Partners for Healthier Eating

Take advantage of the great taste and low sodium from meals made with Mrs. Dash® Salt-Free Seasoning Blends and Mrs. Dash® Salt-Free Marinades - both with no MSG and full of flavor. Mrs. Dash on health >
BACK TO ARTICLES >

The Power of Social Networking & Mommy Bloggers

It’s no secret – Women love to shop. More than 85 percent of all consumer product good purchases are influenced by women. With the explosion of new technologies in the 21st century, now more than ever women are extremely powerful consumers and communicators. A recent Nielsen report estimates that two-thirds of internet users are visiting social networking sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace and are spending more than 10% of their online time at these sites. The popularity of these social networking internet sites have provided new opportunities for women, and especially at-home Moms to stay connected with others.

A recent Census Bureau report estimates that U.S. Moms represent approximately $2.1 trillion dollars in spending. Mommy Bloggers are a new phenomenon bred from the explosion of social networking sites and they have proven to be effective communication mavens and influential marketing tools for products and services. Business Week magazine stated, “Money can’t buy this kind of advertising,” in an article (May 2009) reporting on how the Federal Trade Commission wants to impose new regulations on bloggers to disclose when they’ve received freebies or payment from a company that may have influenced a product endorsement. Large companies have quickly learned the impact Mommy Bloggers can have on product endorsements and have been courting them as valuable sources of information for the development and marketing of new products.

The Dietitian’s Opportunity
There is no time like the present for Registered Dietitians to take this golden opportunity to provide Moms and the public with expert nutrition advice. Nutrition professionals who adopt cutting edge technologies have the potential to make an impact immediately on what nutrition information is shared with the public. Social networking sites are easy to use, self-authored and minimally regulated (for better or for worse!) and have the potential to reach millions of readers daily. Social networking is a powerful, no frills method that dietitians can use to dispel myths and set the facts straight on nutrition misinformation. Dietitians can set themselves apart by highlighting their different areas of expertise and serving as a reliable source of food and nutrition information. One of the best things about social networking is that it allows the author to use their own authentic voice to communicate messages with a personal touch. Dietitians are notoriously creative and resourceful and it is exciting to think about how everyone can benefit from our collective contributions to the world vis-à-vis social networking.
 

Popular Social Networks
Facebook, the most popular site to-date has more than 300 million registered users allows one to post information on a virtual public bulletin board. The fastest growing social networking site is Twitter, which boasts more than 55 million visitors per month. Twitter subscribers can post or “tweet” information limited to 140 characters or less on a virtual chat line to other subscribers who have chosen to follow their tweets. Twitter users can follow several conversations at a time and dialog with others at lightening speed. There are many other social networking sites with their own unique characteristics and targeted uses. For example, Linked In is another popular site that is primarily used to network with other professionals and building person-to-person (virtual, albeit) relationships. The good news – it’s all free!
 

Get on the bus today and join other Dietitians on the information superhighway! Tweet your thoughts to @EatSmartAZ

Rules of the Road

  • Be Transparent: Provide your credentials and disclose if you are being paid to represent a company, brand, product, etc.
  • Be Authentic: Use your own voice and unique perspective to share information. Nutrition information is everywhere…make readers want to listen to what you have to say.
  • Be Credible: Share information that is based on scientific evidence or qualify information that may not be proven or lacks enough facts to back it up.
  • Be Concise: If you don’t have a short “punch-line” for your information, re-consider whether or not it is social network-worthy.

 

Popular Social Networking Websites
www.twitter.com
www.facebook.com
www.linkedin.com
www.myspace.com
www.youtube.com
 

rule

BACK TO ARTICLES >