Health Organizations’ Use of Facebook for Health Advertising and Promotion

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study is to examine how health organizations use interactive features and social media channels on Facebook to manage their brand for advertising purposes. A content analysis of 1,760 wall comments on health organizations’ Facebook pages reveals that nonprofit health organizations are more active in posting to Facebook than any other health organization examined. However, nonprofit health organizations do not take full advantage of interactive features or other social media channels. Government agencies and schools/universities exhibit the broadest use of interactive features; health care institutions appear more devoted to integrating social media channels with Facebook than the other types of organizations. Overall, health organizations strategically use branding and advertising techniques to manage their image and promote their brands. Still, there is room for improvement to take better advantage of various social media tools for consumer-generated advertising and viral marketing.

Additional information

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Hyojung Park is a doctoral candidate in journalism at the University of Missouri. Her research interests include relationship management in public relations, crisis communication, health communication, and social media marketing. E-mail: [email protected]

Shelly Rodgers is Associate Professor of Strategic Communication at the University of Missouri School of Journalism. Her research is funded by more than $7 million in grants and focuses on advertising, health communication, and new technology. E-mail: [email protected]

Jon Stemmle is the associate director of the Health Communication Research Center at the University of Missouri School of Journalism. He spent the past 15 years in public relations and strategic health communication. His specialties include tailored health communication, social marketing practices, and community-based health interventions. E-mail: [email protected]