4 ways pharma marketers can reach HCPs via social media

At first glance, social media may seem like a difficult place to find and engage physician readers. But if used appropriately, it can be an excellent platform to start conversations with healthcare provider communities. Here are four tips to get you started:

1. Give HCPs access to expert advice

If you think of social media only as a platform for brands to get advertisements in front of a wide swath of potential consumers, you're not giving this channel the full credit it deserves. In recent years, social media sites have become environments where like-minded individuals come together to share thoughts, opinions, articles and news stories.

Pharmaceutical marketers can look for ways to inject the thought leadership of their brand into these conversations. By doing so, brands can bring valuable insights to the table before the real selling begins. For example, an expert who knows a lot about a product can join ongoing conversations and share their insights with HCP decision makers.

As marketers make in-roads with these communities, they'll have more opportunities to connect with HCPs who will champion their products and services to key decision makers within their organization. Taking a note from account-based marketing strategies, this method works by addressing the needs and concerns of multiple stakeholders. For instance, marketers could interact with HCPs in Facebook groups, and speak with hospital administrators on LinkedIn. By establishing more contact points, pharma marketers can position themselves as an extension of the care team.

2. Share curated content collections

If a brand's educational content only lives on a single website, it will be difficult to get a wide selection of its intended audience to view and interact with it. For instance, if a pharma company publishes an eBook about use cases for a new product, HCPs will have to come to the website and download it.

There are two key ways marketers can utilize this content via social channels:

• Calls to action: Take the eBook example. Marketers could craft social media posts that highlight one or two data points from the eBook, then link to the download with a call to action.
• Repurposing: Marketers could turn each page of the eBook into a unique social media post, dripping the content out over the course of a week.

Each of these methods allows the content to be shared in a more bite-sized manner that is expected on social media. Readers can get a quick bit of information and follow up if they want to learn more.

Pharma marketers can curate content on social media channels to engage HCPs.

3. Align brand values with HCP expectations

Physicians have an ethical responsibility to their patients. Compared with other audiences, HCPs are likely to be socially conscious and transparent about their beliefs. On social media, marketers can tap into this theme of social responsibility by sharing how their organization's values align with those of HCPs.

This can be especially powerful for new drug campaigns. For example, if a company is releasing a new ADHD medication, it could share stories of how the treatment helps patients take more control over their personal and professional lives. This may resonate with physicians who see patients struggling with these issues on a daily basis.

4. Listen for feedback from the community

Healthcare Finance News reported that 40.6 percent of physicians have strict no-access policies in regard to visits from pharma representatives. This can make it difficult to gain feedback from HCPs who could potentially benefit from a conversation with a rep.

Social media may represent a way around this barrier. Pharma stakeholders can use social platforms to solicit feedback from providers. The knowledge gained from these feedback sessions can improve future marketing efforts and help pharma better understand what the market needs.

Social media is just one key channel available to marketers. To learn more about how to reach physician readers via peer-reviewed journals and curated content websites like PracticeUpdate, speak with a consultant from Elsevier today.