This year, mobile will add 26% to prescription searches and 22% to over-the-counter searches 

I was lucky enough to be invited to the Google ThinkHealth event in New York City on September 15, 2011. First, going to Google headquarters is always fun because you get to see people rolling down the hallways on scooters and there is a sauna in the cafeteria. More importantly, Google always has first-rate speakers at this event and this year was no different. They featured Thomas Goetz of Wired Magazine, Dr. David Best of the Doctor’s Channel and Dr. Ruth Westheimer, still going strong at 83 years old. Dr. Ruth has expanded her brand via Twitter and a YouTube channel.

While there were a few very cool things presented that I can’t talk about due to a nondisclosure agreement, there were some interesting statistics that I can share.
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In the last few years, I’ve been invited to talk about my favorite topic – social media – to a variety of audiences. On Thursday evening, I spoke at a Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association (HBA) gathering in New York City. The topic was social media for professional development. Many women (and men) in pharma are intimidated by social media, and I enjoy sharing what’s possible. I especially enjoy recruiting for the weekly pharma marketing and social media #SocPharm tweetchat. Most people are surprised to hear that industry experts are sharing best practices every week on Twitter.

I think an understanding of social media is an essential skill for today’s biopharma marketers. See below for some advice on how to improve your personal social media presence and tips on using LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and SlideShare. Do I hit the mark? Any tips I missed?

Wendy brings a unique perspective, as she is not only an industry leader but the mother of a daughter, Casey, with a rare disease 

When PharmaPhorum asked Siren Interactive to create a series of blog posts about rare diseases, we were thrilled to have the opportunity to share our thoughts. In the six-part series, titled “Rare is different,” we’ll show how the world of rare diseases is unlike other pharma markets, particularly in the knowledge and influence wielded by patients and caregivers.

The first post, “How empowered patients and caregivers are changing marketing for rare disorders,” was written by Siren’s founder & president, Wendy White. Wendy brings a unique perspective, as she is not only an industry leader but the mother of a daughter, Casey, with a rare disease. Read her story and please add your perspective in the comments.

Stay tuned for the next installment from Frieda Hernandez, who shares: “Why doctors are often stumped by rare disorders.”

If you have more than one video, I recommend creating a YouTube channel 

I’ve written before about the value of YouTube for pharma and this raised the question of whether you have to create a channel on YouTube. The short answer is no. There is value in adding even a single video to YouTube: you gain increased exposure and search visibility. Also important for pharma is the ability to turn off or edit comments, which you can do for either an individual video or a channel.

If you have more than one video, I recommend creating a YouTube channel. It’s free and provides a custom URL. It allows all of your content to be gathered in one place. And you can customize the graphic look and feel of the channel to include your branding.

The latest statistics show that video is more popular than ever. A total of 180.3 million Americans viewed online video content in July 2011, representing growth of about 1% from June, according to comScore Video Metrix data.

The Importance of Facebook
The increasing number of videos viewed via Facebook is indicated by its rise from sixth to third most popular U.S. online video provider. So if your company or brand has a Facebook page, be sure to share videos there as well. Google sites, including YouTube, remain the clear leader, with more than double the viewers than the second place, VEVO.

(Image courtesy of Maurits Knook on Flickr).

An easy way to make website content shareable is by using “share this” functionality 

I’ve written before about the concept of shareworthiness: creating content or tools of value to your target audience and making them easy to share. If you do this, then your audience will share it for you and spread the information on your behalf. When your audience shares your material, they are also endorsing it, which adds a layer of trust for their recipients.

An easy way to make website content shareable is by using “share this” functionality. You’ve seen the graphics on many sites that allow users to click a button to share the link and a description on social sites, such as Facebook, Twitter and Google+. It’s an extension of the “email to a friend” concept that’s been around for years. Using a “share this” tool reminds visitors to take this step and makes it as easy as possible.

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