One of the biggest buzzwords online right now is the term “influencer marketing,” but when we speak with healthcare executives, many are unsure of what’s involved in starting and executing an influencer marketing campaign.

First things first. What is influencer marketing?

Influencer marketing focuses on engaging with key industry thought leaders in order to have greater visibility in front of your desired audience. The goal of interacting with influencers is to leverage their influence, effectively, in order to bring greater awareness to your healthcare brand.

Fundamentally, SPR recommends that healthcare organizations craft an integrated communications strategy before starting an influencer marketing campaign which will showcase a specific healthcare executive at the center. That way, there will be one central “face” to the campaign – one core executive, pushing out central messaging and quotes that support your organization’s goals.

When developing a communications strategy, it is essential for healthcare organizations to develop relatable, simple and compelling messaging that is integrated into all channels. While it’s true that not all social media channels are right for a healthcare organization, you do, however, need to make sure to do your due diligence and research where your audience spends the majority of their time, and then target those channels.

Below is a basic outline of how to initially proceed with an influencer marketing campaign, keeping in mind that you need to crawl before you can walk – so don’t immediately just start interacting with influencers without knowing their likes/dislikes:

  1. Develop an integrated communications strategy prior to beginning campaign.
  2. Brainstorm with your internal team to craft messaging that can be integrated into all channels.
  3. Identify your key healthcare brand or product influencers (SPR uses Buzzsumo to identify influencers for projects).
  4. Research and do your homework on the top influencers your organization is going to target. Read what they write as well as what has been written about them in order to get a better understanding of who they are.
  5. When beginning an influencer marketing campaign, start by engaging slowly, over time. Follow them on social media channels, share some of their recent work, mention them on Twitter, those kinds of small, foundational steps will get you started on your path towards a successful campaign.
  6. Track your engagement and interactions so you can report on your campaign’s achievements.

Here are a few measures of success to keep in mind when planning your strategy for the influencer marketing campaign:

  • Increase in influencer profile and connections.
  • Growth in engagements through online, social media, and speaking events.
  • Success in media placements in our selected topics with top tier print and broadcast media.
  • Inclusion in high profile panels.
  • Stronger SEO platform for key terms on which you are an authority.
  • More proactive outreach from media and influencers.

Stayed tuned for the rest of our upcoming influencer blogs!

Have you executed a successful influencer marketing campaign before? If so, what are some tips you would give to beginners? What are some best practices you learned along the way?

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