by Margaret Henderson
Source: Poster - A Cost-Effective Approach: Using Social Media to Promote a Cancer Prevention Video, by Donna Branson, BA; Jeff Yancey, PhD, CHES; Garrett Harding, BS; and Wallace Akerley, MD, of Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City. The posted was awarded best poster designation at the International Cancer Education Conference in October 2015.
In January 2015, the Huntsman Cancer Institute Patient and Public Education Department collaborated with the Utah Cancer Control Program, Utah Department of Environmental Quality Radon Program and other organizations on a radon awareness campaign. Three primary media platforms were used:
• radio advertising;
• website banner advertising; and
• Facebook boosted posts.
State-appropriated funds ($25,000) purchased website banner ads on two local TV networks and one local newspaper and radio ads on one local radio station. Additionally, Huntsman Cancer Institute contributed $400 to boost two Facebook posts.
In 2014, the Utah State Legislature appropriated $25,000 for radon awareness. Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) was selected as a recipient and used the funds to create and market Are You Breathing Radon? which is a theory-based prevention video that increases awareness of the cancer-causing radioactive gas radon and subsequent home testing. This project provided the opportunity to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of Facebook boosted video posts compared to radio and website banner advertising.
The cost of radio and website banner advertising totaled $25,000, while the cost of Facebook boosted posts totaled $400. Facebook posts generated twice as many video views as radio and website banner advertising, at a fraction of the cost (21,635 compared to 46,349 views). Advertising and videos drove audiences to the Radon Program website of the Department of Environmental Quality (radon.utah.gov). The Radon Program website visits increased 250% to 9,108 from January/February 2014 to January/February 2015. Radon test kits placed and evaluated increased 21% over the same period from 1184 to 1436. Although other factors may have influenced the increases, the video is believed to have been the cause of many of the additional visits.
The Facebook campaign exceeded expectations in terms of the number of video views it generated. Several elements made the campaign successful:
• ability to target advertising based on interests;
• ease of view for the recipient;
• relatively low cost of advertising; and
• capacity to view comments made about the video.
PROJECT ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Huntsman Cancer Institute Communications
Huntsman Cancer Institute Patient and
Public Education
Huntsman Cancer Institute Thoracic Division
The Radon Policy Coalition
Utah Cancer Control Program
Utah Department of Environmental Quality
Senator Aaron Osmond
Love Communications
Ryan Akerley, Artist
For more information, contact:
Donna Branson, Director
Patient and Public Education
Huntsman Cancer Institute
University of Utah Health Care
1950 Circle of Hope
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
(801) 585-6809 (office)
(801) 587-9235 (fax)
donna.branson@hci.utah.edu
United States