Social Media Strategies for Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign - Essay Example

Red – Social Media Strategies for breast cancer awareness campaign Red – Social Media Strategies for breast cancer awareness campaign Abstract Social media plays a crucial role in spreading awareness among people. Non profit organization makes use of diverse social media strategies for its publicity and spreading their message. The widespread of Breast cancer among teenager females has become one of the major issue and cause of mortality. This report analyzes social media strategies for a non profit organization ‘Red’ that shall be used for its media campaigns. It further provides information about the strength and weakness of the chosen social media strategies to determine the succession of its campaign. Introduction Breast cancer is one of the prevailing common cancers in the world that affects lives of thousands of women every year. The rate of breast cancer among developed countries is three times more than the less developed countries (Azenha, Bass & Caleffi 2011). Red is a non profit organization that aims to spread awareness in order to improve the lives of the women who are suffering from breast cancer (Zillmann 2008). In addition, the organization aims to spread awareness among the young females in schools and universities about the disease and controlling measures. Red aims to create breast cancer awareness campaign among the teenagers and women in the well developed countries because mortality rate due to breast cancer in developed countries is because of lack of quality information, regular screening and prevention methods.. Therefore, the organization aims to raise public awareness and educate patient through using social media (Breuer, Napthine & OShea 2008). People are more inclined towards social media than the other mediums, such as, newspapers, magazines, etc. Herein, to adequate the changing trend and pattern of the masses social media strategies have been adopted for the campaign to increase its publicity and raise awareness. The initial diagnose and treatment of Breast Cancer can help saving lives of thousands of women all around the world (Azenha, Bass & Caleffi 2011). Therefore, the main focus of the campaign shall remain the young females from different schools and universities (Barker, Borman & Neher 2012). It is expected that the greater knowledge of Breast Cancer shall lead to early detection of disease which can asses with the high and long term survival rate. In addition, the campaign shall raise funds for the patients that belong from low income families suffering from disease to provide reliable and permanent cure. Objectives Rate of breast cancer among developed countries is more than the less developed countries therefore ‘Red’ breast cancer awareness campaign aims to work in the different regions of United States and United Kingdom’s different schools and universities (Matthes 2009) (Slater 2007). Furthermore, the campaign shall provide screening for the females and assistance. The main objectives of the Campaign are: Increase awareness and understanding about breast cancer Measures to prevent breast cancer Improve and enhance the quality of life of breast cancer patient Increase awareness about cervical screening Provide information about the treatment and care of Breast cancer Improve health outcomes through early diagnose Narrow health inequalities Support and assistance of healthcare professional to take the opportunity to support and improve their health Increase discussion in order to get support from friend, families and communities Social media sites for maximizing publicity The main objective of breast cancer awareness is to raise public awareness towards the organization through conveying information about breast cancer detection, treatment and reliable means of treatment (Matthes 2009). In order to make the campaign successive it is essential that the organization make use of appropriate social medium to spread awareness for the cause. The changing trend of the general public is the main element that shall be evaluated to develop strong social media strategies (Ball-Rokeach & Melvin 2002). The increasing trend of social media websites and forum among the people can be an effective source to enhance the outcomes of breast awareness campaign. It can allow organization to deliver message in an effective and creative manner than the old traditional advertisement techniques. It can gain attention of larger public; this can be beneficial for the organization for the succession of campaign and meet its objectives (Mclvor 2010). Social media website provide a better understanding about the issue as well connects people, feedbacks and comments can allow discussion that are significant for publicity. In addition, social media websites have enhance individual’s abilities to learn about the different screening and treatment option that are available online that provides better support and cure for the people through connecting with each other (Albarran 2013). As the targeted audiences of the campaign are young females it is important that the organization should use social media websites such as Facebook and twitter to spread awareness about breast cancer. In order to enhance the objectivity off the campaign the social media websites that Red shall use are: YouTube Videos are one of the best medium to convey your message with different ways. Number of visual images, information and message can incorporate in the video to make the message (Biagi 2014). In addition, it is one of the most creative medium to attract large audience therefore video sharing and uploading can be a great option to spread awareness about the campaign. YouTube is a video sharing and streaming website, where millions of people worldwide connect therefore YouTube can be a great social media website to share information relating to breast cancer. the medical communities and healthcare professional’s interviews and opinions can be broadcasted through video streaming and sharing among people (Ball-Rokeach & Melvin 2002). YouTube can be used to deliver information and understanding about the appropriate medical institution, recommandations, suggestions, administration for self