
HealtheVoices 2018: A New Mission for Advocacy in Day Two
Key Takeaways
- Twitter's response to cyberbullying and verification was inadequate, but video production sessions inspired new advocacy strategies.
- Launching a YouTube channel was a key takeaway, with plans to use a storyboard and bullet points for content creation.
Part two in a three-part series about my trip to Chicago for HealtheVoices 2018.
In April 2018, I had the opportunity to attend HealtheVoices 2018, a conference for online health advocates. To catch up to my journey, check out the
Day two of HealtheVoices18 began with a session focused on Twitter. While I didn't really learn anything inherently new about growing an audience on Twitter, I was affirmed that many of the things that I already do are considered best practice. Some mental health advocates asked if Twitter would be doing about cyberbullying and discussed ways to stop it, but they didn't have many concrete steps in place. I also inquired about the verification process and discounted/free Tweet promotions, which would help spread more influence for health advocates, but unfortunately, they had no real answers. Even though their answers were disappointing, to be honest, I hope our voices were heard and I will be following up over the next few months.
However, the next two sessions about video production, led by
After learning various tips on how to create videos and grow an audience, I've decided that I will be launching the A Ballsy Sense of Tumor YouTube channel, which you can
To be honest, I am a bit nervous and anxious about this endeavor. While I am hilarious and charismatic in person (not to mention incredibly modest and humble), that doesn't always show through in video. I also know I do better when I just let it free flow instead of scripting out what to say. Perhaps a storyboard and major bullet points format will work best for me when planning out my content. It will definitely be a learning curve, but I am excited to start planning my first videos, for shooting, editing, and publishing over the summer/early fall.
Our final group session was led by
Afterwards, representatives from Wisdo,
Later that evening, we had an open mic night. I had prepared
As the day wound down, I reflected on what day two meant to me. As I said, one thing I'm going to be committing to is a new outlet for awareness and advocacy via video. My mind is already whirling on how this is going to go, but I also recognize I want to slow down and plan it out well first.
The other focal point of day two was connection. I spent a lot of time talking and bonding with the cancer advocates who I had met at the pre-conference. Since there were only ten total cancer advocates in the group of 120 advocates, I also spent a decent amount of time connecting with others from other advocacy areas.
I spoke with
This is part two of a three part series about my experiences at HealtheVoices 2018. Be sure to
Disclosure: My travel expenses were paid for by Janssen Global Services, LLC. All thoughts and opinions expressed on social media or this blog are fully my own, honest thoughts, and not reflective of those held by Janssen.