3 Great Examples of Influencer Marketing in Healthcare
Why use Social Media Influencers in Healthcare?
In this article we discuss 3 great examples of influencer marketing in healthcare, but first it’s important to understand what benefit social media influencers provide.
Social media Influencers present the opportunity to authentically communicate a message to a specific target audience in healthcare. As discussed in depth in our article ‘benefits of influencer marketing in healthcare and pharmaceuticals‘, using healthcare influencers allows brands to leverage the earned credibility of influencers to market their products or services.
In a time where consumers are more sceptical than ever, influencers provide legitimacy and familiarity. This is of greater importance in the field of healthcare where the purchase risk is high. When a potential client sees an influencer benefiting from a service, they feel they can also gain that same benefit.
Example 1: Calum Best Hair Transplant Marketing
This case study is a great example of targeted micro marketing. Calum Best, reality TV star and son of George Best, has a large following across social media with over 600 thousand followers on instagram alone.
Having spoken out about his experience with hair loss, the crown clinic took the opportunity to document his hair transplant procedure through a series of blog posts and youtube videos. This not only enables potential clients to view the quality of their work, but also allows them to gain a personal insight into the procedure.
A lot of men are sceptical of undertaking cosmetic surgery due to lingering negative stereotypes, however seeing a prominent male celebrity undergo the procedure normalises the process. The idea that ‘if it’s good enough for them, then it’s good enough for me‘ certainly applies.
From a marketing perspective, this campaign generated large amounts of earned media for the crown clinic with several large news outlets publishing stories on the procedure. These news outlets named the Crown clinic and often linked their website, both advertising their services and boosting SEO.
Example 2: Dr Matthew Schulman’s Social media Instagram Stories
For most, the idea of witnessing live surgery is somewhat sickening, but not for the fans of cosmetic surgeon Dr Matthew Schulman. Through his Instagram posts and stories, he documents cosmetic procedures ranging from breast augmentation to tummy tucks.
This allows fans to gain a first-hand insight into the procedure whilst getting to know Matthew on a personal level. His near 150 thousand instagram followers stands testament to his successful healthcare influencer marketing strategy.
Similarly to the pervious example, the success of this influencer marketing campaign comes down to access to information. Any cosmetic surgery comes with risk, by allowing patients to build a para-social relationship with the doctor a level of trust is formed and perceived risk is reduced.
From a patient’s perspective, if they feel they know their doctor is both skilled and trustworthy, they are far more likely to undergo a procedure. In this example, Dr Matthew Schulman uses his instagram to show potential clients his high skill set and friendly personality.
Again, this strategy not only generates traffic from instagram but also mass amounts of earned media through regular news stories.
Example 3: Swear your support- MQ mental health campaign
Often in pharmaceutical and healthcare marketing the work of charities can go amiss. This case study focuses the marketing of ideas, rather than products or services.
MQ’s 2016 ‘swear your support’ campaign stands testament to the power of celebrity influencer marketing in healthcare. This campaign focuses on the idea of swearing your support to those suffering from mental illness, in whatever form that may be.
Rag ‘N Bone Man, Greg James, Mel C and many more prominent celebrities joined the caused and pledged their support to tackling mental health. This campaign successfully integrated a call-to-action, asking the public to join them in their pursuit.
By including multiple celebrities from different industries, the social media outreach is synergised to maximise exposure. This campaign generated significant earned media for the charity and grew their social media across multiple channels.
For more information, check out MQ’s Swear your support campaign here
Did you enjoy reading 3 great examples of influencer marketing in healthcare? check out our latest blog posts here
Follow our Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Linkedin for our latest updates.