The Winter typically brings flu season into full swing and there are a host of ways for you to see the threat level of the virus as it moves around the country. The US Center for Disease Control (CDC) provides an ongoing view called FluView which tracks reported cases around the country and helps citizens visualize trend data through an online map:
One company, however, is providing us all with a different view–and showcasing a deeper way to use social media (for those still of the view that social media is a waste of time.) Theraflu, the maker of that gritty drink that is supposed to cure your Winter ills, is tracking social media chatter in a real way. Theraflu’s site provides a similar (yet deeper) map of data in the vein of the CDC’s (see below):
But Theraflu also provides an interesting set of charts that track “Internet chatter” for terms like cold, sick day, flu, and otherwise:
While this application could use a great deal of refinement (such as adding geo-location capabilities and making the trend data more meaningful to customers), it represents a very intelligent use of social media conversation. This example is a demonstration of how companies can tap into social media data in an intelligible way and hopefully generates some useful ideas regarding the integration of social media within a Web site. It’s also a reminder that social media isn’t just about updating your Twitter account or Facebook fan page (although those things are certainly important).