Thread by @usnehal

I'm always amused by sales or marketing or communication professionals attempt to sell to me how I need their help, how I need their protection, etc or it could be "mutual benefit" to connect. Oh, then what is your rank for what you are paid to do and attempting to charge me for?

Why am I able to outpace, by far, sales, marketing, and communication professionals? What is it they are teaching you wrong in school and/or you are unable to apply for success in real life?

Likely, the answer is: authenticity
Lived experience
Open communication
Values

Yes, metrics matter
Yes, reputation needs to be protected
But as we see happening with Dr. Fauci, those who wish to suppress science-based information (that they find embarrassing or wish to hide) will malign the person speaking about verifiable facts. Blowback does happen.

Influencers lead with ideas, they engage, and expand past current limitations or boundaries. To be an influencer, inspire and get people to think about new things.

Those who sell communication services may be using fear, ambition, greed - not positive human traits or emotions.

Instead of silos or boundaries or walls we need better connectivity. @Gladwell discusses this in a different way than #SoMe on the power of interconnectivity, having multipole identities/roles, being in multiple communities, and being able to convince

blogs.cornell.edu/info2040/2014/…

"Revere was able to spread his message so effectively because he knew all the right people in the towns that he visited. Namely, he knew who in each town was also well connected, and who then in turn would be able to further effectively spread the message."

= Social Selling

This "social selling" is something that is not well established or not done well on #MedTwitter where the politics of academia replicates itself here leading to silos, blocking, deleting and many of the things that cause distrust and add to negative reputation of #STEM or experts

Throughout the pandemic I saw posts and pile ons of how "dumb" certain people were and ridiculing of others. That is exactly how one can worsen distrust in science, in fact. The use of gossip, innuendo, cliques, ridicule are not good #SciComm or #SoMe

nature.com/articles/d4158…

There is a definite erosion of trust that is not only towards science but towards government overall. Ironically that seems to coincide with authoritarianism. Although, not so ironic given experts can be respected individuals and hard to control.

theweek.com/articles/44334…

When unusual things happen (but things that have happened before and we have been studying for years), things with a need for rapid national coordination, like a #pandemic, then lost of trust in experts and government is dangerous. We lose >210K

brookings.edu/blog/fixgov/20…

Ahead of this, scientists need to have established credibility in communities. That requires acknowledging past harms as well as being authentic in engagement. I post often on both

When we exclude frontline clinicians and deny their expertise = silo

https://twitter.com/usnehal/status/1254743180290994176?s=20

There are communities at the margins of society by many definitions of marginalization who get targeted with misinformation like this

which has been happening yet mainstream clinicians or systems are unaware or it has not been a priority

statnews.com/2017/05/08/mea…

What engages in the community is often what is silenced or banned by those in the ivory tower, like music, dancing, references to trending topics. Always loved working with @EBNHC where the CEO is of the community

=authentic
lived experience

=respect

Some people believe there is only one way to communicate. It may be that they only know one way to communicate and lack experience outside of one context that is self validating.

Others live this reality and are more adept at communication:

theguardian.com/film/2018/jul/…

How is that really that different from Paul Revere's ability to communicate across different people in different towns? Why can't we see the power, skill, talent of those who have had to constantly adjust and navigate? If it costs, it should be valued: hbr.org/2019/11/the-co…

Those who have to suppress authenticity in order to fit in and navigate systems are also the ones most targeted this election. What frustrates me is how I've seen them previously targeted in institutions. We need too stop silencing folks in any spaces.

theatlantic.com/politics/archi…

Have been seeing an uptick of targeting of high profile minorities as part of the lead up to the election as well as minority voter populations.

thehill.com/policy/cyberse…

This is systematic and by design. What frustrates me more is to know that the same folks who often post about wanting to change this in democracy, when within their own institutions, also choose suppression, marginalization, wrong labels of BIPOC.

americanprogress.org/issues/race/re…

What is the right answer? How much power does social media really have? Is it only effective at the negative? Is that why I see those with communication or marketing degrees going negative? How well can social media inspire? How we make progress?

npr.org/sections/allte…

What is the role of weak ties?

Was having a conversation today and there may be a benefit to weak ties for needed skepticism to avoid misinformation spread. But yes, they slow things down.

thesocietypages.org/thickculture/2…’s-view-of-weak-ties/

I see things like this: tribalimpact.com/blog/how-to-in…

I did not even know that there was an SSI until this week and I was curious "what is mine?" Oh..it is 68 and top 1% that marketers aspire to.

What does it mean though?
What impact can that have?

Am not sure if this stuff helps or hurts "my brand" but I do it out of mission and community service. I do think knowing how to communicate across audiences is an important skill. It does invite blowback from anti-diversity folks.

Here I'm connecting many communities from MIT to Harvard Kennedy School to ISNA to a non-profit in Chicago. I'm weaving together many things into one video and sharing knowledge. The video before used material from the CDC and HHS.

I appreciate the flexibility @DrJCoftheDC has in his social media outreach with tremendous success. One must employ creativity to do outreach past the walls of hospitals and universitites - and it is done with joy and hope

womansday.com/life/a32186985…

Instead of ignoring fear people are feeling, one can connect with it then lift up like here with @DrJCoftheDC and @NFLPA for #blackmensmiling for #COVID19 #pandemic positivity pro #mentalhealth and promoting more women and minorities in STEM

I am trying to think through, social "selling" versus "marketing" versus social. "connections." They are all different. Without judging, there can definitely be different pros and cons. Currently am working on a platform for seniors reduce loneliness

mindwise.org/blog/uncategor…

This is fascinating:

"Individuals who are not prone genetically to feeling lonely may, for example, suffer much less from social isolation, while others feel lonely even though they are surrounded and part of a rich social life"

greatcall.com/resources/agin…

Anyhoo..am not going to figure out what I'm tying to figure out in this thread. LOL. My brain is fried. Am still recovering from everything this weekend. Oops..wait..did I miss class? H2 schedule just started...

@threadreaderapp please unroll.