Exploring Avenues on Social Media for Public Health Organizations to Connect With the LGBT+ Community

Author

Louisa GlazunovaFollow

Date of Award

5-2023

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Communication, Technology, and Society

Committee Chair/Advisor

Brandon Boatwright

Committee Member

Skye Wingate

Committee Member

CJ Calabrese

Abstract

There has been a significant increase in the number of nonprofit organizations that focus on health and wellness in the United States. These organizations center on creating and maintaining relationships with stakeholders through various approaches. One of these approaches is to use social media marketing to connect with their target audience and promote engagement with provided services and informational content. This study analyzed how sources of content on social media impact the LGBT+ community's perception of their relationship with a nonprofit organization specializing in LGBT+ health and well-being. An organizational-public relations and social media marketing framework was adapted to analyze participants' responses quantitatively; a uses and gratifications approach was used to analyze short-answer responses from a mixed-method survey thematically. Although the current study found no significant statistical data for the relational outcomes between sources on social media, it did find meaningful insight as to why and how the LGBT+ community uses social media regarding their health and wellness. The findings have implications for organizations specializing in LGBT+ healthcare and reveal several themes social media content creators can follow in order to build community engagement, maintain relationships, and create a safe space for information seekers and sharers.

Recommended Citation

Glazunova, Louisa, "Exploring Avenues on Social Media for Public Health Organizations to Connect With the LGBT+ Community" (2023). All Theses. 4060.
https://open.clemson.edu/all_theses/4060