| Managed
Care on Facebook and Twitter
We have been spreading our wings by attempting to
serve those interested in the managed care market and its developments
no matter where they are. While we are not using homing pigeons, we
have established a presence on Facebook and Twitter.
We’ve only been at this a few months,
but I can tell you that they are indeed different in many ways from our
Managed Care Exchange Professional Discussion Group which we formed in
2002.
Twitter, some are saying, may be a passing fad.
Who knows? But in the meantime it is a good laboratory to test
different ways of reaching an audience.
I can see health plans creating short health and
wellness messages – they have to be short only 140 characters
are permitted – aimed at their members. It could be tips on
weight loss or smoking cessation, for instance.
We have some 488 members of the Managed Care
Exchange Group, and we have about 50 followers on Twitter so far. On
Facebook we have 64 ‘fans’ as they are called. On
regular Facebook accounts – not business – they are
called ‘friends.’
One thing, though, I am convinced that social
media in its many forms is not a fad and will not be going away any
time soon. There may be tweaks, and changes in form and delivery, but
the concept will live on.
At last count Twitter had more than 6 million
unique monthly visitors and the top demographic are 45-54 year olds,
according to a report by comScore. It seems boomers and senior citizens
are getting on Twitter more likely than their grandchildren, comScore
said.
Facebook has more than 300 million active users
and 50 percent of its active users log on to Facebook in any given day,
the company says.
I am sharing all this because I see opportunities
for executives to strengthen and enhance their programs, to boost
participation in programs you may sponsor, and to reach people they may
have otherwise not been able to reach. More tools in your belt.
Here’s how you can follow us on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/MCIC
To catch up with the Managed Care Information
Center on Facebook, if you are a Facebook member click on:
http://www.facebook.com/TheMCIC
On Facebook we are providing relevant news and
information and facts and tidbits on aspects of the managed care market
and what influences it.
For now, you might say we are
‘experimenting’ to try to gauge the potential of
Facebook. Those 300 million members are just too many to ignore.
Bob Jenkins
CEO
Managed Care Information Center
|
