Since I qualified as a dietitian in 2005, the way nutrition information is communicated has changed at quite a pace. The basics of nutrition are still the same but we have moved from….
- Books, journals and written journals to ebooks and blogs.
- Face to Face meetings have become online meetings, virtual hangouts and video calls.
- TV chefs have been challenged by food bloggers and YouTube cookery channels.
With social media being a huge knowledge driver it is clear that how we communicate affects language. So nutritional professionals with the RIGHT message need to be actively on social media, shouting about it.
The History:
1999 : Rise of Blogs.
2004 : Facebook begin and is now worth hundreds of billions.
2005 : YouTube started up.
2006 : Twitter, rising to more than 100 million users in 2012.
2012: : Health Bloggers emerge.
53% of consumers check their smart phones within 5 minutes of waking. Health bloggers are now prolific and widely followed, some are fast becoming household names with their own recipe books and published in the media. However many of these bloggers are giving out their own nutrition advice but with no real qualifications.
What do people now want?
- Evidenced based nutrition knowledge presented online, in an easy to access format. Bite sizes snippets that is scientifically correct.
- Ethical products.
- Natural foods.
- Homemade, fast recipes.
- Artisan ideas.
- A unique story on food.
- Smaller independent brands in a move away from the mass produced products.
As dietitian’s/registered nutritionists we have a huge role here.
My thoughts:
- How we communicate counts. Be present, be a part of the conversation.
- Be authentic. Dietitian’s eat cake! Model healthy eating, balance, moderations and all the things we preach about.
- Working with brands is ok as long as you are one about it using the hangtags #ad #spon and a disclosure in any blog posts.
- Share your tips, what you eat, your recipes, your work, your stories, new foods, your meals, the research you read, live tweet study days. Show your passion, shout about it.
- Keep abreast of the food trends. We can’t get left behind. Be current, be topical, be present.