breast examination, diagnoses and the latest treatment methods and health consideration for the people who have cured from breast cancer (Ball-Rokeach & Melvin 2002). Preventing measures can also be well demonstrated through videos, professionals from the well recognized Cancer Centers and hospitals can post videos about the common questions about the disease, and the physicians can also provide detailed answer to the questions (Ball-Rokeach & Melvin 2002). In order to provide vivid information to the audience survivors perspectives, patient profiles can also be uploaded and shared from well recognized medial institutions. Twitter Twitter is one of the most interactive social forum, as it provides latest updates, event, happenings and news through out the world. different trends and hashtags are made to unit masses towards a particular cause. Different images, videos and links can also be shared on Twitter to gain attention of different people. The organization can either make common and similar hashtags like #breastcancer #cancer #RedBreastCancerAwarness #Cancerawarness #PreventBreastCancer etc. this can connect a large audience towards a particular trend, different people throughout the world can share their ideas, information and querries about breastcancer. In addition, it can unite people who have interest towards the topic that can be significant to develop a better discussion among people. Opinion and messages from people all around the world can share their perspectives, information and questions about the breast cancer. they can also seek assistance of active members of the organization for support and advices. Twitter can be an effective social medium source to initiate conversation and ideas about the cause. Number of hashtags that are related to breast cancer can be updated to gain attention of masses. Provoking and persuasive message can also be composed to tap people in the conversation. Facebook Facebook is one of the largest and widely used social media website that has more than 500 million users all around the world. Facebook is one of the popular social forum that allows video, image and page sharing. A page for breast cancer awareness can be created on Facebook by the organization to share information and create direct linkage of people with the organization. Messaging and comments on the posts of organization can spread information in wider manner. Facebook makes the sharing easier with everyone all around the world, either it be the family members, friends, school colleagues etc. in addition, Facebook is one of the widely use social media for youngsters therefore Facebook can be a significant medium to target young females. Attractive and innovative images and videos can be shared, poster, or advertised on Facebook can allow users to interact with the organization directly. For the people who seek for personalized experience and sharing, facebook is a perfect place that sustains the privacy of the users. Further several online support groups can also be made on facebook to enhance sharing information, discussion and monitoring people in the group in order to ensure safety, protection and authenticity of the information. Instagram Instagram has become one of the widely used social forums; it is basically a photo and images sharing social media websites that allows famous people, celebrities and general public to openly share their images on a social forum. Instagram is now associated with Facebook that has made the image sharing more interactive. Breast cancer awareness can also be spread through developing creative flow chart images, emotional images, messages etc. colorful background and photos can be added in order to make the message more attractive for users. Unlike, Facebook Instagram is more public that has less privacy as compared to other social forum, therefore it can be an effective medium to share message or image that can attract a large number of audience. For Instagram the organization shall be more concerned to develop innovative and creative messages to spread awareness in an effective manner. Strength of Social Media Strategies Social Media can be an effective source to built relationship of the organization with the general public (Biagi 2014). It can enhance connection between audiences due to which the awareness of the cause can be spread effectively, this is because social media makes the platform powerful to build a closer relation with the audience and develops a better image of the organization (Slater 2007). it can be an effective source to enhance reliability of the message and cause that the campaign aims to deliver. Furthermore, social media connects the people all around the world. The message can be delivered in all parts of the world (Slater 2007). It can beneficial to target a particular demographic audience that is the people of all ages mainly the teenagers. In addition, the message can be spread quickly and faster than the other mediums, the best part is that the followers and users can share the posts that can further spread the message to larger audience (Ball-Rokeach & Melvin 2002). This means that the audience itself is engaged in the process to spread the message on behalf of organization (Matthes 2009). Posting on regular bases can enhance people’s perception about the brand, the writing style, tone and interactive pattern of the organization can caste a greater impact to enhance creditability of the message that the organization aims to spread. The organization can make use of the social media websites to have a deeper insight of the people and the problems that they desire to answer (Mclvor 2010). Feedbacks and comments can improve your insight to improve and enhance the techniques that the organization may adopt to enhance its effectiveness. Online conversation with the users can provide better assistance to its audience about the issue, as the organization is able to listen and participate in the online conversation of its audience (Biagi 2014). The organization can make use of the feedbacks of the customer to determine the information and issue of the audience and answers they seek (Ball-Rokeach & Melvin 2002). The organization can make most of the social forum to develop creative, innovative and attractive message