Social Media Strategy

Social Media Strategy

Introduction

The rate of incidence of HIV in America is seven times more in the African Americans as compared to the White Americans due to disproportionate transmission which is through the heterosexual contact. Through the adolescents having AIDS or HIV represent a small amount of cases in United States i.e. almost five percent, they represent one of the quickest growing group of the newly affected people in country and the adolescents from the African American group are disproportionately affected. In a study conducted in the age group of below 25 years for the diagnosis of AIDS or HIV it was revealed that almost sixty percent were African Americans. Therefore, the interventions should be focused on the African American adolescents and should try to address the concerns which are unique to this group. The use of social media campaigns is very well suited for meeting these goals because of their wide reach. The adolescents and the African American in general are extensive users of the social media and it can be culturally targeted to this specific audience. The commercial marketing has shown that the African Americans respond more favorably to the messages on social media which are designed to focus and resolve their interests (Romer et al, 1999).

Discussion

The effectiveness of the HIV prevention campaigns on the mass media has been weak in United States. This is especially true for those campaigns that target the African American adolescents. It is because the researchers face many problems in isolating the media effects in the multi-component intervention. The other reason is that most of the HIV prevention in the United States have been conducted on the small level in the form of school based programs and counseling. The reason for this practice is the belief that it has been believed that the interventions at face to face have more power as compared to the social media in changing the HIV related risk behaviors. It is because these interventions provide more opportunities for the active participation related to watching the media message (Romer et al, 1999).

In order to increase the level of awareness among the African Americans, a culturally sensitive approach needs to be used in the social media for promoting higher acceptance a safer sexual behavior in the youth of African Americans and for encouraging a behavior change among them. it is because they are at the risk of sexually transmitted infections which include HIV. The interventions need to be sensitive to the deep or surface structure of the culture of audience. The surface structure is the use of those change agents who have the same background and use the language which is similar to the audience and also the use of those channels of communication that can reach the audience in the best manner. The deep structure show the understanding of the way the members of audience will conceptualize the health risk associated to their lives and also the barriers that they encounter in the reduction or management of ...