
Social media has become a ubiquitous part of modern life, with billions of people around the world using online platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn to connect with others, share information, and consume content. A recent study sheds light on the growing influence and impact of social media on certain aspects of physician actions.
“Physicians are increasingly leveraging a variety of social media channels to meet different needs – both professionally and personally,” notes Erin Fitzgerald, Chief Marketing Officer at Sermo. “In response, pharma marketers are investing more in their social strategy, understanding these channels have vast potential to influence perception and behavior.”
Consuming this form of digital content can, at times, provide a wealth of information that can help us make more informed decisions. We need only look at the power of social media to impact everyday research on products and services, when we read customer reviews, look at the star rankings, as well as compare prices and features. Social media can also be a useful tool for staying up-to-date on news and current events.
New information, through a recent joint survey conducted by Sermo and LiveWorld, sheds light on the powerful influence social media has on the power to influence the prescription. And we are left to wonder if we should consider this positive and contributory—or negatively impacting our trust and health outcomes?
Done in two parts, this survey revealed that 57% frequently or occasionally change their view of a treatment or medication based on social media content. Only 16% of surveyed physicians report never having their perceptions altered through social media. Surprisingly, these same physicians reported that their change in perception often led to their prescription habits being modified—by 41% of respondents.
Naturally, pharma industry marketers are taking note of this trend and are increasingly investing in social media to influence the behavior of healthcare professionals (HCPs). Not surprisingly, this survey, which also targeted marketers in the pharmaceutical industry, found that 94% of respondents view social media as an important channel for HCPs.
As a result, social media is a top priority for pharma marketers when planning their 2023 budgets—and no one reported a decrease in expected social media spending. In fact, 90% of those surveyed included social media in their marketing plans for the coming year, with 50% anticipating an increase in budgets for social media aimed at HCPs. When it comes to HCP-related social media, pharma marketers firmly believe in the return on investment (ROI); a whopping 92% are fully confident that it influences clinical and treatment decisions.