for its audience that can be enhance publicity of the message the organization aims to deliver (Biagi 2014). Social media website are also cost effective, innovate images and videos can be created on a cheaper budget to interact with the audience and spread the message. Social media website offers quick, easier and faster access for the organization to share experience. Weakness of Social Media Strategies One of the major draw back of the social media websites is that it requires a continuous feedbacks, information, posts and creative messages in order to keep the audience enacted with the causes of campaigns (Azenha, Bass & Caleffi 2011). Furthermore, the online conversation require much of the time to keep in touch with the people, the main issue is to come up with interesting and innovative ideas to keep the page or link interesting for people (Azenha, Bass & Caleffi 2011). If there are so many followers it is essential to daily monitor the responses and comments of the people, this is because if any rumor or wrong information is being conveyed on the social page, group or forum of the organization it may harm the image of the organization due to which the creditability and reliability of its message may be influenced (Azenha, Bass & Caleffi 2011). There are several people all over the world, therefore it is essential the organization’s post should not be biased or reflect any discrimination (Azenha, Bass & Caleffi 2011). The organization should be careful while posting that the message or the content, image or any video clip does not hurts any one’s feeling, norms or values (Azenha, Bass & Caleffi 2011). There are several people all over the world posting or commenting on the page of the organization that may lead to phraseology and tone (Biagi 2014). Several of negative comments or rumors can also be easily spread to harm the image or reputation of the organization. Social media are large platform therefore controlling the conversation and message is difficult. Any thing that the organization may publish is open for criticism due to which the objectivity that the organization seeks to attain through the post can distract the mind of audience due to the critics on the organization’s page. Furthermore, people may make similar named pages thus can divert the mind of audience. The misuse through the social media websites is more due to which the organization should be very careful to determine and monitor its posts. Evaluation of success of campaign There are several factors that involves in the success of the campaign, among them one of the most prominent factor is the response of audience. The success of the campaign can be observed through the followers and users of the official pages of the organization’s web page, group etc. In order to gain the attention of masses the main focus of the organization should be on the creativity of the message that is being posted. Further, transactional videos clips should be constantly uploaded in order to sustain the importance of the cause and keep the esteem of the people high towards the objective. Feedbacks of the customers, research, follow up and constant in touch with the people should be made essential for the organization. This is because the organization is able to identify either the goals the organization aims to spread is still prevailing or being followed, or there are some other amendment that shall be done in developing stronger messages. Number of participants and volunteers for the cause also indicates the effectiveness and influence of the campaign on audience. It can also provide information about the different ideas or advices that the audience desire that should be incorporated in the campaign. In case if the follow up and feedbacks of the customers decreases it can also be an indication that the audience are bored or are uninterested towards the cause. The use of the different video messages with the celebrities conveying the message can gain significant attention of the users. For teenagers this strategy is one of the effective strategies this is because they usually consider their favorite actress or actors as their ideals due to which they can get more engaged towards the cause. Besides of this it can also enhance the effectiveness of the message among the audience. emotional messages should be incorporated as well as real life experience should be widely shard and discusses to spread the awareness about breast cancer. However, the organization should be creative while composing its content, video or image messages this is because people often get bored quick due to which the goal of the organization remains ineffective. The feedbacks and follow up by the member of the organization should be ensured in order to determine that the people have not just listen to the message but have actually implemented in their lives. The main success of the campaign shall only be achieved if the individual follow the measures and keep in touch with the organization. List of References Albarran, AB 2013, The Social Media Industries, Routledge, New York. Azenha, G, Bass, LP & Caleffi, M 2011, The role of breast cancer civil society in different resource settings, The Breast, pp. 1-7. Ball-Rokeach, SJ & Melvin, D 2002, A Dependency Model of Mass Media Effect, Communicatio research, vol 3, no. 1, pp. 3-21. Barker, M, Borman, N & Neher, K 2012, Social Media Marketing: A Strategic Approach, Cengage Learning, Mason. Biagi, S 2014, Media/impact: An Introduction to Mass Media, Cengage Learning, Mason. Breuer, I, Napthine, M & OShea, R 2008, Persuasive Language in Media Text, Insight Publication, Sydney. Matthes, J 2009, Whats in a frame? A content analysis of media framing studies in the worls leading communication journals 1990-2005, Journalism and Mass Communication Quaterly, pp. 349-367. Mclvor, C 2010, Social Media Startegy Map, Christine Mclvor, New York. Slater, MD 2007, Reinforcing Spirals: The Mutual Influence of Media Selectivity and Media Effects and Their Impact on Individual Behavior and Social Identity, Communication Theory, vol 17, no. 3, pp. 281-303. Zillmann, D 2008, Exemplificatio Theory of Media Influence, in J Bryant, D Zillmann (eds.), Media Effect: Advance in Theory and Research, Taylor & Francis, London. Read More