• by Les Luchter , November 5, 2024

Some 50% of healthcare providers (HCPs) have changed their prescribing choices --and 60% their perception of a medication -- due to social media content from influencers or key opinion leaders (KOLs), according to “The Influence of Influencers Report” from Sermo and LiveWorld.

Sermo runs a private social network serving over 1.5 million HCPs, while LiveWorld is a digital ad agency with healthcare as a primary focus.

The study, conducted in July, found 69% of doctors engage with influencer content daily and 90% weekly, yet only 36% find social content to be extremely or very trustworthy.

The research involved 317 doctors in 11 fields. with oncologists most frequently engaging with influencer content and endocrinologists least frequently.

HCPs find short-form videos, followed by short-form text, as the most valuable social media formats, the report says, but breaking the audience down demographically, millennial doctors are more likely to prefer long-term videos and infographics, and Gen X docs webinars and printed materials.

Boomer docs, meanwhile, are more likely to use private platforms like Sermo and its chief competitor Doximity, while millennials lean on X, Instagram, Reddit, and TikTok.

The millennial docs also prefer peer-delivered info, while Gen X looks to evidence-based content, and boomers to summaries of presentations and the disclosure of relationships with pharma firms.

One the other hand, states the report, “physicians are equally likely to follow rising stars as they are to follow an established KOL affiliated with a pharma brand.”

As to how pharma marketers can find KOLs, the “Influence of Influencers Report” provides a sample script template, utilizing a “sense of urgency” approach:

Problem: “The rising prevalence of Condition X and the critical need for effective HCP education presents a significant challenge.”

Amplify: “This rise prevalence not only strains healthcare systems but also significantly

impacts patient quality of life, underscoring the urgent need for effective,

KOL-driven educational initiatives.”

Solution: “You have been identified as a key online opinion leader in Condition X, whose expertise we are seeking to contribute to an upcoming disease state education program. These peer programs are designed to educate our physician audience and will be hosted on the Sermo platform.”

Offer: “I would love the opportunity to take a few minutes of your time for a brief call to share more detailed information about both the program and associated honoraria.

Response: Look forward to hearing from you and potentially working together on this important educational opportunity.”