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eBook/Digital Version available from:
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Score: 94 |
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| Influencing Health: A Comprehensive Guide to Working with Online Influencers |
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ISBN: 978-0-367-24992-2,
180 pages,
Soft Cover
ISBN-10: 0-367-24992-8 |
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| Copyright: |
2019 |
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| Edition: |
1st |
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| Author: |
Burke-Garcia, Amelia, PhD |
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Specialties:
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Health Care Administration
, Public Health |
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| Publisher: |
Routledge |
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| Imprint: |
Productivity Press, Inc. |
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| List Price: |
$49.95 |
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| Google: |
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At A Glance
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The U.S., and countries around the globe, are facing an ever-evolving series of health issues, including obesity, food deserts, child hunger, poor maternal health outcomes, and the resurgence of communicable diseases. Traditionally, health communicators and marketers have talked about these issues in a vacuum, in which related information is only visible when people are specifically seeking it out. If we are to give global health the attention it deserves, we need to weave it into our everyday conversations and experiences. Ultimately, we need to normalize the conversation around health. The emergence of everyday online opinion leaders has created a whole new market for shifting consumer perceptions and behaviors. In fact, many of these everyday online opinion leaders, called influencers, have built such large-scale social media presences that they now have the voice, the platform, and the following to reach millions of people with personal points of view on any number of topics. There are great opportunities for engaging with online influencers to support health promotion programs. However, navigating this online community is new to many people. Understanding how this online community works, the opportunities for paid and unpaid engagements, and the value that health programs specifically have with this community, is paramount to successfully working with influencers. This book draws from research with over 400 online influencers, the latest industry data, and practical, real-world experiences working with influencers over the past ten years. An easy-to-read guidebook for marketers and health communicators alike, this book leverages storytelling as a means for sharing lessons-learned and providing readers with practical knowledge about the online marketing industry and influencer community, as they relate to health.
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Reviewer:
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Felicia Vertin,
Masters of Science Nursing
(Rush University Medical Center)
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Range
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Question
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Score
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| 1-10 |
Are the author's objectives met? |
10 |
| 1-10 |
Rate the worthiness of those objectives. |
10 |
| 1-5 |
Is this written at an appropriate level? |
5 |
| 1-5 |
Is there significant duplication? (1=significant, 5=insignificant) |
3 |
| 1-5 |
Are there significant omissions? (1=significant, 5=insignificant) |
5 |
| 1-5 |
Rate the authority of the authors. |
5 |
| 1-5 |
Are there sufficient illustrations? |
5 |
| 1-5 |
Rate the pedagogic value of the illustrations. |
5 |
| 1-5 |
Rate the print quality of the illustrations. |
3 |
| 1-5 |
Are there sufficient references? |
5 |
| 1-5 |
Rate the currency of the references. |
5 |
| 1-5 |
Rate the pertinence of the references. |
5 |
| 1-5 |
Rate the helpfulness of the index. |
4 |
| 1-5 |
If important in this specialty, rate the physical appearance of the book |
5 |
| 1-10 |
Is this a worthwhile contribution to the field? |
10 |
| 1-10 |
If this is a 2nd or later edition, is this new edition needed? |
N/A |
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Reviewer:
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Felicia Vertin,
Masters of Science Nursing
(Rush University Medical Center)
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Description
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| Marketing and advertising through social media continue to evolve and has entered a new era. "Online influencers" are individuals who are sharing their personal messages and stories related to health and, as a result, have attracted followers. Advertisers and other online influencers are accessing existing audiences to push their health content. Because of their followers, online influencers are receiving reimbursements for doing their everyday work. The author has provided a framework outlining how ordinary people expressing their health interests online have become stakeholders. |
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Purpose
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| The purpose of the book is to provide education on how online influencers are using social media to promote health awareness and outcomes. It explores the risks and considerations for sharing powerful personal health communications. Understanding that messaging must have a superbly creative visual appeal to succeed in proliferation is necessary for acceptance; this accounts for the increased use of illustrations and short video messaging. Helping ordinary people understand how to harness social media to achieve health outcomes is vitally needed. |
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Audience
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| This book is intended for anyone who wants to understand how to produce desired health outcomes using online social media. The author brings years of personal research experience, data, and success stories that support the effectiveness of applying the guidelines that she has outlined. Clinicians and leaders who have roles in influencing health outcomes will benefit from reading this book |
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Features
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| The history of online marketing is covered. When it comes to advertising, big name organizations and celebrities are being dropped in favor of ordinary people who are perceived as more persuasive with their followers, and they are being paid to promote content or products that get attention. Followers present a community, and changing practices within a small community is still significant when it comes to health. An increase in obtaining vaccinations serves as an important example of how online influencing can work. There are sensitivities and risks in writing about health topics based on perceptions of both the online influencer and followers. Maintaining and managing a loyal following can be challenging; and the considerations become even greater when paid advertisements enter the online community. Advertisers have expectations and limits as outlined in contracting, and the online influencers have expectations from their loyal followers. Avoiding the restrictions of branding in order to be true to followers is important; at the same time, being transparent about any paid messaging is equally important. Education and considerations for effectively managing relationships are given along with suggestions for providing transparency with full disclosures. Perceived fatalism based on social norms where an individual or groups of people perceive that nothing will change is addressed. Online influencers through social media are instrumental in alleviating fatalism and using the power of social media to foster behavioral changes even in those who are sometimes resistive to change. |
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Assessment
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| Those who are spending a significant amount of time on any of the social forums such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, etc., should read this book. While the author outlines how to influence health, the framework she has provided can be applied to other areas of interest that are important when buy-in is needed. I highly recommend this book for its framework, pertinence, and utility! |
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