The healthcare landscape changes every minute, with new technologies being introduced regularly. Healthcare creators keep their fingers on the pulse of the industry and can educate consumers about the latest trends and products to help them reach their health goals.
To make your journey with healthcare creators a success, we’ve put together a list of helpful tips and top creators you can leverage for healthy returns on your next campaign.
What is a healthcare influencer?
A healthcare influencer can be any creator with expertise in the healthcare field. These individuals often share their knowledge with online audiences to guide positive lifestyle choices and endorse products or services that can help people live healthier and happier lives.
While many healthcare influencers are licensed professionals, they do not necessarily have to be medical doctors. Healthcare influencers can also be people who share their health journeys as motivation for anyone hoping to overcome a similar condition. These influencers, however, should only be leaned on for inspiration—not actual medical advice.
Some examples of healthcare influencers include:
- Public figures – Celebrities, athletes, musicians, or anyone with high name recognition and a unique health journey
- Peers – “Regular folks” who can speak directly to the same health issues your audience faces
- Experts – Nurses, doctors, dieticians, or any medical professional with specialized training
Tips for running a successful influencer marketing campaign with healthcare creators
Prioritize trust.
Trust is essential to any successful influencer marketing campaign, but it becomes even more critical when dealing with matters that affect people’s health. Instead of focusing on follower count or engagements, trust and credibility should be your primary concern when choosing a healthcare creator. That means medical professionals or those who can speak to a personal experience related to your topic should be at the top of your list.
Leverage a mix of creators.
Successful healthcare influencer marketing requires a solid mix of creators to help promote your product or service. For example:
- The celebrity will help you blast your message out to the masses and put a recognizable name and face next to your brand.
- The industry peer helps make your product or service more relatable by sharing how your brand helped them reach their goals.
- The expert makes your product or service more trustworthy by providing scientific and/or data-backed content supported by years of specialized training.
Welcome discussion.
People will have a lot of questions when talking about health-related issues. And for some, it might be a sensitive topic to cover.
Encourage your healthcare creators to welcome discussion and do their best to answer any questions their audience might have. This is also a great way to boost engagement and start building a community around your brand and products.
Encourage personal content.
Don’t be afraid to “get personal.” If your creators share the same struggles as your target audience, they will have an easy time relating to them by sharing their personal journeys.
Likewise, if your founder has a unique story involving a hardship that led to starting a company and products to address their struggle, be sure to share that origin story with your audience whenever you get the opportunity.
Stick to what you know.
It can be tempting (and effective) to hop on the latest social media trend, but in healthcare influencer marketing, it’s best to just stick to what you know. Prioritize authentic content that is true to your brand’s mission and values, and try not to worry too much about “going viral.”
Be clear on expectations.
Steer clear of misleading language that might give consumers the wrong idea about exactly what your product or service will do for them. Remember, it all goes back to building trust with your audience. And if you aren’t delivering the results people expect, your reputation will suffer.
Know the rules and regulations.
There is a lot of red tape to cut through when marketing and running ads in the healthcare industry. Below are several major areas to consider, but be sure to do some more extensive research before you get your program rolling full-steam.
HIPAA-compliant social media marketing
Customer reviews are always a great way to help your product or service stand out on social media. However, some information in your testimonials might be protected by HIPAA if you’re in the healthcare industry.
Always make sure your subject knows exactly what you’re posting about them. And if you’re unsure if the content you want to post is protected by HIPAA, it’s always best to get written consent from the customer or patient before you upload.
Truth in advertising
Like any endorsement, what you’re saying has to actually be true. Additionally, you aren’t allowed to mislead customers by leaving out any critical information. Truth in advertising laws vary by state, so be sure to brush up on the ones that affect you before you start rolling out your healthcare influencer marketing campaigns.
Stark Law
Stark Law restricts physicians from making referrals to a healthcare provider if they have a financial relationship with that provider—something to keep an eye on if you plan to partner with any actual medical doctors.
FDA guidelines
Because the internet and various social media platforms have allowed healthcare corporations to engage more actively with consumers and healthcare providers, the FDA has compiled a list of helpful resources to help marketers ensure they stay compliant. The list is definitely worth bookmarking if you plan to leverage healthcare influencer marketing as a regular strategy.
Run everything by legal.
If your product or service is at all related to the healthcare industry, you’ll probably need a legal team to help you stay between the lines. Having an expert on your staff can save you a massive legal headache if you or a creator ever slip up and say the wrong thing.
Top 12 healthcare creators on social media right now
1. Kevin Pho, MD
Kevin Pho is a physician and one of social media’s most prominent healthcare influencers. A speaker and an author, Kevin is also on the Board of Contributors of USA Today. He owns the website, KevinMD.com, and has over 160k followers on Twitter.
You can also follow Dr. Pho on Facebook and YouTube.
2. Nurse Tara
@officialtiktoknurse I tried ????????♀️ #ithappens #schoolnurse #officialtiktoknurse #fyp #sick #healthoffice #girls #boys #vomit #school #students #fypシ #fypage ♬ originalljud – ???????? ???????? ????????
