Everyone’s talking about digital opinion leaders (DOLs). But who are they, and how can you integrate them into your insights management strategy? Similar to traditional KOLs, these well-respected influencers hail from scientific backgrounds and wield significant influence among their networks. Unlike most KOLs, DOLs are highly active on digital platforms like Twitter or LinkedIn, and many of them are not HCPs. Instead, they might be patient advocates or researchers who have a personal or professional investment in a specific condition or clinical area. You can learn more in our digital opinion leaders video guide.
The rise of DOLs reflects a shift in how medical affairs teams and other life science roles are engaging experts. “Traditionally, the scientific dialogue used to happen on the congress floor. Now it’s moving to social media or in the cloud,” said Siobhan Mitchell, General Medicines Global Medical Office Head, Sanofi in a recent Reuters Events webinar. This omnichannel approach yields more insights by drawing on different types of experts, all of whom bring distinct perspectives to create a more complete picture of a given therapeutic area or disease community. Finding DOLs involves a different process than KOL identification, and it’s important to understand the online spaces where these experts consume and share information.
Looking for some good reading material? Check out our three-part series on what DOLs are, how to identify DOLs, and how to work with DOLs. Or, watch the short video below for some key takeaways.
