Social Media Love it or hate it, social media is here to stay. The OSU Center for Rural Health is an active user and promoter of social media. While the term, “social media” is broad and encompasses a number of platforms or applications, Facebook and Twitter are arguably at the pinnacle of the social media universe. The Marketing Committee’s strategy for Facebook is to feature content that does not lend itself to a formal blog post or a standalone webpage. This primarily includes photo albums and event promotion. Since our first status update in May 2009, our Facebook page has garnered 119 total “Likes” split between 75 individuals and 44 organizations. Currently, we have a weekly reach of over 700 unique individuals. Photos are the most popular content on our Facebook page. We also utilize Facebook to share timely rural health news or status updates from the members of our own social network. We aim to keep most of our status updates Oklahoma-centric. Lastly, Facebook plays a key role in driving traffic to our websites. Find us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/osururalhealth. The OSU Center for Rural Health sent its first tweet on April 23, 2010. As of March 2013, our total number of tweets exceeds 3,000. The Marketing Committee’s initial strategy for Twitter was to drive visitors to our websites. That strategy matured and has now evolved into more news and information dissemination. We try to keep our tweets relevant to rural health and Oklahoma. To date, the Center’s Twitter account has 570 followers from around the world. Follow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/osururalhealth.
Day. National Rural Health Day is celebrated nationwide on the third Thursday in November. Beginning with the inaugural National Rural Health Day in 2011, the OSU Center for Rural Health has hosted an open house each year with a catered BBQ lunch. The event is our way of giving back to our campus family and celebrating the joys of rural Oklahoma. The Center has also sponsored a rural Oklahoma photo contest each year in conjunction with National Rural Health Day. The public’s response to the contest has been tremendous. We have garnered entries from across the state with subjects ranging from people to landscapes. Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin has twice issued gubernatorial proclamations honoring the people and healthcare providers of rural Oklahoma on National Rural Health Day. Conclusion The OSU Center for Rural Health Marketing Committee will mark its third year of existence this June. While it is fun to look back at where we have been and what we have accomplished, it is just as important that we look forward. The relationships that we have kindled through our various efforts described above (and some not listed) must continue to grow. We exist to serve the people of rural Oklahoma. Part of that service is to keep them informed of our activities. The Marketing Committee is doing just that. I encourage you to visit the resources listed in this article. Let us know if we are missing something or if there is something that we can do to help tell your story. Ultimately, our success will be measured not by pageviews or tweets, but how we tell the story of rural Oklahoma. okDO
National Rural Health Day One of the larger undertakings of the Marketing Committee has been to organize a celebration marking National Rural Health
Oklahoma D.O.
Winner of the 2012 Rural Oklahoma Photo Contest. “Ol' Silo on Highway 45” by Tony Khalaf. Taken near Carmen, OK.
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Oklahoma D.O. | May / June 2013