Tara’s job as a school nurse gives her an interesting and hilarious perspective on Twitter. When her content isn’t making you laugh, it provides tips and hacks for dealing with common health issues and minor injuries.
You can also follow Tara on Instagram.
3. Dave deBronkart
Dave deBronkart is a cancer survivor and is popularly known as e-Patient Dave. He has spoken widely about his journey to recovery and is a well-known keynote speaker who shares information about the healthcare world.
You can get more of Dave’s content on Instagram.
4. Dr. Stella
@drstellac If you choose to gather, reduce your risk of getting sick & don’t spread an infection. #BetheReasonVisa #tripledemic #doitnow #docsoftiktok #learnontiktok #tiktokpartner #holidays2022 #winterishere #safetyessentials #spreadlovenotcough ♬ do it now – Kylie Nelson | Midsize Fashion
Dr. Stella describes her content as “education with dance and laughs.” The board-certified physician keeps her followers up to date with all of the latest health and medical industry news while providing an expert opinion on the best ways to stay healthy and happy.
You can get more of her “medicine and motivation” on Instagram.
5. Yoni Freedhoff, MD
Yoni Freedhoff is an associate professor of family medicine at the University of Ottowa in Canada. He is known for taking a different weight reduction and dieting approach, as discussed in his book The Diet Fix. He is also the co-founder of the Bariatric Medical Institute and Constant Health.
You can find more of Yoni’s content on YouTube.
6. Doug Ulman
Tonight is about you. If you rode. If you raised. If you volunteered. If you donated. If you do research. It is about you.
— Doug Ulman (@dougulman) November 10, 2022
Join us to celebrate what you collectively achieved! #OneGoal #community https://t.co/qitxrRUtX5
Doug is the CEO and president of Pelotonia, a bike tour that donates all its proceeds to cancer research. Over the years, his race has become so popular that it’s funded over 108 idea grants. And with over 800k followers turning to Doug for positive health and wellness insights, he’s one of the most influential personalities in this industry on Twitter.
You can also follow him on Instagram.
7. Barby Ingle
Barby is an author, speaker, and health consultant. She has complex regional pain syndrome and has been a chronic pain awareness advocate for the last 20 years. She is also the president of the International Pain Foundation.
You can find more from Barby on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
8. Glen Gilmore
Glen Gilmore is one of the leading marketing influencers on Twitter, boasting more than 280k followers. Named TIME’s “Man of Action,” Glen is also among the Top 20 Social Influencers, according to Forbes. He doesn’t primarily focus on the healthcare industry. However, his voice is fairly prominent in that niche too.
9. Amanda Bisk
Amanda is a former pole vaulter and one of the most well-known Australian healthcare influencers. She was diagnosed with chronic fatigue and took the fitness path to cure it. With over 630k followers on Instagram, she’s one of the most prominent faces in healthcare on the platform. She’s also an athletics coach, physiologist, and qualified Yoga teacher.
You can get more from Amanda on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
10. Antony Tiernan
After 3 amazing years with @Ldn_Ambulance, I’m delighted to be joining @NHSEngland on secondment to help plan the NHS’s 75th birthday in July.
— Antony Tiernan ???????? ???? (@AntonyTiernan) October 12, 2022
I was proud to lead the 70th and, working with partners across the UK, I know we’ll give the Service the celebration it deserves #NHS75 pic.twitter.com/3ZH2Flz482
Antony is the director of engagement and communications at the NHS. A prominent personality in the healthcare industry, he’s one of the most well-known healthcare creators in the UK. Give him a follow now to see how he’s getting ready for the NHS’s 75th birthday.
You can also see what Antony is up to on Instagram.
11. Nick Triggle
While we often talk about demand going up, the expected surge in referrals has not happened. In fact average number of new patients joining the waiting list each month is lower than it was in the year before the pandemic pic.twitter.com/Cb2RWFM8lh
— Nick Triggle (@NickTriggle) October 13, 2022
Nick Triggle is a BBC health correspondent and Royal TV and Medical Journalists’ Association award winner. His primary focuses are on social care and public health, but he dabbles in a little bit of everything related to the healthcare industry.
12. Dr. Emeka
@doctor.emeka Let me know any tips and tricks that help you in the comments! @nhsuk #everymindmatters #worldmentalhealth #Wmhd #sundayscaries #mentalhealth ♬ Summer day – TimTaj
Dr. Emeka is the perfect follow for health hacks, fun medical tips, workouts, meals, and more. He’s known for “getting real” with his audience and constantly reminds them not to trust everything they read online, noting that “Google didn’t go to medical school with us.”
You can get more from Dr. Emeka on Instagram and Twitter.
Key takeaway: Healthcare influencers give audiences a presence they can relate to and trust.
The healthcare industry is changing every moment, and you must keep up with the latest trends to stay afloat. Healthcare influencers are your ticket to providing highly detailed industry insights while generating relatable content with the human touch necessary to produce winning campaigns.
Learn more about influencer marketing: Influencer Marketing 101
