When friends and followers see positive social media postings, they are subliminally influenced to post positive updates
Negative posts influenced people to post negative updates
The absence of emotion influenced fewer postings overall
It’s the last point that has some interesting applications for physician marketers. The researchers noted that the effect of less posting was slightly stronger when users were fed fewer positive updates, suggesting that Facebook users become less engaged when content on their feed becomes more negative.
The study supports research by BMJ from back in 2008 that pointed to positivity and “emotional contagion” that causes happiness to spread virally through social media. One of the criticisms of that study was the difficulty in analyzing social media over such a long-term space. With Facebook’s research, the results came after only one week, due in large part to the massive reach and volume of posts that come through Facebook on a daily basis.
How can you put this information to use?
Reviews and ratings
Check your reviews and ratings on Vitals, HealthGrades, ZocDoc, Yelp, FourSquare, and other physician review sites. What’s showing?
- Are your ratings and reviews recent and positive?
- Have you answered all comments – positive or negative?
Post the silver linings
Even when there’s bad news, you can usually find a silver lining. Frame up comments, recent research findings, and other postings from a positive perspective and watch the feedback and engagement mount.
