As the internet has improved and social media has become more widespread, people rely less on traditional media for information. Social media influencers and bloggers have become the new source of information for everyday life matters. In some cases, influencers are experts in their field. Other times, they are just passionate about a particular interest. Although influencers tend to be most popular among younger social media users, their effect is reaching older generations. Influencers with a health and wellness niche may be particularly adept at reaching Gen X and boomer populations if they reinforce their social media image with facts and information.
Unlike attracting customers for a product, drawing patients for a healthcare service is challenging because of geographic constraints. Most patients have a limit to how far they’re willing to travel, even for one-time cosmetic procedures. However, partnering with the right influencer can have enormous benefits for local and national healthcare companies. Here are four ways you can take advantage of this unique social media phenomenon to attract new patients and customers.
1. Wellness & Check-Up Awareness
Many people are unaware of the recommended annual check-ups and nutritional needs for young and older adults. Annual dental visits, gynecologist appointments, cancer screenings, vitamins and supplements, and other preventive care are often skipped when busy adults don’t have time or don’t think they can afford it.
Influencers can help reduce misconceptions and remind people of their healthcare needs. They can specifically highlight your services or products as a quick and easy way to address their necessary preventive care. This works exceptionally well if you have a chain of multiple offices in a metropolitan region. Since viewers will likely have many questions about wellness recommendations, it’s best if the influencer you work with is either very knowledgeable about healthcare in general or knows to point to vetted resources for more information. You can also have the influencer point viewers to your website.
2. Building Trust
Patients are usually nervous about visiting a new office or trying a new product. This nervousness increases sharply when the procedure or appointment is somewhat invasive or uncomfortable. The level of trust required for face and skincare is even more significant because of how visible this area is. Having an influencer explain your brand, products, or procedures helps reassure patients. Regular viewers of the influencer’s content know their reliability and take an interest in any affiliate marketing content the influencer shares.
3. Reducing Stigma
There are many taboo topics in healthcare that contribute to unfavorable health outcomes for patients. Discomfort around colonoscopies can contribute to men not getting cancer screenings. Even stigma associated with aging can reduce the likelihood of patients seeking out chiropractic care or other basic services that improve their quality of life.
Partnering with a sensitive and knowledgeable influencer can help reduce the stigma around everything from reproductive health to cosmetic surgery. Working closely with the influencer helps keep your messaging clear and helpful while keeping your brand at the forefront. Consider doing a full series with the influencer to home in on a demographic you want to serve better. Most influencers will be open to doing a series of posts or stories that allows them to dive into a topic and educate the public in-depth.
4. Showing Results
If your brand or clinic specializes in goods or services with visible results, partnering with an influencer is a fantastic way to show off what you can do. Before and after videos or photos grab viewers’ attention instantly, especially on highly visual platforms like Instagram and TikTok. This highly effective marketing method keeps your marketing expenses as low as possible.
Most influencers have high-quality cameras and lighting for capturing these visuals, but offer them some additional examples to help build your case further. Also, make sure to get the influencer’s permission to share their before and after story on your own website and social media account.
How to Get Started
It helps to know the basics of each online outlet or social media platform you want to target. A local columnist or media personality may attract a broad demographic, but you can get a snapshot of who engages with their content the most just by scrolling through the comments.
Keeping your affiliate link and influencer information organized is simple with Refersion. Our system helps you track and grow your affiliate program whether you rely on traditional content marketing or branch out into social media sponsored content. Health and personal care are among our top industries, giving us a proven track record of success. Since the competition is fierce, you need to move fast to tap into everything influencer marketing has to offer. Get started today to expand your program without creating more work for your marketing team.
