Social Media marketing seems to be a highly accepted way of promoting your business in the Pharma market. I guess the massive role health forums have started to play in this sector probably means that they have a good understanding of how valuable this medium can be and how important engagement is.

Big players Pfizer seem to have taken the changed role of marketing seriously. I read some comments a while back (2007) from a Pfizer marketer who stated that they had ditched their traditional brand websites for more proactive pro-portal which offers all product indication and clinical information for professionals. This means that doctors only have to go to one site to get all the information they need. In other words they found that abandoning the push and moving towards engagement was the way forward.

In September they took this a whole step further and took their first step into viral marketing. They have developed a Facebook App called the “Serious Quitters’ Arcade”. The game is being marketed via Twitter, video seeding and a Facebook fan page. In some senses this campaign is still “advertising” in disguise but it is a step in the right direction for Pfizer.

Having said that there are some critics out there of Pfizer’s social media efforts. Have to say I enjoyed reading these posts because the level of conversation in the sector seems to be way above that in other markets. Apparently Pfizer made a major acquisition on Friday but their single twitter post read like a press release. In other words they haven’t really “got” Twitter. According to the pundits companies like J&J, Boehringer, have taken the next step and have started engaging in a more informal manner that makes them a partner. The fact that they have no blog which openly discusses these changes within the company is seen a major public relations flaw.

How could your company benefit from social media marketing? Here at SociaLNK we could help you build the strategy you need to make those first steps towards a fully engaged online presence.