Social networks and blogs are now more heavily used than email, according to a Nielsen Online survey. If your wellness program isn’t on Facebook and you’ve never Twittered, it’s time to expand your promotion efforts. Here’s how:

• Do first things first. Before you dive in, consider whether your worksite culture is amenable to social networking. Some organizations block networking sites — make sure your proposed online activities don’t conflict with your employer’s at-work usage policy. Sit down with IT, HR, and other stakeholders to come up with a plan.
• Deliver quality content. Population health and social marketing expert R. Craig Lefebvre, PhD argues that health promoters should view consumers as participants rather than a target audience. He stresses the importance of quality content over strictly marketing. If your content is fresh, relevant, and engaging, people will come back for more — and they’ll have more exposure to the programs you’re promoting. If there’s nothing in it for them, they won’t bother.
• Get connected. The most widely used social networking site is Facebook, with 200+ million users. Every day, more than 100 million log on at least once; the fastest-growing segment is 35 and older. Not using this tool to promote your campaigns is a missed opportunity. Create a Facebook group or page featuring your program and events, and update it regularly.  Invite wellness program participants to add it to their profiles, becoming members or “fans.” Because Facebook is interactive, it’s an easy way to gather participant input and feedback.  Another site worth considering is LinkedIn, a network for professionals; use it to get in touch with other health promoters, experts in the field, and affiliate groups.
• Generate a buzz. Create a Facebook or Twitter user identity for your campaign and submit frequent status updates. Something as simple as “Excited about the walking program kickoff on Monday,” or “Wayne’s Walkers covered 3 miles at lunch time — high five!” can help generate enthusiasm. Be sure to include a link to your program’s registration and information pages; you can also post links to blogs and sites on these platforms. Use Goodreads to create book reviews, promote recommended reading, and run a virtual book club.  Invite employees to follow your posts by placing the Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads icons on your intranet page.
• Keep it short. Twitter is a wildly popular micro blogging site — from February 2008 to February 2009, usage increased by 1374%. Unlike a standard blog, where space is unlimited, Twitter forces you to condense your thoughts into bite-size “tweets” of 140 or fewer characters. You already know that communicating crisp, concise health promotion messages to your participants is most effective.
• Bookmark it. Want your participants to have quick access to the American Heart Association’s page on cholesterol? Save it and share it, with Del.icio.us, a social bookmarking tool. Use it to organize your bookmarks or research popular health and lifestyle topic links. Create a public profile for your wellness program to drive participants to the best sites on the Web.
• Feed it. Use a Rich Site Summary (RSS) feed to deliver up-to-date content to your population. You’ll need a feed reader to get started, and there are plenty to choose from — Feedreader (Windows), GoogleReader, and Amphetadesk are just a few. Add the feed reader icon to your program intranet page so that participants can easily subscribe.