Post by donajelli on Oct 2, 2014 11:45:16 GMT -5
The difference between non-profit and for-profit organizations is more than just money. With the invention of social media came a method to share information for a fraction of the costs of traditional marketing and advertising. In order for social media campaigns to be successful there has to be two-way communication between the organization and it’s followers. Feedback via social media is critical in order to expand an organization or brand.
The for-profit health organization I chose was Livestrong with a focus on their “Daily Cures” campaign. The purpose of this campaign was to create a group for people affected by cancer to exchange knowledge that will aid them physically or psychologically. People could participate by using tweets or posting on instagram with the hashtag “Cancerhacks”. There is also a website (cancerhacks.org) that lists all the different hacks submitted by the public to view and digest as you please.
There are a few reasons this campaign was successful. The first being its ability to put everyone who is affected by cancer into the same community and let them interact with each other. A lot of people who are recently diagnosed with cancer are looking for comfort and reassurance, and this campaign has excelled in that. It is also beneficial because there is medical advice from a multitude of doctors that patients otherwise wouldn’t know about. “This online community is all about improving the daily quality of life for people with the disease,” according to Marketwired.
While there has been positive feedback from this campaign (nominated for a Shorty award for best use of social media for healthcare) there have also been some disappointed members of the public. According to Mary Elizabeth Williams of Salon.com her main concern with the campaign was using the word “cures” in the title. She claims, “I believe if you’re a cancer organization you should know better than to rather arrogantly throw around the word ‘cure’. It makes it seem like maybe Livestrong doesn’t know exactly what the word means.” Although it is just an opinion she does make a valid argument, as these helpful tips will not mysteriously make cancer disappear. Another one of Williams’ complaints was regarding the information shared using #Cancerhacks, claiming the website has, “quickly become a repository of bunkum, half-truths, and flat-out insanity.”
While there are numerous amounts of people who have been relieved by the Livestrong campaign it does not work for everyone. What works is a positive, yet practical mindset that can change a person’s outlook on life.
Livestrong press release
Cancerhacks hashtag delivers terrible advice
The for-profit health organization I chose was Livestrong with a focus on their “Daily Cures” campaign. The purpose of this campaign was to create a group for people affected by cancer to exchange knowledge that will aid them physically or psychologically. People could participate by using tweets or posting on instagram with the hashtag “Cancerhacks”. There is also a website (cancerhacks.org) that lists all the different hacks submitted by the public to view and digest as you please.
There are a few reasons this campaign was successful. The first being its ability to put everyone who is affected by cancer into the same community and let them interact with each other. A lot of people who are recently diagnosed with cancer are looking for comfort and reassurance, and this campaign has excelled in that. It is also beneficial because there is medical advice from a multitude of doctors that patients otherwise wouldn’t know about. “This online community is all about improving the daily quality of life for people with the disease,” according to Marketwired.
While there has been positive feedback from this campaign (nominated for a Shorty award for best use of social media for healthcare) there have also been some disappointed members of the public. According to Mary Elizabeth Williams of Salon.com her main concern with the campaign was using the word “cures” in the title. She claims, “I believe if you’re a cancer organization you should know better than to rather arrogantly throw around the word ‘cure’. It makes it seem like maybe Livestrong doesn’t know exactly what the word means.” Although it is just an opinion she does make a valid argument, as these helpful tips will not mysteriously make cancer disappear. Another one of Williams’ complaints was regarding the information shared using #Cancerhacks, claiming the website has, “quickly become a repository of bunkum, half-truths, and flat-out insanity.”
While there are numerous amounts of people who have been relieved by the Livestrong campaign it does not work for everyone. What works is a positive, yet practical mindset that can change a person’s outlook on life.
Livestrong press release
Cancerhacks hashtag delivers terrible advice