Engaging healthcare professionals online: Insights from Sermo

Sep 26
Sermo has established itself as a leading physician-only network, blending social collaboration with medical education and research. In this interview, Joanna Molke, VP of Marketing, explains what sets Sermo apart from other HCP platforms, how healthcare professionals use it for real-world case discussions, education, and market insights, and the opportunities it presents for pharma marketers.

We also explore global trends, engagement patterns across specialties, and the tools Sermo offers to help brands optimise campaigns, measure impact, and uncover unmet needs in healthcare.

What makes Sermo different from other HCP-only platforms?

Sermo uniquely blends a physician-only social experience with medical education and market research at scale. It’s a triple-verified, credentialed community of 1M+ physicians, Advanced Practice Providers, and pharmacists across 150 countries.
  • Peer-to-peer engagement: HCPs post, comment, and collaborate on real cases, vote in polls, and share data, all within a secure, private social environment.
  • Medical mindset: 85% of HCPs classify their mindset as much more/somewhat more medically-focused versus when on public social channels, ensuring your content is received in the right context and with deeper professional engagement.
  • Education embedded into the experience: on-demand access to trusted CME, KOL-led discussions, Sermo Rounds educational events, and Knowledge Repositories for “always-on” learning.
  • Built for pharma compliance: 20+ years of experience delivering branded and unbranded programs in a brand-safe environment, with built-in ISI and references, clear separation of sponsored vs. organic content, and guardrails designed specifically for regulated markets.
  • Integrated insights + engagement: quick turn surveys, polls, quizzes, 1.2M+ drug ratings, social listening and program impact studies all powered by one platform — enabling sponsors to better understand their target audience and to measure performance beyond the basics of impressions and clicks.

How do HCPs use Sermo? What do they like about the platform?

HCPs turn to Sermo for clinical collaboration, education, and participation in market research that shapes the future of healthcare. They use the platform to share real-world insights, solve complex cases, and access opportunities that are both practical and rewarding.
  • Vote: 1M+ poll votes annually, capturing real-time clinical sentiment.
  • Solve: 7K+ complex patient cases shared annually.

  • Talk: 25M+ engagements per year through posts, comments, and reactions.

  • Rate: 1.2M+ drug ratings based on real-world clinical use.

  • Learn: CME and third-party education embedded in the workflow.

  • Earn: $25M+ in annual honoraria for research participation.

What HCPs value most:
  • Credibility, privacy, and security: Triple-verified, physician-only membership ensures a trusted environment.
  • High-value, real-world content: Medically relevant and practical information that supports daily decision-making.
  • Peer-to-peer exchange: Safe, anonymous space for doctors to share cases, opinions, and advice across specialties and geographies.
  • Global reach: Breaks local silos by connecting doctors worldwide, exposing them to diverse practices and peer expertise.
  • Practical problem-solving: Real-time crowdsourcing for difficult clinical questions, second opinions, and tricky cases like a 24/7 consult board.
  • Professional validation & support: A peer community that understands clinical, administrative, and emotional challenges, offering empathy and encouragement.
  • Knowledge, news & learning: Early insights into therapies, new tech, and guidelines
    Rewards for participation: Earn honoraria for sharing expertise in surveys

How many HCPs are active on Sermo globally, and what’s the breakdown by region?

Sermo’s community is global in scope and diverse in expertise, making it one of the largest and most credible HCP networks worldwide.
  • 1M+ triple-verified HCPs across physicians, APPs, and pharmacists.
  • 150 countries represented, with engagement spanning the globe.
  • 95+ specialties, ensuring depth and breadth across clinical areas.

  • Members in G7 (where we have the highest concentration of physicians) are spending ~10,000 hours on the platform each week and 4+ minutes per visit.

What trends are you seeing in HCP membership growth globally, and are certain specialties or geographies showing faster adoption?

Growth on Sermo reflects HCPs’ need for collaboration, trusted education, and efficient knowledge sharing.

Growth drivers:

  • Increasing demand for peer-to-peer collaboration on complex cases.

  • Rising use of social platforms for medical learning and updates.
  • Platform improvements encouraging higher engagement and return visits.
Geographies/specialties:
Strong growth trajectory in G7 countries among PCPs and key “ologists” who prescribe medications that are of focus for R&D, including Oncology, Cardiology, Dermatology, Gastroenterology, Endocrinology, Rheumatology, and Neurology.

What types of content generate the highest engagement with HCPs — and does that vary between specialties or regions?

