How To Use Social Media To Promote Single Payer Healthcare

There are many social networking platforms.

My Space was perhaps one of the first and was considered something only kids
liked to use but now many adults like and use My Space, too.

Where I work in health care, if a crime is committed by a juvenile, Law Enforcement
will investigate the My Space page of the suspect and often can make an arrest based on
what they find there.

Face Book is considered an adult social networking site and many people use it to
post pictures and share them with family and friends.

The other two social networking sites I use, and there are many more, are Twitter
and Squidoo. Squidoo was founded by Seth Godin whose most recent enlightened
business book is called "Tribes."

In my humble opinion, Face Book alone does not get the word out about Single Payer.

As an example, I love Dustin Moore's Face Book page on Single Payer, but he could use
Twitter and Squidoo to maximize his efforts there.

Let us use Dustin's Face Book page about Single Payer as an example as to how he
could get word out to more people.

First allow me to explain Twitter and Squidoo.

Twitter is a network of millions, many of whom are business builders, many of whom have
to pay high Health Insurance Premiums for themselves, family and employees.

Some of them are so wealthy they don't care how much they have to pay.

But many are not.

Twitter is a blogging platform where you can only use 140 characters to get your message out.
You must be concise in your wording, which is also excellent writing practice!

Squidoo is a social networking community where you build what is called a "lens," a focused
page about anything you are passionate about.

Recently I did a page on Donna Smith, Sandra Strauss, and Chuck Pennacchio-one page each-
about what they have to say about Single Payer.

Twitter, Face Book and Squidoo all interface together, with Twitter being the pivotal platform.

Whatever I do on Twitter feeds into Face Book, if I set it up that way.

What ever I do on Squidoo feeds directly into Face Book and Twitter, if I direct it to.

So let us return to Dustin's excellent Single Payer Face Book page.

Let's say he had 1-2,000 Twitter followers. Anytime he updated his Face Book page, he could do a
post on Twitter about that, then redirect the Twitter message back to his main Face Book page.

These interface applications are excellent ways to communicate about our message and get
passage of HB 1660 on board much faster.

You can look at Twitter as a Community Journalism Tool.

Those of you with Blackberrys or iPhones can communicate about what goes on when you are at a
meeting for Single Payer. You can take a picture of people at the meeting and immediately post this
on Face Book and Twitter.

You can post an insight or piece of news directly to Twitter and immediately reach thousands of
people, because if others find what you have said to be noteworthy, they will "re-tweet" your message
to all of their followers.

Thus the beauty of viral news making is created.

When ever there is an earthquake or some other natural disaster, a person at the scene will twitter
their first hand account, and the news goes out to Twitterland before Cnn or MSNBC can access it.

When the plane went down on the Hudson a few weeks ago, a person saw it go down from his office window.
He immediately Twittered his friend over at the Aviation Rescue Office, and rumor has it that
this is why rescue workers were on the scene so fast.

One rescue worker twittered on her way to the downed plane.

Her message read: "On way 2 downed plane in Hudson 2 see if there R any survivors."

This is how we all knew before the major news agencies even got word, although now CNN and MSNBC
are on Twitter, too.

So these are powerful tools, folks.

Let us use them to pass HB 1660 here in Pennsylvania.

Thank you.