In a recent article, we provided an overview of three common DOL personas that we have developed: Engagers, Creators, and Sharers.

Furthering our Digital Opinion Leader (DOL) Series, we must take a moment to discuss the persona that kicks off the cycle of peer-to-peer engagement on social media, the Creator.

Creators establish authentic connections with their audience by authoring their own content, sharing best practices and new discoveries that resonate and linger with their followers long after they have stopped scrolling. Whether that Creator has amassed a large following that hangs on their every word or a smaller, tailored following of niche HCPs - Creators typically have the following characteristics: fearless trailblazers, trusted advisors, and experienced mentors.

Create Fearlessly
The Creator persona, as the name suggests, creates content. Look to Creators to be the leaders of DOLs. They are not afraid to initiate dialogue amongst their peers. This dialogue can be about treatment plans, drug discoveries, or simply the best way to tackle an ongoing problem or issue. This type of content is created with the intent of the viewer interacting with the post. Depending on the platform, the Creator may include a poll or question to elicit further engagement. Optimal engagement includes cross-communication between the Creator and followers - thus building a sense of community. At their core, Creators are thought leaders and innovators who are unafraid to share the latest news and create meaningful conversations around it.

Advise on an Ever-Changing Digital Landscape
However, Creators do much more than just create. They advise on a social media landscape that is highly regulated and can look vastly different from the informal users of most social media platforms. Creators can advise institutions and organizations on methodologies to connect with HCPs via social - making Creators prime candidates for advisory boards and consulting roles. As content creators, they have become experts in not only creating content but understanding how their followers respond to clinical-based content. Granted, this is not an exact science, but with enough practice, Creators can gauge the type of content their audience will respond to and predict what engagement could potentially look like. This information is invaluable to institutions and organizations looking to engage DOLs or HCPs on social media channels.

Considering the investment of both time and experience to become a DOL, look to the Creator to establish best practices in an ever-changing digital landscape.

Mentorship Through Engagement
Creators reap the benefits of an elevated status on social media, which also means they run the risk of becoming mentors by default.

In the wise words of Winston Churchill "The price of greatness is responsibility".

That responsibility comes in the form of mentorship. Rising DOLs look to Creators for guidance and leadership. Creators make great mentors to early-career HCPs looking to network within their specialty, grow their following, or niche down their personal branding. Because they quite literally created the space for HCPs to thrive on social media, Creators are well suited to help the next generation of DOLs create authentic connections while avoiding pitfalls that may have fallen upon their predecessors.

Whether clinicians and academia are ready to acknowledge it or not, Creators are influencers. Their posts have the ability to incite dialogue, build community, and they just might be the spark needed to challenge the current standard of practice.

This is still only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to DOL personas and their characteristics. Are you interested in engaging with Creators but you are unsure where to start? Or you could be seeking to engage with a DOL, but the Creator persona does not seem like the right fit. We can assist in identifying the right DOL to spark thoughtful conversations around your brand. Let's connect.