Does it work for medicos?
It is an inherent tendency for consumers to believe what other consumers have to say about a brand, rather than blindly trusting what a brand says about itself. The healthcare industry is a tricky ground to thread and in such a situation, consumers are overly precautious to only invest their time and resources in services they trust without an iota of doubt. Health is not something anyone wants to mess with.
Powered by social media and connectivity, consumers are deaf and blind to traditional outbound marketing. They prefer to do their own research and consult with people they trust rather than an advertising billboard or pamphlet when making critical healthcare decisions. With the digital transformation of businesses, influencer marketing has become a powerful branding tool for the medical and wellness industry to reach out to a wider audience.
A simple yet impactful post with a well thought caption can do more to improve the brand value and trust in a medical facility or service , than traditional marketing campaigns. The reason? Influencer marketing allows you to tap not only the Influencer’s audience pool but their audiences network as well, therefore snowballing awareness and trust to an exponential extent. An influencer does not only spread awareness about the brand, but also drives action.
How to make influencer marketing work for medicos?
Find the right influencer
The right influencer for other industries would be someone of overwhelming popularity and wider outreach, the medical industry needs to take a different approach when it comes to finding the right influencer to promote their services. Healthcare brands need to choose influencers that have direct interaction or experience with the brand. It is important for the influencer to be personally interested in the subject matter.
For example, if a dental clinic wants to promote their teeth whitening treatment, the influencer must get their teeth whitening treatment done by this particular dental clinic itself. This way they can give a testimonial of their experience with the brand, from the diagnosis and the treatment to the final results.
Similarly doctors, nurses, pharmacists and healthcare providers can leverage social media platforms to rise in their roles as influencers since the populace is most likely to listen to a figure of authority in the medical field for medical related services. It is important to note that in the medical industry, influence and popularity are not interchangeable. Popularity is a numbers game, influence is your expertise in a particular matter.
The goal is to share not sell
Influencers are not sales persons. It is better to form genuine connections with your potential patient rather than forcing your service down their throat. If the influencer uses their voice to educate the customer about a breakthrough medical treatment, its procedure, benefits and possible side effects in an honest and straightforward manner, healthcare brands can position themselves as trustworthy resource persons in the eyes of the public.
Of course the frill and fun of social media should remain, but it must not cover or overpower the truth about your brand and the services you offer. In the same vein, in order to maintain the authenticity of the influencer activity, the medical brand can offer a free service to the influencer, in exchange of a testimonial or shout out to the brand on their social media handles.
The rise of patient influencers:
You might have come across medical brands posting patient testimonial videos on their social media pages such as Instagram and Facebook. They share their personal experiences in relation to their medical concerns, their interaction with the doctors, the treatment they underwent and the overall experience. Often termed as patient influencers, these individuals might not have the most impressive social media numbers, but they have lived experiences which matter the most to potential customers.
Patient influencers can be the most trusted advocates of your medical brand and they’re good or bad reviews can make or break your brand name. They not only trigger people’s curiosity and build awareness, but also drive action by encouraging others to choose your brand over others.
Tracking the success of influencer marketing
At the outset of the influencer marketing campaign you have to establish what are the goals you aim to achieve at the end of it. From better sales and more social media following to greater footfall , there can be so many things you aim to achieve. You need a clear understanding of your goals, how they are measured and how to achieve them realistically before you rope in an influencer.
Ask yourself if influencer marketing is the most effective and sure shot way of achieving your desired goals, or will traditional marketing work better.
To summarize, influencer marketing is not a new phenomenon on social media. Seeking the advice and opinion of influencers you trust is a common practice before you purchase a product or service. Earning the trust of the consumer is key to driving sales and influencer marketing can help you achieve that.
Medical practices can definitely tap into the potential of influencer marketing to achieve their goals. But they must be careful to not overstep government policies and regulations. Finally, in the medical industry influencer marketing is more about building trust and credibility and less about making sales and revenues.
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