Okay, I admit it! "My name is Mike, and I have started Twittering--and now I am addicted! " And here is just a sample of what I learned on Twitter in one week: CDC has a podcast just for kids on Salmonella in peanut containing products at: http://tinyurl.com/dc7ux4 NYC Dept. of Health introduced a Facebook page to promote condom use: http://snurl.com/bqzl3 AIDS.gov uses text messaging for appointment or medication reminders: http://blog.aids.gov The Pew Internet & American Life Project has just released the first major study of Twitter users: http://bit.ly/18pHgg CDC has a page for RSS alerts on Travel Notices: http://www2a.cdc.gov/podcasts/rss/asp Satellite-tracked birds from India will provide clues on how Avian Influenza spreads (USGS): http://tinyurl.com/cw7oyx Great blog on environmental health and living green: http://tinyurl.com/coludg US HHS Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology plan specifically endorsed in stimulus plan as guide to health IT spending. See http://hhs.gov/healthitfor link
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Wow, not one mention of what someone was having for lunch, or that they were going to take a nap! (The topics I find that many professionals think Twitter is about.)
My excursion into using Twitter is a classic case of behavior change, I suppose. I heard about it over a year ago. I thought, “You have to be kidding? Who cares what someone is doing every minute of the day?!” Then, at the CDC's 2008 Health Marketing Conference, I learned how it was using Twitter, both to deliver health messages and to convey real time information from the conference. I thought, "Interesting, but how the %$*#@*&^% can I make time to start using one more form of communication?!" (But--intellectual acceptance!) The next month, the World Social Marketing Conferencetweeted (sending messages via Twitter) in real time about topics and speakers. I followed these Tweets, and found them both informative and enjoyable. (Trying the new behavior, with positive actual consequences!)
So, this past October, I created a Twitter account…and did nothing with it. But I kept learning more about CDC’s use of the medium. Several of my social marketing “buddies” were regular users, and sang its praises. I found myself thinking more and more, “I have to find time to use this! And besides public health should be using the same communication channels that our populations use!” (Encouragement from, and modeling by, those important to me. Benefits and possibilities outweighing barriers!) Et voila, on February 16, 2009, I began posting! I was delighted to find a number of public health-related users to follow, as well as my own colleagues’ Tweets, and Twitters from their networks. I am amazed at how much useful, new information I am learning. And I love the sense of camaraderie and belonging I feel! (Very positive actual consequences!)
If YOU haven’t tried Twitter yet, give it a go! You can make of it what you want--a way to learn about and share the latest social marketing resources, or a way to find out what your friends are having for lunch. You can become familiar with one of the media your priority audiences may be using. And, if it doesn’t work for you, there is always blogging, texting, e-mailing, even talking face-to-face or...writing letters(?)!
If you want to sign-up for Twitter, go to www.twitter.com. If you want suggestions for Twitterers to follow, try:
Or, you can follow me at sm1guru .
