Influencing the Influencer
How do you effectively talk about mental health on TikTok — a platform that’s known to increase anxiety among its users? You go to Harvard.
The university’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health created an experiment to determine if influencers could be persuaded to share more evidence-based information.
The study brought together influencers who either directly spoke about mental health on their accounts or touched on related topics.
- Forty-two of them received digital tool kits that featured information and talking points on five different areas of mental health.
- Another group of 25 influencers also attended virtual forums, had access to a Slack group chat, and were invited to an on-campus summit.
Once the seeds had been planted, researchers got to work, analyzing the influencers’ feeds to see how much of the messaging stuck. Overall, they saw a 3% increase in content featuring the core themes the researchers had shared with the influencers — success.
In addition to boldly bridging the controversial gap between mental health and TikTok, this study showcased the value of strong, clear messaging (and measurement!). Whether you’re working with influencers or pitching online publications, think about how you’re communicating that key information. Find the medium that will work best to educate your intended audience. That might be a digital tool kit, or a 90-second explainer video, or an in-person meeting — whatever will meet them where they’re at.
TL;DR: By working with TikTok influencers, Harvard proved clear messaging can make all the difference when trying to change the conversation around mental health.
