Meet the organizer: CDC Flu Team
Every so often, we’ll be introducing you to the organizer of a Thunderclap campaign. They’ll share their story and talk through the tactics they used to reach their audience.
This week, we spoke with some members of the team at the The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Tell us about your role at the CDC.
Our team runs the seasonal flu campaign within CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. We work to make sure that everyone is protected against flu by encouraging everyone 6 months and older to get a flu vaccine.
Your recent Thunderclap campaign around flu season had over 500 supporters and 6.6 million in social reach. What promotional tactics worked well for you as you recruited supporters?
We conducted a lot of grassroots outreach for our Thunderclap. We posted messages on our Twitter profile, and spent time personally reaching out to partners and asking for their support. These partners in turn asked their communities to support the Thunderclap. Most of the 500 supporters were individuals interested in promoting flu vaccination!
The CDC has run a few Thunderclap campaigns over the years. Can you share some of your go-to best practices?
Definitely reach out to your partners! We are very lucky to have a passionate group of partners who are committed to sharing the message that the flu vaccine is the best way to prevent the flu. Asking for support is the best way to build relationships, including and beyond the Thunderclap campaign.
What advice do you have for organizers that have an important message to share, but might not have a huge network?
Start early! It takes time to build an audience, and many supporters may not understand or have the ability to join. Just because you don’t have a large audience, doesn’t mean that people aren’t interested in your cause. Find partners that are the best fit, and ask those partners if they know people that are interested in supporting your Thunderclap. Be understanding, have patience, and be thoughtful in who you ask.
Why do you feel that social media is a useful forum for spreading messages about disease control and prevention?
Over 60% of people get their news from social media, and friends and family tend to be the strongest influencers in health decisions. The more we can get out there on social media with accurate and timely messages, the more educated people are and willing to share information with their network.
Thank you to Kathleen, Rose, Sydney, Caitlin, and their CDC teammate and Northrop Grumman digital media consultant, Reyna L. Jones for being part of our Meet the Organizer series!
Want to be featured in a future Meet the Organizer interview? Email us at contact@thunderclap.it.
