Communicating Complex Science in 140 Characters: Social Media and the HIV Prevention Research Field

What are they tweeting? Tracking your issue on Twitter, Facebook and beyond

Kay MarshallAVAC

• Q. Does social media really matter? Do you need to monitor it?

• A. …we are exploring new ways to …engage directly with people around the world. That means using technologies such as Twitter and SMS to open dialogues with everyone from civil society advocates in Russia to farmers in Kenya to students in Colombia. Hillary Clinton, 18 July 2012

• Q. Does social media really matter? Do you need to monitor it?

• A.

HIV on social media

• “HIV” was tweeted more than 800,000 times in 2011• HIV tweeted an average of 1,000 times an hour in

the days leading up to the conference; AIDS 1,100 times

• #AIDS2012 tweets: 12K and counting at 11 am today

Can’t follow everyone, so….

…Use the social network to your advantage•Follow your friends and allies•Follow trusted news sources•But especially follow (or track) those who are don’t agree with you

Help with monitoring

• Topsy.com• Socialmention.com• http://socdir.com/• twist.flaptor.com• http://monitter.com/