What is a microinfluencer and why target them? One simple word: engagement. Typically, microinfluencers dominate a hyper-specific area—like surfing in New England in the winter or handmade jeans with selvedge denim—which attracts small groups of followers who typically practice much higher levels of engagement. So what does this mean for the healthcare marketer?
In the healthcare space, microinfluencers play a pronounced—and growing—role in care uptake, guiding conversations around medications, disease management, and patient advocacy outreach and mission. Microinfluencers play an even larger role in rare diseases; it is a crucial tactic given that a rare disease affects fewer than 200,000 Americans and there are more than 8,000 in existence today. As the populations are small, their conversations, advice, and POVs can make or break launches, markets, and products. As such, microinfluencers play a macro role for rare-disease care marketers.
Microinfluencers are authentic, relatable, and responsive. And that can mean greater levels of influence for brands that can successfully engage with these folks who represent a powerful—and growing—new source of social media brand strategy. While their audiences are smaller, supercharged engagement with their followers amplifies their messages—especially valuable in small, targeted populations of people such as those impacted by a rare disease. There are no hard-and-fast rules, but there are some standard operating procedures when engaging with them:
You’re already an expert in healthcare microinfluencers: they’re called experts.
In the specialized healthcare world of gene therapies and diseases you’ve never heard of, we already engage with microinfluencers on a regular basis. They are global experts in small, complex areas of medicine—say genetic endocrine disorders affecting musculoskeletal development—and among those with an interest in that area, their thoughts, papers, and statements carry great weight.
Real recognizes real.
Most microinfluencers haven’t made a life of celebrity. In fact, they probably have jobs and use social media as more of a pastime instead of building their “brand.” And because they’re engagement with followers is likely more immediate and real, you should approach them in the same manner. Consider reaching out personally, yourself, instead of relying on an agency or a report. When you do, be transparent. Let them who you are, what you’re trying to do, and how what you’re proposing can help them and their followers, too.
While many of our clients are global pharmaceutical companies, the microinfluencers we interact with are more often than not enthusiastic about learning more about our clients’ research and interested in helping spread knowledge to their followers, despite prevailing attitudes about the industry’s reputation. Why? Because you’re offering them meaningful conversations between individuals who are all aiming to achieve common goals.
Learn to speak micro.
To effectively engage with microinfluencers, you’ll have to get even more specific than usual with your targeting techniques by becoming an expert on the microinfluencer personally. Once you understand them and how they interact with followers, you’ll best understand where your brand fits into the conversation.
In the healthcare market, we interact with microinfluencers who have PhDs and have published hundreds of papers, and some who may not have finished high school that know more about their disease state than most people with PhDs. We tailor our conversation accordingly, but always honor each individual’s experience—as the influence of the latter may be exponentially greater than the former on our client’s business.
People, not tactics.
Executing a healthcare microinfluencer strategy is less about execution and more about a relationship. Be prepared for conversations, the free exchange of ideas, and happy accidents—and less of internally-generated tactics to be merely “executed” by the microinfluencer. These people are uniquely respected personalities whose assistance is a gift to your brand. If your strategy is fresh, delivers for your brand, but just as importantly, delivers for the microinfluencer and his or her followers—you’ll find success.
But like any meaningful social engagement, it starts with a conversation.
