Content Curation: A Path to Pharma Social Media Success?

by Chris Iafolla, Feb 9, 2011, 8:58 AM

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"Content is king." "It's all about the content." "All good social media efforts start and stop with good content." No matter what tired, overused cliché you use, the prevailing thought is that without creating killer content, your social media efforts are doomed.

It's a valid line of thought; content is the currency of social media. At the same time, content is one of the most challenging and time-consuming aspects of an engagement. The burden of producing consistently good content is enough to halt social media efforts before they ever get off the ground.

For pharmaceutical companies, the content burden is even more pronounced. Not only do they face the same demands on content frequency, they also have the added pressure of dealing with strict Food and Drug Administration regulations. This not only limits what healthcare companies are able to say via social media, but also how compelling the content winds up being by the time it's stripped down to comply with existing regulations. It's not an impossible task, but it adds a layer of complexity not faced in all industries.

In highly regulated industries such as pharmaceuticals or financial services, is there a role for a "content curator" as opposed to a content creator? Is it possible to add value, build relationships and stay engaged if your company is not responsible for churning out content?

Absolutely. If your social media engagement is stuck on content creation planning -- change your plan. Your company can still add value as a content curator. In the pharmaceutical industry, patients crave reliable information that helps them manage their health and feel a sense of community. Healthcare companies can achieve both objectives without ever penning a single blog.

When it comes to health, pharmaceutical companies have added authority. The patient population would welcome their help in identifying content that a credible expert deems reliable.

Did a recent article on managing diabetes appear that offers useful insight? Retweet it. Come across a video on YouTube on how families with a cancer-stricken loved one can best provide support? Share the link. Read a blog post that offers fresh advice on how to safely lose weight? Comment on it, and share it. The patient population will recognize your efforts to sift through the noise and identify factual content, backed by your authority as a respected pharma brand.

Being part of a community does not just mean churning out content. Healthcare companies can engage with patients and identify useful content put out by other reliable sources. Is it a perfect social media engagement? No. But in a space that is beholden to regulations, like Pharma, it's a step on the path to a full social media engagement strategy. So what are you waiting for? Go move some content!

This Just In: Top Pain Relievers
1 Advil
2 Bayer
3 Aleve
4 Motrin
5 Excedrin
6 St. Joseph's
7 Tylenol
Source: Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index 2011

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0 comments on "Content Curation: A Path to Pharma Social Media Success? ".

1. Johanna Skilling from Euro RSCG Life 4D
   

   commented on: February 10, 2011 at 8:09 p.m.

   Chris, great article. I'd like to see pharma do everything you suggest and go one step further, thoughtfully curating great content through their portals ... helping patients really make sense of the 8 million or so hits they see after they google their condition. When the model becomes better patient service and advocacy, everyone wins: content creators, pharma curators, and concerned patients and families. Thanks for getting the discussion going!

2. Chris Iafolla from WCG
   

   commented on: February 11, 2011 at 12:32 p.m.

   Thanks for your comment Johanna--much appreciated. You hit on a key point: the model has to be about better patient service and advocacy. This creates a far better framework for decision making and keeps pharma companies pointed in the right direction.

3. Jon Thomas
   

   commented on: March 4, 2011 at 2:33 p.m.

   Great post Chris. This reminds me of the emerging title of "Chief Content Officer". That's exactly what pharmaceutical brands need, even if they're simply curating content.

   We featured your article in our recent newsletter (http://bit.ly/NL_9) and webinar (http://slidesha.re/dVcSqE).

4. Joseph Benza, jr. from www.YourCity.MD
   

   commented on: March 4, 2011 at 8:12 p.m.

   Hello Chris,

   I just subscribed to this newsletter today and in short order...I like the way you think... great advice and in this article, I especially like your comment, "patients crave reliable information that helps them manage their health and feel a sense of community."

   Here's why I like the comment... That comment describes our company better than any other...it is in fact, who we are, as a company!

   I would like for you to make just one search to learn how to change the lives of all your readers. Seriously!
   The story you will write after making the single search could actually change your life as well, because...

   You will quickly see the value of our top quality content and technology which has taken $7 million and 7 years to develop... it is the new Patent Pending, One-Click Find Engine Technology.

   Here it is: Start by going to any city on this city list at www.MyCity.MD like www.Cincinnati.MD ... after you choose your city, click the link and then *(bookmark the page) in the search box, type in a health care keyword for a condition, symptom or disease like "cancer".

   In a few seconds scroll the one page result report to find everything any patient would need in that city.

   Before you came to the site, our Find Engine already determined the best rated local doctors, specialists and hospitals to treat your cancer and will supply the names, addresses and telephone #s for each... along with the top physician vetted health care news, health articles, NIH information, health videos and more all keyed to cancer. Last but not least, the report will also provide a listing directory for the pharmacies to fill your Rx. Please note you only made One-Click when you were on this city website.

   This single search result page takes over an hour to produce the same top quality materials, directories, info and ratings using a Google, Bing, Yahoo and/or WebMD combined search. Don't believe me... take the challenge or look for our compare video in about 10 days on YouTube.

   This new One-Click Find Engine is the only, truly intelligent, decision engine on the Internet... you, Chris, need to do an in depth story on this engine before another writer in Health Care figures it out and beats you to it.

   If this doesn't blow you away as a health care journalist... then I am telling the wrong person...but I believe your gut is telling you to learn more.

   Your Pharma buddies can get the search engine free to use with unlimited access at www.YourCity.MD/OneClick and we will customize one for them, if they don't like the standard widgets, at no cost!

   Best Health Chris,
   Joe Benza, Jr. CEO/Founder
   YourCity.MD LLC

5. Joseph Benza, jr. from www.YourCity.MD
   

   commented on: March 4, 2011 at 8:19 p.m.

   Chris...
   To learn more, you can contact me through support@YourCity.MD and ask support to forward the email to me. I will in turn set up a conference call to tell you more about our technology innovations in Health Care that directly benefit Pharma. Ask about our other patent pending health care technology as well.

   Thanks again...

6. Rishi Shah from pangadgets.com
   

   commented on: July 8, 2011 at 7:50 a.m.

   content curation is effective for our gift ideas and gadgets site.

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