15 September 2021
Written by Missy Voronyak, Managing Director of Influencer Activation at Real Chemistry.
When a person is faced with a new diagnosis, they turn to the individuals they trust most – their physician, friends, family and other patients. Yet, it’s not always easy to find other people who have the same condition and can truly relate. So where do patients turn and how can pharma get engaged?
The answer is right in front of us – on our smart phones as we scroll through our social media apps. Many thriving online communities are centered around specific health conditions and diseases. A quick search on any condition reveals that some of the most compelling content comes from vocal patients and physicians.
Innovative pharma companies are recognizing that there is an opportunity beyond posting social media content to engage with these communities – they look for ways to build authentic one-on-one relationships with online community leaders to earn their trust and eventual recommendations. It takes a high level of sensitivity, patience and collaboration, and not all pharma companies understand the nuances of these communities to succeed.
It’s critical to recognize that the patient and physician voices who rise to the top are truly leaders in the community. These patients, in particular, are passionate about helping others by sharing their journey: what they’ve learned about treatments, how they’ve separated truth from misinformation, the access issues they’ve navigated, and how they‘ve managed the daily struggles that come with their condition. By authentically sharing their experiences, these content creators have earned the trust of hundreds or thousands of other patients, yet, in most cases, they don’t consider themselves “influencers” per se, and many shy away from the term.
If you look beyond the vanity metrics of followers, impressions and engagements, you’ll discover all the ways patient and physician online leaders support their communities offline: leading support groups, speaking at major events, leading awareness days, establishing nonprofits, advocating on Capitol Hill, and so much more.
As such, typical pay-to-play sponsored content campaigns can backfire when it comes to pharma unless it’s part of a holistic strategy. Patient and physician leaders can see right through the companies that simply want them to add a logo to their next post, and many are not willing to stake the trust they’ve built with their community on a one-off sponsored post.
So how can we engage online patient and physicians in meaningful collaborations over time?
This approach is an evolution and a hybrid approach of what were previously separate workstreams in many companies – bringing together the best of patient ambassadors, public relations, influencer marketing and social media. Taking this evolved approach ensures patient and physician leaders feel heard and valued as partners and know your intentions are aligned with theirs. They will be more enthusiastic to partner with your brand and help extend your messaging to their communities.
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