Implementation of a Social Media Strategy for Public Health Promotion in Black, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Hispanic or Latino Communities During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background Individuals identifying as Black, American Indian or Alaska Native, or Hispanic or Latino lack access to culturally appropriate accurate information and are the target of disinformation campaigns, which create doubt in science and health care providers and might play a role in sustaining health disparities related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Objective This study aims to create and disseminate culturally and medically appropriate social media messages for Black, Latino, and American Indian or Alaska Native communities in Wisconsin and evaluate their reach and effectiveness in addressing the information needs of these communities. Methods Our team identified relevant COVID-19 topics based on feedback from their respective community, developed lay format materials, and translated materials into culturally appropriate social media messages that community advocates delivered across their respective communities. Social media metrics (reach, engagement, and impressions) were collected using Sprout Social and Facebook Analytics. We hosted 9 focus groups with community members to learn about their social media use. These data were analyzed using an inductive approach, using NVivo software (release 1.7) to code content. Results Between August 2021 and January 2023, we created 980 unique social media posts that reached 88,790 individuals and gathered >6700 engagements. Average reach per post was similar across the 3 communities, despite differences in the number of posts and followers on each page: 119.46 (Latino individuals), 111.74 (Black individuals), and 113.11 (Oneida Nation members). The type of posts that had higher engagement rate per reached person (ERR) varied across communities and platforms, with the highest being live videos for the Latino community on Facebook (ERR 9.4%), videos for the Black community on Facebook (ERR 19.53%), and social media messages for the Oneida Nation community (ERR 59.01%). Conclusions Our project presents a unique and effective model for health messages and highlights the need for tailoring social media messages and approaches for minoritized audiences (eg, age, gender, race, and ethnicity). Further research studies are needed to explore how specific types of information affect the dissemination of information and the implications for health communications.