Currently viewing the tag: "Twitter"

If you own a company but are not on social media, then you are hurting your business. If you are in health care but not on social media, or on social media but not very active, then you, too, are hurting your business. The world is changing and doing so rapidly. Social media, review sites and smartphones are all part of the new technology shaping the world today. And if you are not on that train, then…well, you are being left behind.

Mass marketing through advertising is the old way, and if you don’t have a few million bucks to spend, then you are just not reaching people with that medium. And even for big companies that have that kind of money—the Coca Colas, Fords, and Starbucks of the world—social media is a HUGE part of their marketing plan. Why? Because social media is where the people be hangin’.

As a result, today’s marketing requires person-to-person interaction. People want to engage with companies, professionals and artists—they want personal attention, as personal attention builds trust. Why would anybody today want to do business with you, or listen to what you have to say, if you don’t give them personal attention, but your competitor does? Listen, economics are tight all over and people want to spend their money most effectively. The way people, today, feel most confident in doing so is through personal attention and interaction.

Enter social media—Twitter, Facebook, YouTube—sources anybody can use to connect to companies, celebrities, journalists, athletes, teachers, professionals—you name it. And that includes you. Website magazine recently reported that people who engage with companies on social media spend 20-40% more money with those companies than do other customers. That’s huge!

But not just businesses—anybody with an inspired message can use social media to influence others. Be it a political campaign (just ask President Barack Obama, a Twitter master), a charitable cause, or a world changing idea (like Changing the Way the World Thinks About Health™), nothing has been more important in leveling the playing field for marketing and message-spreading.

Health care providers absolutely need to be on social media, specifically Twitter. There are currently 200 million active users on Twitter—two hundred million! And Twitter is now one of the top ten visited websites on the Internet. Duh! You want to reach people? You want to educate them? You’ve got to be on Twitter. And you’ve got to learn to use it right. There are ways to master Twitter, and then there is just inefficiency. That’s why it’s not uncommon to hear someone say, “I don’t like Twitter.” Yeah, you haven’t learned to use it in the most fun and effective way yet. Believe me, learn that and your perceptions will change.

Watch the video below to hear how people are using Twitter to spread their message effectively (don’t let the first 55 seconds fool you…there’s lots of visuals to stimulate your mind). If you are in any health field whatsoever—chiropractic, medicine, psychology, personal training, physical therapy, nutrition, acupuncture, yoga, Reiki, or any other—you absolutely must watch this video. And then check out my book, How to Win Friends and Influence People (on Twitter), and you will learn the ins-and-outs of becoming a Twitter ★SuperStar★.

Find Facebook pointless? Step off: Facebook and other social media can be great for the health.  In fact, anything that gets people interacting regularly can impact health positively. So says a recent study showing that people with strong social relationships have 50% less chance of dying early than people without such support.

According to the study, a meta-analysis examining social relationships and their effects on health, low social interaction was

  • equivalent to being an alcoholic
  • equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes/day
  • more harmful than not exercising
  • two times more harmful than obesity

And increasing one’s social interactions had a bigger impact on premature death than taking an adult vaccine to prevent pneumonia or taking drugs for high blood pressure.

The authors of the study, a team at Brigham Young University in Utah, suggest that government policymakers should look at ways to help people maintain social relationships as a way of keeping the population healthy. They speak specifically in relation to seniors, as that part of the population has the greatest chance of living in isolation.

May I suggest seniors’ play centers? Oh, people could go to these centers to play cards or board games, watch sporting events or exercise. They could hold classes, have speakers and host other fun events. I know that many communities have these clubhouse-type centers already—I know of a few in Florida, myself—but I think this might be a useful expenditure of government money. Why not? If social interactions have such a high impact on health, then why not spend a little money on it? Make the clubhouses nice and have one in every neighborhood.

Everybody dive into Facebook, Twitter and any other social media that allows people to interact 24/7—it’s good for the health!

Copyright © 2013 Dr. Nick Campos - All Rights Reserved.