How Condition-Specific Stories Fuel Engagement in Social Health

Published August 15th, 2022 | 3 Minute Read

Social health – the dynamic, real-time action people take to find meaningful connections and share information that impact the health journey – has revolutionized opportunities for expression of individual health stories and experiences. Yet like any stories, when told to the wrong listeners, they may not be truly heard. 

For patient leaders who are empowering others by sharing their stories through social health, condition-specific outlets like well-established online health communities, dedicated social media/influencer accounts, forums/message boards and beyond – are essential for the success and catharsis of their efforts. 

When shared with the right audience, a relevant story that reflects shared experience can reach hundreds of thousands of people:

Scroll through the slider for examples from Migraine.com, InflammatoryBowelDisease.net, Blood-Cancer.com, Psoriatic-Arthritis.com, MultipleSclerosis.net and ProstateCancer.net.

The images above demonstrate the power of social health in action, and just how valuable and far-reaching patient leader stories can be when amplified to a qualified, condition-specific audience. These stories strongly resonate with others who live with the same condition; accompanying them with regular moderation creates ongoing support and fosters increased engagement. 

This notion is supported by a recent analysis of Health Union’s adaptive engagement model published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research which found that engagement rates within our online health community Facebook pages range from 6-9% – compared to an average engagement rate across Facebook of less than 1%. The adaptive engagement model used across Health Union’s 40+ communities focuses on social support and active moderation, which encourages community members to participate in meaningful health conversations. 

Impactful patient leader stories supported by active moderation creates a recipe for success for ongoing, condition-specific engagement, and ultimately, trust in social health – which creates a mutually beneficial impact for both patients and pharma.

There is a growing opportunity for innovative, social solutions to engage patients living with complex conditions as they find information and connection – and deliver reliable results for brands in a way that’s transformative, not transactional. With established, condition-specific communities and the only extensive network of more than 100,000 patient leaders, Health Union can help you integrate your brand into existing, authentic social health interactions.