Anyone interested is welcome to take part on a Wednesday evening 

I’m pleased to announce the biopharmaceutical marketing and social media tweetchat, #SocPharm, celebrated its second anniversary. If you aren’t familiar with tweetchats, they are simply conversations held via Twitter around an area of interest at a pre-arranged time. The #SocPharm tweetchat is every Wednesday from 8 to 9 pm EST.

The chat includes people who work for biotech and pharmaceutical companies, agencies and associated services, but patients, doctors and nurses also occasionally join in. The idea is to get a variety of perspectives and to share best practices as we all figure out this whole new world of biopharma marketing.

The topics range from breaking news to larger issues, such as the use of Facebook for branding and the growth of mobile apps. The moderator starts off with introductions and then raises a topic for discussion. Everyone tweets about the question (using the hashtag #SocPharm), and the virtual conversation goes back and forth. About every 15-20 minutes, the moderator presents a new topic.

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During each chat I typically learn a new thing and have at least one laugh 

I’m proud to say it’s been a year since the first pharmaceutical marketing and social media tweetchat, #SocPharm. The #SocPharm tweetchat (online conversations related to a specific area of interest) takes place every Wednesday from 8 to 9 pm EST. Read more about tweetchats and hashtags.

The goal of the chat was to get people talking about the use of interactive tools, and social media in particular, for pharmaceutical/biotech marketing. I hoped that we’d have interesting discussions on best practices, share ideas and learn from each other. And we’ve definitely accomplished that, as you can see in the #SocPharm transcripts. During each chat I typically learn a new thing and have at least one laugh. What’s great is that not only do we have industry people talking, we also occasionally get patients, doctors and nurses joining in.

We experimented with a live #SocPharm tweetchat at the Digital Pharma East conference. While it was fascinating to be in the room, I’m not sure the people via Twitter had the same experience. It was definitely challenging to live tweet, read the tweetstream and talk into a microphone at the same time!

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Are you scratching your head wondering why a busy pharmaceutical marketing professional would spend time on Twitter? One reason: Tweetchats, which are conversations, held at a pre-arranged time on Twitter. Typically Tweetchats are around a specific area of interest. Every Wednesday I moderate a conversation about pharma marketing and social media. To access this Tweetchat, you use the hashtag #SocPharm.

To learn about hashtags, how to join a Tweetchat and accessing Twitter on your phone, see my previous post.

Live #SocPharm Tweetchat on 10/20
The first live #SocPharm Tweetchat will be held at the Digital Pharma East conference on Wednesday, October 20, 2010 at 11:30 am EST. This special #SocPharm tweetchat will pose topical questions and responses will come from both the real-life audience and the global Twitter crowd.  This interactive conversation will be fast, fun and free flowing.

This session will be an introduction for people new to Twitter as well as relevant to veteran tweeters. It will be an opportunity to share your opinion on hot topics and learn what others (in-person and online) have to say. Brad Pendergraph, Manager, Multi-Channel Marketing at Novartis Pharmaceuticals and Joan Mikardos, Senior Director, Business Innovation at sanofi-aventis will join me as moderators.

If you’re wondering why people are buzzing about Twitter, be sure to take part – whether virtually or in real life.

And I’ll also be live tweeting the conference using their hashtag #digpharm.

This post was contributed by Eileen O’Brien, Director of Search & Innovation for Siren Interactive. You can connect with her on Twitter at @eileenobrien.

(Image courtesy of Christopher Carfi on Flickr)

Every Wednesday from 8 to 9 pm EST, pharma marketers get together virtually on Twitter to talk 

Are you intimidated by the blank Twitter box asking “What’s happening”? Do you think Twitter is all about people describing what they ate for breakfast? If so, a Tweetchat might be right for you.

What’s a Tweetchat?
Tweetchats are conversations, held at a pre-arranged time on Twitter. Typically Tweetchats are around a specific area of interest. There are currently Tweetchats on topics ranging from personal branding to real estate to small business technology to dogs. Every Wednesday I moderate a conversation about pharma marketing and social media which you can listen to – or you can join in the discussion. To access this Tweetchat, you use the hashtag #SocPharm.
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It’s important to note that the social media channels are being used as part of a broader communication plan. 

Once again, J&J has turned to social media. Needing to communicate about a recent recall of Tylenol and other medications, J&J has taken to its blog and Twitter.

On the corporate communications blog, J&JBTW, there are two posts explaining the recall. What’s unique, from a pharma perspective, is that this blog allows for comments. As of today, there are only three comments, however one of them is negative. Marc Monseau, who is the primary writer for the blog, has responded to the comment. The blog also directs to a Twitter account.
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The next person you meet might change your life. Or you might change their life 

Last night I attended #140Conf Philly Meetup. Translation: I went to a free event in Philadelphia about the power of real-time social media tools led by Jeff Pulver. Pulver is the co-founder of Vonage and a guy fascinated by the next thing.

Pulver spoke about the instantaneous and disruptive power of Twitter and used the example of the Iran election. Sadly, as the event was going on, many of us learned via Twitter about the tragic earthquake in Haiti.

Pulver advised, “In 2010 every single biz should have a chief listening officer. If someone reaches out and finds silence, another biz will connect with them.”
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Tweetchats are an excellent way to get introduced to Twitter 

Tonight – January 6, 2010 – I’ll be leading the first tweetchat dedicated to pharma marketing. While there are social media chats and healthcare chats on Twitter, there is nothing specific to pharma.

What’s a tweetchat?
As you might gather from the name, it’s a chat that takes place on Twitter. At a designated day and time people go on Twitter to talk about a particular topic. Usually the chats are moderated by someone who leads with introductions and questions for discussion. To allow people to follow the chat there is a designated hashtag (#).

Tweetchats are a great way to learn what others have to say, share your opinion and meet other tweeters interested in similar issues.
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the seeds of discontent with the status quo have been sown 

Okay, so I appropriated that line from someone on Twitter who, probably unknowingly, mangled the great ’70s spoken word artist Gil Scott-Heron’s battle cry – but I digress.

Last week’s ExL Digital Pharma Conference was a blast because it was all about the possibilities that social media and other interactive tools offer for our industry in building customer relationships. It was a no-fear kind of environment and, importantly, participants walked the talk. You’ve got to step up your unconference, facilitating-the-conversation game when a significant number of people in the room are tweeting their questions and comments and the Twitter feed is projected in real time. No pressure! Read More