Content that blends real-world clinical relevance with concise, actionable insights consistently performs best on Sermo.

High-performing formats:

  • Data-rich content such as real-world evidence and clinical data.

  • Opinion leader-led education that delivers actionable learning.

  • Patient case studies with peer discussion.

  • Quick polls capturing clinical sentiment and practice patterns.

  • Short videos (<2 minutes) with captions for accessibility.

Variability between specialties:

  • PCPs: Prioritize disease state education and practical resources for providers and patients.

  • Specialists: Engage with data-driven content, such as real-world evidence and clinical trial results.

  • All specialties: Strong interest in patient case discussions and Opinion Leader content.

Variability between regions:
Concise, evidence-based content is universally valued, with format preferences shaped by local regulatory context.

What targeting options are available on Sermo for pharma campaigns?

Pharma campaigns on Sermo reach HCPs with precision based on the criteria that is most important. 

Core targeting: specialty, geography, and/or list match.

Smart campaign executions:

  • Dynamic targeting, which refines targeting over the length of the campaign (e.g. add in new HCPs on a rolling basis each week based on external criteria such as salesforce engagement)

  • Triggered messaging based on behaviors (e.g., video viewed, post engaged).

  • Personalization through 1:1 experiences across select ad formats.
Social Intelligence targeting: expand campaign reach by identifying and engaging HCPs who are already participating in conversations around a specific therapy area, disease state, or clinical topic 

How do pharma companies use Sermo to connect with HCPs?

Sermo provides an end-to-end solution across the brand lifecycle—combining insights, engagement, and measurement.

  • Upfront insights: Primary research and social listening to uncover unmet needs and guide campaign/creative strategy.

  • Native education & engagement: Feed-based content, message-based outreach and scalable education (Sermo Rounds, Knowledge Repository).

  • Measurement: Built-in test/control studies to track impact on physician understanding and perception.

What analytics and reporting capabilities does Sermo offer, and how can pharma use these insights to refine their broader HCP engagement strategy?

Sermo provides end-to-end analytics and strategic insights — including program impact studies — enabling sponsors to measure performance beyond impressions and clicks and optimize both campaign execution and overall engagement strategy.

  • Campaign analytics: includes impressions, engagements, video completion rates, and poll/quiz participation. 

  • Optimization tools: A/B testing across creatives and CTAs.

  • Program Impact Reporting: test/control surveys to track shifts in awareness, consideration, or intent.

Additional strategic insights available include:

  • Brand Pulse: Ensure full visibility into brand/portfolio performance ​and tap into your customers’ subconscious to understand key behavior drivers​. Built to be a supplement to ongoing ATUs.

  • ADvantage Solution: Launch HCP ​campaigns with confidence with shortlisting and pretesting of campaign concepts​.

  • Social Audience Intelligence: bespoke reporting of walled-garden HCP conversations to identify key themes, drivers, and gaps.

  • Drug Ratings: 1.2M+ ratings reveal HCP preferences and points of competitive differentiation.

What trends in HCP engagement should pharma marketers prepare for?

Sermo is seeing clear signals about how HCP engagement is evolving:

  • More medical learning via social: over 90% of physicians are open to learning about new drugs/devices via social. (Source: Pulse By MedFluencers, July 2024)    
  • Shift toward physician-only platforms: higher credibility, privacy, and value than general social.
  • Bite-sized, evidence-led snackable content: short videos, polls, and case-based posts continue to outperform.
  • Behavior-based orchestration: campaigns triggered and adapted based on engagement signals.
  • Peer-led credibility: KOL/DOL-authored content and peer case discussions will remain central.

Beyond campaign metrics, how can Sermo’s survey and research tools help pharma uncover unmet needs, test messaging, or identify new opportunities?

Sermo’s research ecosystem complements engagement by uncovering unmet needs, testing messages, and surfacing new opportunities.

Rapid primary research:

  • RealTime surveys: 70% completed within 24–48 hours.

  • Full-service qual/quant with concierge support.

  • Access to HCPs, payers, and hospital leaders.
Organic insights:

  • Social Audience Intelligence to uncover disease state trends, unmet needs and barriers in closed-network discussions.

  • 1.2M+ Drug Ratings tracking real-world experiences across multiple attributes.
Popular research use-cases:

  • Voice of the physician.

  • Message and concept testing.

  • Content selection and prioritization.

  • Market monitoring.

  • Brand health tracking.

  • KOL/DOL identification and profiling.

  • Campaign impact analysis, and so much more!

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