Lithium CX Files: Breast Cancer Care Uses Community to Empower Women with Support and Knowledge
“We’re the largest single cancer forum in the U.K.”
Anna Brown – Digital Community Officer, Breast Cancer Care
With Breast Cancer Awareness Month in full swing, we thought there was no better time than now to shine a spotlight on our friends at Breast Cancer Care. Aside from being the bearers of the largest U.K.-wide forum providing support, information, and care to people affected by breast cancer, the team at Breast Cancer Care has truly embraced the spirit of community to help women cope with what can sometimes be the most challenging time of their lives. So, to learn more about what Breast Cancer Care has done to create a supportive network of patients, survivors, and caregivers, we thought we’d take a few minutes to chat with the organization’s Digital Community Officer, Anna Brown ( @AnnaBrown) . Here’s what she had to say.
All About Metrics
Our community is a bit different than other communities. We don’t focus on posts and interactions like many other brands do. Rather, we care more about how many people are actually reading through those posts and the various interactions on those posts. After all, we are a support organization to anyone affected by breast cancer – from the newly diagnosed to those going through treatment, from survivors to their families, and from those with a secondary instance of breast cancer to providing end of life Our goal is to provide as many resources and as much information as possible to help one’s journey through cancer be a little less challenging. So, we need to know that the content we post is not only helpful, but also being read by those who come to our community. Until we moved over to Lithium’s platform, we really had no way of measuring performance at the content level. In other words, we were curious to see the metrics tied to every piece of content within our community. Lithium’s robust metrics system and analytics platform made that possible. It’s as if someone flipped a switch, and suddenly we had so much knowledge at our fingertips. It basically transformed overnight. Now, we have clear data and insights to inform how we build our content program moving forward – and it’s helping us make more of a difference in people’s lives.
Going Mobile
We’ve recently learned that over 85 percent of our users access our website and our community via mobile. Unfortunately, our site experience isn’t wholly responsive yet – and I feel as though that by providing a subpar mobile experience, we’re letting people down. Why? Because oftentimes the first touch point many people have with our site or our community is when a woman is sitting in the waiting room after being given a diagnosis. They turn to their phones – because we all have them these days – to get information, to find help, and to feel some sort of reassurance when they are going through potentially the hardest day of their lives. It’s important for us to be there and to provide a seamless journey when women need it most. So, it’s safe to say that my near-term goal is to make sure our entire site experience is mobile responsive. In doing so, we will be able to reach out and support more women than ever before.
Support Comes First
Our community fosters a different kind of interaction, more on the lines of a peer-to-peer support forum. People come to our community for a number of different reasons. However, when they do, they want to hear about real people’s experiences and ask questions to people who’ve faced cancer head on. Our community is all about support. Of course, we provide resources and information to help people understand what to expect as they undergo cancer treatment. But creating a supportive environment where people can find solace in the face of what can sometimes feel like an insurmountable challenge is our top priority. We help empower people facing breast cancer so they know exactly how they can be stronger than it. Our community plays a vital role in achieving that goal.
Want to hear more? Check out the video below to see what else Anna had to say:
ABOUT BREAST CANCER CARE
When you have breast cancer, everything changes. Time becomes measured in appointments. The next scan. The next results. The next challenge. At Breast Cancer Care, we understand the emotions, challenges and decisions you face every day. So, from the day you notice something’s not right to the day you begin to move forward, we’ll be here to help you through. Whether you want to speak to our nurses, download our specialist information or connect with volunteers who have faced what you are facing now, we can help you feel more in control. For more information, please visit our forum here. You can view our website here.
ABOUT ANNA BROWN Anna ( @AnnaBrown) is a qualified psychotherapist and a registered member of the BACP. Anna has worked for Breast Cancer Care for over 12 years and prior to that a background of working in mental health. Anna is passionate about her work and is committed to ensuring that everyone facing breast cancer has the information and support they need when they need it and in the format that suits their own individual needs.
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