Maximizing HCP Efforts in a Social Media Space

The Encima Group

Comprised of a team of seasoned professionals in business, marketing, analytics and technology, The Encima Group offers consulting services aimed at making your initiatives more successful. One of our core strengths is analyzing and optimizing your projects, utilizing key data to drive more targeted, response-driven activity. As an independent third party, working in concert with your other vendors, we are able to offer a unique and unbiased perspective on your programs, and provide an objective evaluation of your marketing efforts. These insights allow us to take your projects to the next level, harnessing all the tools available – from both your internal and external teams. When you engage The Encima Group, you benefit from the entire network’s decades of experience – each with key insights and perspectives for tailoring your programs against quantifiable metrics, and all 100% focused on helping you reach your goals.

Everyone’s always buzzing about how to connect with consumers using social media, and the myriad of pharmaceutical accounts that have popped up on Twitter and other social networks are proof of that. But physicians are more wired than ever before, so tapping into this coveted audience should not be overlooked in the online space. According to a recent Manhattan Research report, 72% of physicians are reading or posting content online, in addition to the 45% who actively engage in social networking and peer-to-peer exchanges.

According to Alex de Carvalho, Online Community Leader at Medimix who conducted a survey about physician use of social networking, “Virtually every industry feels the impact of social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, and healthcare is no exception. As physicians and providers discover the benefits of online collaboration and learn to guard against the risks, peer-to-peer communities will flourish in the years to come. Our recent survey shows the trend is well underway.”

So, there are many ways in which pharmaceutical companies can reach the digitally-friendy doctor through social media.

Social Networks: While interacting directly with physicians and patients on sites like Twitter or Facebook can be a regulatory nightmare, there are a growing number of doctors sharing their opinions on pharmaceutical marketing online with peers and other contacts. So, at the very least, tune in and use that free market research to your advantage by taking a pulse of the market and seeing where your efforts are excelling or falling short. Some physicians have also set up Facebook pages for their practices where they share info about the office, post interesting videos and public service announcements about things like the H1N1 flu. Understanding your physician audience can better inform your detail pieces and communications in creating messages that resonate with them. At the very least, you should be monitoring the public spaces where your doctors are congregating.

Google Alerts: While the popular misconception is that social media is all about talking, it’s actually more about listening, and using the information you uncover wisely in fine-tuning your marketing efforts. So, monitoring is a big part of any social media strategy, and setting up Google Alerts should be one of your first steps. Set up searches on your brand name to find out what doctors (and patients and competitors) are saying about it, and hone your knowledge of your market and your physician audience. Searches on specialties and common HCP terminology is another good place to start to give you a 360-degree view of your brand through the eyes of your physicians.

Physician Portals: One of the tenets of marketing is to go where your audience is, and if you’re seeking to reach physicians online, there’s no better place than physician portals. But in this scenario, rather than just listening in on conversations, create opportunities to engage and interact with users. You can develop surveys to involve physicians directly in the conversation, and give them a sense of ownership of your brand by delivering on their individual needs. The other half of listening is responding, so act on what you learn and report it back to physicians to keep the conversation going. You can also capture doctors at the point of interaction through sponsored alerts through providers such as ePocrates that put your message in the palm of their hand, and keep your brand top of mind as they treat patients. That point of care recall is invaluable.

Your Own Website: If you want to truly dive into social media, you’re going to need to be a good party host. So, why not invite physicians over to your place? You can either create a page on your exisiting website or develop a separate destination where you can draw users to compelling content and encourage them to participate. Perhaps ask doctors to submit questions, or create a promotion where they can share ideas and requests about what they’re looking for in patient materials or tools to enhance their office. If you want to connect meaningfully with physicians, you need to equip them with what they need to positively impact their patients’ lives and help manage their practice more efficiently. Make your site a hub for physicians to feel like an active member of your community, and encourage an open door policy where they feel comfortable sharing their thoughts, reactions and needs. You want them going to you, not your competitors so give them reasons to keep coming back.

It seems basic, but the value you bring to your physicians directly translates back to the value they associate with your brand, and the more likely they will be to support it. Social media gives you a direct channel to uncover what’s valuable to them in their own words, and all you have to do is a little legwork, and maybe a few rounds with your Medical/Legal department.