HCP engagement on LinkedIn: New trends, data, and tips for pharma marketers

Aug 5
How do HCPs use LinkedIn today? LinkedIn has just launched its first-ever Healthcare Industry Pulse report, a fresh take on how the healthcare landscape is shifting and what that means for marketers.

The report includes insights from HCPs, marketers, and industry experts, highlighting how healthcare companies are showing up on LinkedIn, which types of content are hitting the mark and where engagement is headed next.

In this article, we’ve handpicked two of the key stats and insights to focus on. Plus, you'll find heaps of practical guidance on how you can put these insights into action. 

1. The power of HCP influencers

LinkedIn stat #1: 50% of US physicians want to hear about the experiences of physicians with similar patients on social media.

We’ve always known that peer-to-peer exchange is a powerful influence for HCPs, but LinkedIn’s latest research shows this is now playing out on social media. LinkedIn report that HCPs aren’t just consuming content on the platform, they’re sharing insights and connecting with peers. It’s not just about facts, it’s about real-world experiences shared by people they trust.

That's backed up by three key stats from a recent Sermo and LiveWorld study which revealed that:
  • 60% of HCPs report changing perceptions of medications based on influencer social media content.
  • 50% of HCPs have changed prescriptions based on influencer social media content.
  • 69% of HCPs engage with influencer content on social media daily.
These numbers show that HCP influencers, or digital KOLs, play a vital role in clinical learning and professional development. They share practical insights and discuss treatments and the latest research. Digital KOLs create content that resonates with clinicians, whether it is a case study breakdown, a short educational video, or a thoughtful perspective on healthcare policy. Their credibility and online presence make them trusted voices that other HCPs turn to for education and peer-to-peer learning.

What does this mean for pharma marketers?

Pharma has a clear opportunity to collaborate with trusted HCP voices and integrate their perspectives into marketing and communications activities. 

How can pharma companies work with HCP influencers?

 Here are four tips to help you get started with HCP influencers on social media:

Know the role of HCP influencers in your marketing or communications plans before you get started

Before searching for influencers, be clear on how you want to engage them and what you’ll ask them to do. Without this, you risk ending up with a list of names but no way to assess their suitability, resulting in costly research that goes unused. Setting clear parameters upfront helps both you and the HCPs determine if the collaboration is a good fit.

There are a range of ways to work with HCPs which carry different levels of risk:

  • Low risk: You collaborate with an HCP content creator to develop assets like podcast episodes, social posts or editorial, which are published on your company channels. You retain full content control while leveraging their unique voice.
  • Low risk: you invite HCP influencers or creators to join at an advisory board or an event. This is purely for their unique perspective and there is no expectation of posting.
  • Higher risk: You brief an HCP creator to develop content, which goes through your approvals but is posted on their personal social media. To reduce risk, consider using formats where comments are disabled.

Keep in mind that HCPs tend to be more interested in consultation and co-creation activities rather than independent content creation.

Pro tip: It’s wise to start on the following areas early, as they often take time for internal discussion.
  • Many healthcare organisations will also require you to submit an individual for approval as a spokesperson, KOL or a new vendor. Make sure you are clear on this process and begin this as early as possible.
  • Coordinate with your legal team to agree on what would be appropriate compensation for a clinician influencers’ time. Investigate what the fair market value would be for those activities. In many markets, HCPs must disclose any pharma payments so consider the optics when setting payment levels.

Finding HCP social media influencers goes beyond your traditional KOL search

How do you identify the right HCPs or KOLs to collaborate with? Mapping out and vetting digital KOLs takes a bit more work than traditional KOLs. You still need to check credibility and whether they are a good fit with your company. But you also need to understand their online presence, including their followers, engagement, and the kind of conversations happening on their posts.

Start by identifying HCP influencers who are credible, aligned with your therapy areas, and already active on platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, X BlueSky (find out more about this channel here), or even TikTok. Make sure to also align with your medical affairs team about who they are already in contact with.

Pro tip: Keep an influencer tracker with all the individuals you have identified and any vetting or outreach that has taken place. This gives your team a central reference point and helps avoid duplicating efforts later.

Focus on relationship building

HCP influencers don't want to feel like they are just one in the crowd, they want to feel that there is a specific reason that you are choosing to work with them and are unlikely to be comfortable with a purely transactional relationship.  Focus on relationship building activities early. HCPs are more likely to work with companies that respect their time and expertise, so be mindful of how much you are asking them to do. 

