influence in the Richmond community. I did not know that they were the first Richmond clinic to focus on women’s health which is a neat historical fact about the organization and city in general. I agree when you mentioned that most people would rather watch a short video than read a long article when trying to become more informed about what an organization has to offer because it tells and shows rather than just tells. I also feel like a picture has a similar effect but is even less time consuming for a viewer to observe so you are probably right when you say that they could use more pictures too.
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Post by owhitham on Oct 5, 2014 15:13:09 GMT -5
Picking a local, Richmond based, charity for discussion was a great choice. While there has always been a social stigma to sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), the problem is simply not going to go away on its own. I think your concern about the Facebook page is quite justified. If somebody viewing the page does not exactly what the problem and/or cause is about, why should they donate and/or stick around on the page to learn more. A video of a person talking about how she was helped and people in her neighborhood were helped would be provide the viewer with a connection that might get them engaged. While I think that there are laws which protect a person’s privacy, certainly a person who voluntarily speaks out about her plight and success story is something which is done routinely in social causes.
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Post by m4thy0u on Oct 5, 2014 16:01:34 GMT -5
This is an awesome post! I like how you chose something specific to the Richmond area. It made it a much more interesting read. Fan Free Clinic is a very important nonprofit in Richmond, and has helped countless of people. I didn’t know they had been around for so long, or that when they were founded they focused mainly on women’s health and stopping the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. I checked out their different social media sites after reading your post and I agree that video would absolutely help attract a wider audience and be more appealing. Short videos of patients stories or how they are helping the Richmond community could really showcase the good work they are doing.
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Post by walkerle4 on Oct 5, 2014 16:26:35 GMT -5
I believe that pictures are very important for an organization like the Fan Free Clinic because it is important get people interested. I think it is also hard when some of the services they provide are personal and cannot be shown to the public.I believe that Fan Free Clinic should focus on issues they are allowed to talk about. I think Instagram would be a beneficial way to connect with the Richmond public if they used it properly and used images that motivate people to talk to others about the services the clinic provides.
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Post by alexandrajohnson on Oct 5, 2014 17:07:34 GMT -5
I really like that you used a local organization. It hits close to home and shows that you don’t need to be a big non-profit to have an effect in a community. When we think about non profits we think about organizations that help children in third world countries, we don’t really think about helping people locally. With their facebook not using very many images, I think instagram could be vital for them. Photographs make their goals seem real and like they are actually happening, instead of just new clips or information about the background or their organization. I think Fan free clinic could use instagram to increase their followers and increase awareness, while also appealing to a larger audience.
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Post by millerma on Oct 5, 2014 21:53:18 GMT -5
I really like that you chose to write on the Fan Free Clinic. I still feel like I don’t know much about it myself but every single time I hear someone describe something they do, I find myself completely amazed that there’s a place that offers the services they’re talking about. The Clinic is great but it definitely has an awareness problem because almost no one really knows about it. It’s also really interested that you talked about how they can’t really use much personal information. I completely agree that visuals would make a stronger case for them. They should probably also think about getting themselves on newer platforms that are relevant to VCU students and people in the lower socio-economic bracket in Richmond.
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Post by megansimp on Oct 5, 2014 21:59:16 GMT -5
I agree, today's generation is all about visual and visual learning. Most people don't want to read long drawn out paragraphs so if you can give them a quick overview of what your organization is about in less than a minute that you have me hooked. I think it's so important to have that connection to your viewer also. reading words on a screen is always the best way to connect with your audience but putting moving images and words somehow does it for people in my opinion.
As far as the HIPPA laws. I'm not fully versed on the subject but I know for one organization I have experience with (Comfort Zone Camp) it helps speaking with different supports - there is always someone who is willing to share their story. Other ways to get around that is showing different events that organization is doing...it's not focused on one specific person but rather what they are doing as a whole.
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