Get Creative with HCP and Patient Influencer Engagement

Healthcare companies have made significant investments in their social media marketing efforts as a way to better reach and connect with patients and healthcare providers. Statistics show that the influencer marketing industry is projected to be worth $24 billion by the end of 2024, underscoring the impact and significance of these efforts.

In light of this exciting trend in social media, there are several ways that healthcare companies can create connectivity with the communities they aim to serve. However, given that the pharmaceutical industry is highly regulated and marketing efforts should be executed in accordance with these regulations, some healthcare companies might be hesitant to engage with digital opinion leaders and patient influencers at all. Others might wonder how they can engage with these experts in a way that still feels intentional and personalized and maximizes the experience for both the influencer and the company.

According to a report from The Journal of Health Communication, adherence to treatment regimens and lifestyle changes improved 15% to 20% in patients who followed influencer-led health campaigns. With this interesting statistic is mind, following are a few ways that healthcare companies can tap healthcare influencers that are collaborative, drive market visibility and give the influencer a seat at the table in ways that will be impactful.

• Healthcare Conferences: Consider partnering with healthcare influencers to speak at a panel, host an industry event or act as a fly on the wall during these informative events. With the emergence of patient-centric offerings during these conferences and an increase in digital opinion leader and advocacy presence, it’s a natural way to infuse the HCP and patient perspective in a room full of individuals who will greatly benefit from it.

• Advisory Boards: Ask healthcare influencers to consult on various initiatives, such as brand messaging and product launches, or provide market understanding and a patient-centric POV that can greatly improve how a company interacts with its intended audience.

• Medical “Master Class”: Invite HCPs, patient advocates and caregivers to speak candidly about patient engagement tactics, peer-to-peer perspectives and trends they’re seeing within their own communities, among their followers and, for HCPs, with their own patients.

• Clinical Trial Recruitment: Enlist HCPs and patients to use their firsthand knowledge to advocate for participation in clinical trials, especially among underrepresented or underserved patient populations.

Partnerships with healthcare influencers can forge strong relationships between brands and patient communities. Additionally, they can open the door for brands that may not be ready to execute a large-scale social media campaign but still want to show up for patients and healthcare providers.

At starpower, we’re at the forefront of HCP and patient influencer engagement. Our team of experts has seen the evolution of social media through the years and specializes in developing and executing thoughtful and strategic marketing initiatives that integrate healthcare expertise and innovation.

If you are interested in learning more about opportunities to collaborate with healthcare influencers, please email michael@starpowerllc.com to set up a time to discuss with our starpower/Culture & Influence team.

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