Support, don’t script

HCP influencers value autonomy and you are choosing to work with them for their unique perspective. Provide them with guardrails, compliance guidance, and accurate references, but allow them to communicate in their own voice. Authenticity is key to maintaining peer trust.
Dr. Michael, a doctor and social media influencer in Australia, explains why allowing HCPs some autonomy in the content creation stage is so important.
Write your awesome label here.

What does a LinkedIn collaboration with a HCP influencer look like? 

AstraZeneca were looking to drive attendance at medical education event about Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL), where there will be a  range of Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) speaking. The company leveraged Sponsored Message Ads, a paid feature that allows a company to send a direct message to the LinkedIn inboxes of a specific targeted audience. The key to this campaign was that the messages were sent directly from the personal profile of one of the event speakers, Dr. Paul Moss, not from the AstraZeneca company page.

For this event, because HCPs are vetted before attending, branded products can be discussed. This shows how unbranded social media can effectively link to branded activities, supporting lead generation. 

Ready to learn more?

Our 50 minute mini-course "Working with Social Media Influencers in Pharma" will help you evaluate where and how to use influencers, set up effective relationships, manage and mitigate risk and inspire you with tons of best in class examples of social media campaigns in the pharma industry

2. Live events and virtual engagements are on the rise

LinkedIn stat #2: +37% increase in LinkedIn Events hosted by healthcare companies in the last 6 months

More HCPs are turning to LinkedIn Live events to stay connected, informed, and engaged with the latest in medicine. In the past six months alone, over 18,000 HCPs have engaged with LinkedIn Live sessions. These real-time events offer a convenient way to hear from experts, join clinical discussions, and explore new innovations, without stepping away from clinical duties or traveling to in-person conferences.

LinkedIn Live offers a number of features that make it well-suited for engaging HCPs, including:
  • Real time interaction: hosts can interact with viewers via live comments and reactions, encouraging Q&A, polls or discussions.
  • Targeted audience reach: events can be promoted to specific HCP segments by specialty, role, seniority, location or interests.
  • On-demand playback: after the event the video remains available for on-demand viewing, giving HCPs the flexibility to catch up on valuable content in their own time.
  • Multi-speaker and panel capabilities: run conference style experiences by hosting multi-speaker sessions like expert panels or KOL interviews.
  • Events can be gated: Registration forms can be attached to the event to restrict access to ensure compliance with legislation in your region.

What does this mean for pharma marketers?

To help you get started, here are six tips for pharma marketers looking to bring LinkedIn Live into their marketing plans.

Not every piece of content is suitable for a live stream

Live streams can be a great way to help your audience feel closer to the action, give them an opportunity to participate and engage with influencers and experts, and to have their questions answered. For professional audiences, it can also be a chance to hear the latest developments in their field from other experts and connect with peers across geographies. But live streams are not without risks. So before you go ahead with using a live stream, consider if it's something that needs to be 'live' or whether it's content that could be better delivered in pre-recorded video. 

What types of healthcare content work best for a LinkedIn Live session?

  • The content is time sensitive and you want to get it out 'live' or during a specific time frame
  • You plan to include interactive components, such as offering your audience the chance to ask questions or direct the content.
  • Your audience will find it valuable and benefit from connecting with other people in the live chat, such as professional audiences connecting with peers across boundaries.
  • You have influencers or experts that would provide valuable content if brought together.
  • You want to offer exclusive access.

Good to know: only eligible pages and members can create a LinkedIn live broadcast, check the criteria here.

How should you plan and promote a LinkedIn Live for HCPs?

You will need to set up an event for your livestream, aim to do this 2 to 4 weeks ahead of time to allow sufficient time to promote it. LinkedIn Live sessions can be amplified with paid media to reach a targeted HCP audience. To drive attendance, ensure your audience knows about the event in advance and allocate sufficient budget to promote it to the right people on LinkedIn.

Identify social media influencers to join your event

Leaning in to stat #1, consider identifying clinicians who already hold a level of online influence to join your panel discussions. 

Stretch the asset and keep the momentum up after the event

To run a LinkedIn live you need a third-party streaming tool, see which options are available here. If your platform allows it, download your recording and share highlights across your HCP channel mix. 

Once the livestream is complete, keep in touch with attendees by sharing resources in the event, emailing those who registered or by using a retargeting ad campaign on LinkedIn.

Engage a good moderator

Make sure you have a capable moderator to keep the discussion moving and avoid awkward silences. Run a dry rehearsal with the panel beforehand to ensure everyone is comfortable on the day.

Consider what time will suit HCPs

Hosting during the workday may limit attendance. Consider the times when clinicians are most likely to be available and receptive to joining.

Access the full LinkedIn Healthcare Industry Pulse report here

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