Move Over Gen Z: The Rise of HCPs on TikTok
Written by: Samantha Arabolu, SVP, Social Strategy
TikTok is on the rise among HCPS.
Why? After a year of being impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the way doctors engage with medicine is evolving. Now, more HCPs are thinking digital first, as evidenced by increased digital channel usage, telemedicine volume, and social activity. This includes the growth of TikTok among healthcare practitioners. In April 2021, 42% of HCPs visited TikTok,* which is catching up to Twitter and Instagram at 52% and 76%, respectively.
The shift in 2020 behavior was not just about the adoption of new digital channels. It was a trend that highlighted the emboldening of physicians to become creators. Not just sharers or commentators, but true creators. And this is important to healthcare brands, because it changes the way we should engage and educate both physicians and patients.
What’s driving this sudden behavior shift with physicians?
Physicians have turned online to connect with peers for years. 60% of physicians follow their peers on social channels, which is nearly 3 times more than they follow KOLs.** While these physicians continue to exchange perspective with each other, 2020 changed the TONE of these interactions and WHO they’ve expanded their engagement with.
The burden and isolation of COVID on all HCPs triggered a segment of COLs to venture beyond sharing clinical perspectives. They started sharing a wider range of topics, with more passion, fueled by the underlying needs for both activism and emotional support.
Though only a few HCPs started creating TikTok posts, the medical community quickly shared those links with their peers and friends, regardless of whether someone had the TikTok app. While the goal may have been to initially support peers, HCPS quickly learned they had a larger audience, and they used that platform for good to fight misinformation and engage a new audience in health.
What are HCPs creating on TikTok?
The majority of their content can be categorized as the following:
Peer-to-Peer—While this is mostly HCPs using humor to entertain themselves around the healthcare bureaucracy and differences across specialties, this can also be inspirational or emotional
Point of View—Content that is aimed to improve public health with their expert opinions
Patient Education—Explaining details about disease prevention, procedures, and healthcare in general
What does this mean for healthcare companies?
Companies can let HCPs create their own magic. Top-tier consumer influencers request a brief of objectives, then use their tone and voice to create content. How do we do this with physicians?
Do the research: Find creator physicians who are passionate about the same causes we are promoting. It likely won’t be a branded product promotion, but it could advocating for optimal care—like how to talk to a new member of the care team.
Make the pitch: Explain why they should work with the company. Are we elevating their voice as part of a larger campaign? Are we going to help improve the causes they care about?
Highlight their voice: Give creators their own voice, based on what they WANT to do, and help facilitate that platform via our objective.
We’re very excited to see how this new trend is shaping the practice of medicine—not because it’s a relatively new channel to explore, but because it’s a new opportunity for us to help improve patient outcomes and physician satisfaction.
At Razorfish Health, we know what it takes to navigate the modern healthcare landscape. If you want to fuel your knowledge, please reach out to Delia.Pavlichko@razorfishhealth.com. We’re interested in hearing your perspective as well as your thoughts on the upcoming communication challenges and opportunities.
References
* Comscore Plan Metrix, April 2021
** Kantar Media Digital Insights Study, 2020