Social media has become central to how healthcare professionals (HCPs) learn, connect, and make decisions. At Precision AQ, we’ve been asking a simple but important question: now that everyone’s online, how do we make digital engagement meaningful?
During a Spotlight Stage session at Fierce Pharma, Precision AQ’s chief commercial officer Dan Cummings and assistant vice president of omnichannel solutions Anuraag Sarangi unpacked this challenge. They offered a fresh perspective on what digital influence really looks like in the HCP space. Their message was clear: digital engagement isn’t just about showing up, it’s about showing up with purpose.
Today’s HCPs are constantly plugged in. Over 80% use social media professionally, whether it’s to find medical information between patient visits or to listen to podcasts on their commute. And more than 75% say that what they hear from peers online influences their treatment decisions.
As Sarangi emphasized, “The way that [HCPs] learn and decide what to believe and who to believe in is more digital than ever.” That shift presents a major opportunity for pharma and biotech teams to engage more effectively, if they’re willing to rethink their approach.
But there’s a catch. Many pharma and biotech companies are still approaching digital engagement with outdated assumptions. One of the biggest myths is that popularity equals influence. As Sarangi pointed out, “Just because someone has a large following does not mean that they actually have clinical influence.” What matters more is the ability to spark conversation, debate, and reflection among peers.
Another common misstep is treating social media as a checkbox. Your strategy needs to be intentional and integrated into your broader engagement efforts. Relying on legacy speaker lists or basic social listening tools can also limit your reach. These approaches often miss emerging voices who are actively shaping conversations and driving clinical thinking in real time.
Cummings introduced a framework built around four key elements: relevance, resonance, reach, and rhythm. Of these, resonance is the true differentiator. The key is whether people respond, quote, and debate a topic or influencer. “That’s what influence looks like in motion,” Cummings said. “That’s what precision looks like in motion.”
To help teams act on this insight, Navigator365® Matrix turns digital chatter into strategic clarity. The platform analyzes thousands of conversations across platforms like Reddit, Facebook, and Instagram. It identifies digital opinion leaders (DOLs), maps their influence networks, and tracks sentiment trends in real time. Whether you’re planning a campaign or responding to a market-shaping event, Navigator365 Matrix helps you understand what’s being said, who’s saying it, and why it matters.
The tool also helps teams identify the right voices for partnership, understand how digital sentiment aligns with brand perception, and measure the impact of campaigns. As one client put it, “Matrix is about social media that meets influence mapping.” It’s a 360-degree view that turns real-time insight into measurable action.
If you’re in pharma, biotech, or a service organization, it’s time to rethink how you identify and engage HCP voices. Focus on resonance. Use data to guide your strategy. And don’t settle for assumptions; challenge them.
As Cummings concluded, “Rethinking digital influence in HCP engagement is simple, but it’s not simplistic. It requires precision.”
With the right tools and mindset, digital engagement can lead to real, measurable impact. If you’re ready to see Navigator365 Matrix in action, book a call with one of our experts today. Let’s talk about how we can help you engage with purpose.