ppopolo.github.io

Digital Health Applications

The "1/9/90 Rule"

Today I came across a reference to the “1/9/90 rule” in the comments of a post, and I had to look it up, so I thought I’d share it here. According to an online article by Susan Kuchinskas, Business Writer for American Express, “The so-called 1/9/90 rule posits that on a social media network or review site, only 1 percent of users will actively create content. Another 9 percent, the editors, will participate by commenting, rating or sharing the content. The other 90 percent watch, look and read without responding.” The marketing implications of this rule can be seen in places ranging from Yelp reviews to LinkedIn posts, and the take-away for me is that although we may actively engage with only a small percentage of people who view our content, we still have to continue to post and comment in order to reach the silent 90-percenters. That’s why the marketing success of a website or online blog post, as the article goes on to report, is determined not just by the number of ”likes” or comments, but on the number of views. Many communication strategists, career coaches, and online business proponents have advocated frequent posting and commenting for building your “brand” on LinkedIn, and I concur and have practiced the same. To be sure, it’s hard work to be a 10-percenter, let alone a 1-percenter. Do you know what another name for the top 1 percent is? “Influencers,” which is exactly the word I used in my recent interview with “Conversations with Calvin: WE the SpecIEs” (see my previous blog post) when talking about the marketing benefits to allied-health providers of having a custom-built app to give to their patients and clients to use on their smartphones. To summarize this point, I think health providers today seek a more holistic approach to their practice, to engage with their patients and clients not just when they come in for a specific malady or even once or twice a year for a physical or checkup, but rather to be a part of their patients’ daily life and to help promote wellness. When providers do this, they become “influencers,” influencing their patients to lead a more healthy lifestyle. Do you agree?

Contact me today and let's turn YOUR app idea into reality in as little as 5 weeks!