1. Increase Your Health Info Visibility on Twitter
Introductions
According to Twitter, there are more than 200 million active users sending 400 million tweets per day. With so much chatter, it can be difficult to get your message heard.
This talk will take a look at how an NIH Center with a relatively modest number of followers on Twitter was able to host one of its most successful health-focused Twitter chats, leading to a trending hashtag and reaching over one million accounts.
Yasmine Kloth, MS, Digital and Social Media Strategist
Westat
Irene Liu, MPH, Health Communications and Digital Information Specialist
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) at the National Institutes of Health

2. NCCAM’s Mission: To define, through rigorous scientific investigation, the usefulness and safety of complementary and alternative medicine interventions and their roles in improving health and health care.
NCCAM is one of 27 Institutes and Centers at the NIH and the Center’s mission is to define, through rigorous scientific investigation, the usefulness and safety of complementary and alternative medicine interventions and their roles in improving health and health care.
To support this mission and as part a part of its overall communication plan, NCCAM hosts Twitter chats on a monthly basis, using the hashtag #nccamchat. The chats focus on what the science says about the safety and effectiveness of mind and body practices, such as yoga, tai chi, and meditation, and natural products, such as dietary supplements.
On Thursday, August 29, NCCAM hosted a Twitter chat on the science and safety of omega-3 fatty acids.
While NCCAM has had successful, engaging Twitter chats in the past, something about the omega-3 topic had people chatting to the point that the hashtag was trending in the Washington, D.C. area, and reached over a million accounts.
This success can be attributed to a plan that included:
#nccamchat

3. NEWS HOOK
When we chose our topic for August, we took into account that omega-3 fatty acids had been in the news all throughout July and August. We knew it could be an opportunity to answer fan questions, especially since the research on omega-3s has been complicated.
The hook helped in the development of promo tweets, made the content relevant
Because of all the news, choosing media who are active on Twitter was an important part of our promotion strategy.

4. Created a slide and Web page
Actively publicized the chat on NCCAM’s social media profiles
Reached out to a targeted list of media and third party organizations who are active on Twitter
PROMOTION STRATEGY (Examples over the next few slides)
Created a shareable slide and Web page
Actively publicized the chat on NCCAM’s social media profiles (promoted the chat at least a week in advance)
Reached out to a targeted list of media and third party organizations who are active on Twitter (identified media who wrote about omega-3s)

5. PROMOTION STRATEGY
Actively publicized the chat on NCCAM’s social media profiles (promoted the chat at least a week in advance)
Shareable slide
Promoted the chat at least a week in advance
Identified media who wrote about omega-3s

6. PROMOTION STRATEGY
Reached out to a targeted list of media and third party organizations who are active on Twitter
An example of targeted outreach—includes media and third party organizations.

7. NIH Partners
promoted and participated
Pairing of subject matter experts with digital communications experts in one room
We reached out to a number of Institutes and Centers who also research omega-3 fatty acids and invited them to be a part of the conversation. This allowed for each IC to take the lead on questions that came in as well as share their resources that were specific to: depression, cancer, eye health, and general info on dietary supplements.
ICs identified their own subject matter experts to help answer scientific and research-related questions; these SMEs worked with a digital communications team member

8. Invited other health organizations, such as the Mayo Clinic (631,100+ followers), to participate
Different levels of participation:
Promote
Retweet
Help answer questions, contribute info
Work with a subject matter expert
We also reached out to other health organizations, such as the Mayo Clinic, and encouraged them to participate in the chat.
With support from external agencies such as Mayo, their promotion and participation helped to further the chat’s reach.

9. Reached 1,043,971 accounts 16,092,365 impressions 291 participants
730 tweets
By putting these steps in place, NCCAM hosted a chat that trended in the Washington, D.C. area, sandwiched between #migrainechat (an earlier chat hosted by TIME Magazine) and #Syria.
This is notable because NCCAM has a moderate following (17,500+), especially when compared to TIME Healthland’s handle of 274,000+ followers.
The chat was NCCAM’s most successful chat at that point in time, reaching over 1 million accounts, had 16+ million impressions, 291 participants and 730 tweets was also the most mentioned handle. 9

10. Takeaways Choose a relevant topic that appeals to a wide audience.
Develop a strong promotion plan and highlight media and third party organizations active on Twitter.
Partner with other health organizations and agencies who will promote and participate in the chat.