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Influencer marketing is an effective tool for many industries, including healthcare. However, endorsing medications, wellness programs, supplements, or medical devices comes with additional ethical and legal concerns than promoting a T-shirt or toy. As a result, healthcare brands must take extra care in selecting influencers and approving content. To help health and wellness brands leverage influencer marketing, here are campaign examples and best practices to consider.

Examples of influencer marketing in healthcare

The healthcare industry works with influencers large and small to promote everything from prescription medications to online healthcare solutions. As you explore possible campaigns, here are a few examples to reference. 

Lady Gaga promotes migraine medication

Singer Lady Gaga teamed up with Pfizer to discuss her experience with migraines and how the company’s medication, Nurtec, helps alleviate her pain. The celebrity partnership includes everything from TV ads to Instagram posts, like this one:

Note the disclaimer at the end of the Instagram post. It includes legal wording about side effects and points to where readers can get more information.

Michael Phelps endorses Talkspace

Olympic champion Michael Phelps was a household name after winning 18 gold medals, but the elite athlete admits he struggled with depression. He partnered with Talkspace, a digital therapy platform, to encourage others to get help if they feel symptoms of depression.

Authenticity is important in collaborations like this one. In the video, which was timed to align with Mental Health Awareness Month, Michael talks about his experiences with his mental health. Note: At the end of the video, the on-screen text reminds viewers to seek immediate help from a crisis hotline or 911 in emergencies.

Blue Cross Blue Shield promoting open enrollment

To remind people about open enrollment periods, Blue Cross Blue Shield partnered with influencers to share the information with their followers through social media videos. In this video, @itserinconfortini talks about the benefits and the availability of plans for various budgets.

Best practices to implement influencer marketing

Influencer marketing for healthcare includes additional considerations than typical B2C brands. To ensure successful influencer collaborations, take these best practices into account:

Find and vet experienced influencers 

Whether you’re looking for patient influencers or wellness ambassadors, it’s essential to find the right creator to work with. Start your search on an influencer marketing platform or ask our Managed Services team to compile an influencer list of suitable creators. While several campaign examples above include celebrity endorsements, you can work with a variety of influencers, which could include: 

  • Doctors
  • Nurses
  • Medical assistants
  • Medical students
  • Wellness advocates
  • Patients
  • Entrepreneurs
  • Athletes
  • Educators
  • Parents

Make a list of your top choices, contact each, and ask them to send a media kit, including audience demographics, engagement rates, and examples of previous collaborations. 

Consider asking influencers to provide examples of collaborations with a similar product or at least examples in the healthcare field. Experience is important. Ideally, the influencer you select will understand the industry and the nature of promoting healthcare products and services.  

Be clear about the product or service description

Every influencer campaign — no matter the industry — should include an influencer marketing brief. The brief should provide company information, campaign goals, product/service information, deliverables, deadlines, an approval process, and compensation.

For healthcare brands, pay special attention to product or service descriptions. An influencer should understand how an online therapy platform works, for example, or know the side effects of a cold-therapy weight loss procedure. 

In the brief, explain:

  • What the product or service aims to do
  • Benefits
  • Side effects
  • Availability and requirements
  • Where the product is available
  • Information about the brand
  • Whether this brand or industry is regulated by the government 

An influencer should have all of this information to ensure honest content.

Provide FDA training

In some cases, how a product or service is marketed is regulated by the FDA. Patient influencers that work with pharmaceutical companies, for example, need to take special care in how they tout a particular drug. It’s your brand’s responsibility to train influencers on these practices and ensure content complies. 

Ads needs to substantiate any claims they make about their products. Are there studies or trials that back up any claims? A qualified third party must review claims.

Provide FTC guidelines for disclosure

The Federal Trade Commission monitors claims made on social media, especially those from the medical field. The FTC requires influencers to disclose their relationship with a brand. Influencers must clearly label sponsored content with words like “ad” in a prominent place. If the campaign involves video, include multiple types of disclosure: on-screen, verbal, and in the caption.

Create an approval process

In your influencer contract, include an approval process. While many brands ask to review influencer-generated content before publication, it’s imperative in the healthcare industry. 

Explain what the approval process looks like. Once content is created, who should the influencer send it to? How many people need to review it? 

In some cases, the content may need approval from several people. If that’s the case, consider this as you plan the campaign timeline. You may need more time for the approval process than usual. 

What happens if you don’t comply? Government agencies can take many actions for non-compliance, including requiring companies stop running the ads, fines, customer refunds and corrective advertising. Stay compliant with the help of our team of experts.

As always, you should monitor metrics to see how your campaign fares. If done well, healthcare influencers can help your brand reach new customers, educate the public, and provide relevant solutions to everyday medical concerns. 

Influencers:

Looking to partner with industry-leading brands? Create your free profile today. 

Marketers:

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influencer marketing software Managed Services

 IZEA MANAGED SERVICES 

Strategy and execution from the company that launched the industry.

Request a proposal

Learn more about our
Managed Services offerings

influencer marketing software Managed Services

 IZEA MANAGED SERVICES 

Strategy and execution from the company that launched the industry.

Request a proposal

Learn more about our Managed Services offerings

 IZEA MANAGED SERVICES 

Strategy and execution from the company that launched the industry.

Request a proposal

Learn more about our Managed Services offerings