Health Trends Are Changing; Here’s How Influencers Play a Role

The healthcare system is always changing, but a recent report from eMarketer shows a unique set of trends that marketers — especially those who work with influencers — should watch.

Experts believe the role of influencers in the healthcare niche is about to shift, with more brands turning to influencer collaborations as a way to connect with customers and overcome eroding trust in the industry. Expect influencers to leverage social media to share their experiences, provide testimonials, and educate the public as a result of these new trends in the industry. 

How to leverage influencers to address health trends

Take a look at these healthcare trends and how influencers will play a role in each.

Trend 1: Delayed or skipped care due to lack of affordability

The rising costs of medical care and prescriptions are leading many — both with and without health insurance — to skip treatment altogether.

Findings from a July 2023 Commonwealth Fund Health Care Affordability Survey show that even Americans with health insurance often don’t have access to affordable care. Those who get medical care may struggle to pay for prescriptions, co-pays, and medical debt. Worse still, insured consumers (and their loved ones) are getting sicker due to cost-driven delays or skipped care, including:

• 54% of people with employer coverage 
• 61% of people in the marketplace or individual-market plans
• 60% of people with Medicaid
• 63% of people with Medicare

How influencers play a role

In response, brands, non-profits or government agencies that promote easy, affordable solutions, like telemedicine, mental health services or discount pharmaceutical directories, can work with influencers. Teaming up with creators allows brands to provide solutions for pain points while leveraging the authenticity of influencers to reach more customers. 

In one campaign example, Cactus and Colorado Crisis Services teamed up with IZEA for an award-winning campaign to promote its mental health services for LGBTQ+ community members in the area.

Trend 2: Lack of trust in health recommendations

People aren’t sure which sources to believe anymore, especially in the healthcare realm. 

Considering how divergent opinions are, experts predict more people will turn to experts in the field over politicians or government agencies. 

How influencers play a role

Research suggests people are willing to trust the opinions of doctors who share information on social media, along with friends and patients who share their medical experiences. As a result, expect more medical influencers to collaborate with healthcare brands and more patients to share testimonials or feedback about a particular illness, treatment, or medical device. As always, brands and influencers should vet their partners and make sure to follow all legal and FTC guidelines for healthcare sponsorships. 

In this example, Dr. Helene shares her story of graduating residency and spreads awareness about the CDC’s “Let’s Stop HIV Together” campaign. She encourages viewers to order their free HIV self-tests through the link in her bio.

Trend 3: Lack of transparency in healthcare-related pricing

Forty-four percent of adults skipped getting the medical care or prescriptions they needed due to an inability to get upfront pricing information, according to a 2023 survey by Kyruus Health. 

With the fear of surprise medical bills or excessive upfront costs, experts in the healthcare industry are predicting that many patients will begin to explore subscription-based healthcare bundles that offer transparent pricing. 

Eager to capitalize on this shift, Americans will begin seeing more direct-to-consumer retail healthcare options, including Amazon Clinic (telehealth and text-based medical consults), Costco (online marketplace Sesame), Walgreens (telehealth), and GNC Health (virtual healthcare with membership plans). 

How influencers play a role

Expect influencer collaborations to focus on costs or offer free membership codes to try virtual services. Aside from simply promoting a service, brands can turn to influencers who have firsthand experience with their product or service, asking them to share their story with others. Through relatable, transparent content, brands can gain trust and traction with prospective customers. 

As an influencer, remember transparency is key. Share honest feedback with your audience, but make sure you disclose your relationship with the brand, mention possible side effects, and label sponsored content as an ad. 

These health trends reflect the impact of many issues, including wealth disparity and partisan politics, and their toll on Americans’ physical, emotional, mental, and financial well-being. The role of social media — including influencers and marketers — has shifted to hold more weight in informing and educating consumers. 

Brands and influencers should be aware of these trends and lean into truthful research, integrity-led content, and transparency in posting to connect with consumers in a welcomed way.

Influencers:

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Marketers:

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