starpower: Harnessing the Power and Perspective of the HCP Influencer

The acronym HCP is synonymous with medical expertise, patient engagement and a level of healthcare cognizance that allows these individuals to speak to various facets of health. Their proficiency in the medical field is why we lean on them to educate and inform many of the health decisions we make.

As the emergence of social media has taken a front seat to how the healthcare community interacts, we’re seeing shifts in how HCPs are communicating with patients and their peers. From candid conversations about the state of healthcare, dispelling misinformation, deep dives on data or focusing on the rudimentary principles of their profession – the HCP voice is more impactful than ever.

HCP adoption of social media for professional purposes has increased to 91% in recent years*.

• Information is Power. Credible Information is Powerful. Social media has provided a limitless platform for information sharing that has demonstrated to be beneficial for the healthcare community. It’s important to lean on the credible voices of HCPs to help distinguish fact from fiction, especially as it relates to conversations around treatment options, therapies, product efficacy and the responsible use of medicine.

• TikTok is the new “Ask a Doc”. Known for its intrinsic storytelling style, HCPs are using TikTok to provide education for patients but also engage in honest conversations with their peers. There are insights to take note of as it relates to HCP interactions on this platform – including a sense of support, vulnerability and responsibility that HCPs feel they must uphold for their social media community.

• The Value of Peer-to-Peer Engagement. Often, there is an assumption that partnering with HCPs is done with the intent to reach patient groups and encourage adoption of a specific product – that’s only one part of the larger marketing equation. HCPs are instrumental to reaching their peers and engaging in conversations that can touch on the function of medicine, introduction of a new treatment class, general discussions around the surgical tools or habits that they’ve put into practice that have helped improve patient outcomes.

One of the primary shifts we’ve seen with HCPs and social media is the distinction between Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) and Digital Opinion Leaders (DOLs). While KOLs are still an integral part of the healthcare community, their function differs from that of a DOL as they are rooted in discussing data and have a peer-first approach to the conversations they engage in. The primary social media channel they post content to is X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn with conversations timed to congress attendance, science and clinically driven insights. DOLs are HCPs that have a strong presence within the medical community and among patient groups primarily on social platforms like Meta and TikTok. DOLs cater to both patients and their peers when creating content which allows them to maximize their appeal and organic reach. When it comes to engaging KOLs or DOLs, there is value in partnering with each and it is largely dependent on a brand’s target audience and marketing objective.

At starpower, we’re thrilled to be at the forefront of HCP influencer engagement. Our team of experts has seen the evolution of HCP’s involvement in social media through the years and specialize in putting forth thoughtful and strategic marketing initiatives that integrate HCP expertise and innovation.

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

*Source: Digital Marketing Institute

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