Harnessing Twitter, Partnerships and the Power of Influence to Stop Stigma and Spread Awareness

Background:  Research suggests that inaccurate knowledge related to HIV transmission and stigma continue to hinder HIV prevention efforts, and that informal, interpersonal communication about HIV/AIDS can reduce myths and misconceptions, increase preventive behaviors, reduce stigma and normalize conversations about HIV. CDC’s Prevention Communication Branch will use lessons learned from its presence on Twitter to demonstrate how health communicators and marketers can successfully leverage Twitter to support health communication programs, increase the reach of program messaging, and harness the power of peer-to-peer communication.

Program background:  In March 2010 CDC created a campaign presence on Twitter to engage audiences in discussions related to HIV and sexual health, and draw upon the influence of campaign followers and CDC partners to drive awareness and extend the reach of campaign messaging.   As new campaigns are launched under the Act Against AIDS campaign umbrella, CDC leverages the platform to support these programs and engage additional populations at risk for HIV.

Evaluation Methods and Results:  For the Act Against AIDS (AAA) presence on Twitter, represented by the handle @talkHIV, CDC and partners use a consistent hashtag to  track the reach of campaign messages.  To support evaluation efforts, Hashtracking, Topsy and Radian 6 are all used to gauge the reach of campaign messages and related efforts, including Twitterchats, Twitter town halls and the cross-promotion of other AAA digital and social media platforms.  The collective efforts of followers who participated in Twitterviews, chats and other campaign related activities in support of campaign launches and HIV observance days have resulted in more than 20 million impressions.

Conclusions:  Twitter presents health communicators with opportunities to drive traffic to campaign websites, directly engage and educate populations at increased risk for HIV, and spread awareness.   Twitter also provides opportunities to monitor related conversations to identify lingering myths, misconceptions and clues to support strategic content development; correct misinformation, and leverage traditional and non-traditional partnerships in support of HIV prevention initiatives and the dissemination of campaign messages. 

Implications for research and/or practice:  Twitter is an excellent tool for health communicators and marketers interested in widely disseminating health education and campaign messages, promoting and sustaining dialogue, increasing awareness and developing online partnerships.  Health communicators should monitor the platform for opportunities to extend the reach of campaign messages, keeping in mind that continuous engagement, relevant content and flexibility are keys to success.  Challenges related to sustaining and building an audience, and successfully managing the page amidst increased visibility and more stringent clearance processes are also important considerations.