Promoting wellness in new times: using digital media and marketing strategy to reach new audiences Jana Stara, 14. červenec 2015 Digital media are often blamed for the sedentary behavior and unhealthy lives of so many and yes, people are spending more time sitting by their computers. Yet, they still want to be healthy and happy, so we need to talk to them the way they process information today – through their computers. While the word “wellness” has become part of our vocabulary, there are still many people the world over to whom this term remains unknown or unclear. These people comprise a new audience for us to communicate the meaning of wellness, its benefits, and its proven practices that lead to healthier and more satisfying lives. New times, new media, new possibilities We also live in the digital age, a transformative time that is often blamed for the sedentary behavior and unhealthy lives of so many. What if, though, as the thousands of “fitness apps” and other wellness tools online demonstrate to those who are tuned in to this lifestyle, we could reach some of the population that is not familiar with wellness? What if we could more fully understand this “new media” and use it to help this large, new audience, both to help them and to increase our reach? And what if we could do it for free? The purpose of my presentation for National Wellness Conference 2015 was to provide participants with the information they need to use digital media to more effectively share wellness knowledge and skills so that their clients, students, and/or employees can experience wellness at its best. There are online tools you can use (for free!) First, we talked about the new media of digitalized communications and explained its key principles. Then, we explored a range of currently available, free web-based solutions that can help us to transform our wellness messages into powerful media platforms. We learnt about blogs, email newsletters, audio or video streams, social media sites, and more. Finally, we talked about content strategy and product design – how to mix the information we want to share, using the media we have, all while speaking to various audiences such as those in the different stages of the behavior change process. Internet is a tool, not a solution We all know that the internet and the new media it provides is not the solution – it does not make people well. It does, however, provide us with a new and expanded audience that offers new opportunities for business and for wellness promotion, globally. Below you can find my prezi I used during the presentation. I have included links to external resources, so you can learn even more! If you had any questions, comments or wanted me to have a look at your social media strategy (or wanted to create one with me), don´t hesitate to let me now. (contact below) Would be glad to help!