How to Leverage B2B Influencer Marketing for Healthcare Brands

Influencer marketing has long been a key strategy for B2C brands, but its effectiveness and cost efficiency have also made it increasingly popular among B2B brands. An August 2023 survey of U.S. B2B marketers found that 39% of respondents cited influencer marketing as a tactic that contributes most to the success of marketing programs, second only to social media marketing (49%, according to eMarketer. But how exactly does B2B influencer marketing work for healthcare brands? Capitalizing on the same benefits of influencer marketing that apply to B2C brands, such as increased authenticity with buyers, boosted awareness, and enhanced engagement.

If your team is ready to use influencer marketing to promote B2B healthcare brands, keep reading for some tips and examples of brands that are doing it well.

Strategies for B2B healthcare brands

One of the most significant advantages of using influencer marketing for B2B healthcare brands is that you can align your campaigns to match each stage of the buyer’s journey. Here are some highlights of how to match content to buyers’ needs from discovery to post-sale upselling.

Awareness

Focus on visibility by partnering with influencers who can introduce your healthcare brand to a broader audience. To position your brand as a credible authority, you may want to collaborate with industry thought leaders who can attest to its professionalism, safety, and expertise. Influencer content at the awareness stage should aim to educate, inform, or provide solutions.

Need some ideas? Consider videos about healthcare trends, blogs about rising surgical costs, or webinars about new medical technologies.

Emergency room doctor Adam Goodcoff teamed up with Eko Health, a leader in AI technology for heart and lung disease detection, to create this video about the Eko CORE 500 stethoscope.

Consideration

At this stage, potential buyers seek more information about how your healthcare brand’s products and services can provide solutions for their company’s needs. Turn to influencer marketing with product demonstrations that highlight features and benefits, as well as real-world examples, such as case studies.

For buyers comparing your healthcare brand to your competitors, consider showcasing a comparative analysis to emphasize your unique selling points.

Here’s an example of a post on LinkedIn raising awareness about Oracle’s new AI-powered electronic health record system, which aims to streamline healthcare workflows and reduce administrative burdens on clinicians. The post was written by Brian Ahier, a well-known thought leader in digital health.

Decision

At the decision stage, prospects will likely seek social proof, including testimonials and reviews from satisfied customers. These assets can boost confidence in your brand and influence purchase decisions.

To help incentivize buyers to make that final commitment to purchase, lean into influencer marketing that uses exclusive discounts, free trials, or limited-time offers.

Check out this YouTube video featuring a testimonial from Best Buy Health Chief Commercial Officer Diana Gelston, who discusses why her organization chose to partner with Atrium Health.

Loyalty

Your influencer marketing efforts should continue long after prospects become customers of your healthcare brand. At this stage, satisfied customers can serve as influencers to help build community, foster loyalty, and boost engagement by sharing their positive experiences. This is also the opportunity to focus on upselling and cross-selling to existing customers.

Types of influencers to consider

B2B healthcare brand marketers new to working with influencers may consider some of the following options for potential collaborations.

Health and wellness influencers

Experienced content creators focusing on health and wellness can help your healthcare brand reach a broader audience.

Doctors, nurses, and other providers

Professional healthcare providers can help promote your brand with authority, from surgeons to nurses to anesthesiologists and pharmacists.

Medical researchers

Healthcare podcasters, medical researchers, and health technology writers can serve as reputable influencers for your healthcare brand.

Healthcare IT experts and consultants

Healthcare consultants and IT experts can offer in-depth insights into industry challenges and solutions, as well as emerging trends.

Employees

People who work at your company—from administrative staff to medical equipment testers—can provide honest video testimonials about your workplace climate, quality assurances and certifications, and up-and-coming innovations and trials to build trust with viewers.

Patients and satisfied clients

Even B2B healthcare brands can showcase testimonials from satisfied healthcare clients and personal commentary from patients who benefited from your brand’s products and services.

Ready to start with influencer campaigns for your B2B healthcare brand? Contact our Managed Services team to ensure your campaigns are designed to maximize ROI from strategy to execution.