Lessons Learned From Working With Influencers

Today, when we talk about “the media,” we’re no longer referring only to traditional news outlets. Yes, legacy publications like The New York Times and The Washington Post remain essential for shaping narratives and giving broader context to the work our clients do. But alongside them, we’ve witnessed the continued rise, and influence, of individual creators.

Influencer marketing has become a central part of the modern media landscape. Across every industry, individuals are building powerful personal brands on social platforms, cultivating audiences, and shaping conversations in ways once reserved for established newsrooms.

And the prevalence of influencer marketing will not be slowing down any time soon. In fact, according to a recent study by Statista, the global influencer market value is expected to reach $30 billion in 2030, compared to $10 billion in 2020. This alone shows that influencers aren’t going anywhere and it is something brands must embrace in order to keep up with competitors.

A Case Study: Wolters Kluwer Health

Recently, our client Wolters Kluwer Health launched UpToDate® Expert AI, the AI-enhanced evolution of its trusted clinical decision support tool, UpToDate. The solution uses a multi-layered validation framework to emulate how expert clinicians reason, answering medical questions with rigor and confidence.

Going into the launch, the mandate was clear: make a splash.

In a healthcare environment where nearly every company is talking about AI, differentiation is difficult, especially against major players like OpenEvidence and Doximity. Traditional media outreach was an essential part of our strategy, but it wasn’t enough on its own. To resonate with the people who would actually use the tool every day, we needed trusted clinical voices.

So, we activated our influencer program. To do this we:

• Identified credible clinician creators across LinkedIn, TikTok, and Instagram
• Hosted virtual demos with Wolters Kluwer’s Chief Medical Officer
• Equipped creators to share authentic, informed perspectives on UpToDate Expert AI

The result: standout organic social conversation and genuine, trusted validation from the clinicians who matter most.

Key Lessons Learned

While the campaign was highly successful in positioning UpToDate® Expert AI as the most trusted CDS solution, we learned several valuable lessons along the way:

1. Brand trust is your strongest foundation

UpToDate has been trusted by clinicians for 30+ years, and that credibility mattered. When the product already has strong brand equity, influencers are more eager to engage, learn, and advocate authentically. Don’t overlook the power of legacy and trust as catalysts for influencer success.

2. Bigger isn’t always better when choosing influencers

Our initial instinct was to look for clinicians with the largest followings. But as we dug deeper, we refined our criteria:

• Who covers AI and clinical technology?
• Who uses tools like UpToDate regularly?
• Who reaches audiences we may overlook, like medical students?

Relevance and authenticity far outweigh raw follower count. The “right” influencer is not always the most obvious one.

3. Momentum matters as influence spreads socially

We engaged fewer than 10 influencers directly with demos, yet the launch drove even more influencer posts organically. Clinician creators pay attention to each other and amplify credible innovation. When a few respected voices are engaged and enthusiastic, momentum builds quickly.

And this reinforced another truth: engagement beats follower count every time.

4. Clear guidance enables authentic content

Influencers don’t need scripts, they need clarity. Providing creators with context, product education, and talking points (not word-for-word messaging) gave them confidence to share informed perspectives in their own voice. The result was content that felt genuine, aligned with our positioning, and still allowed each creator’s personality and expertise to shine. Thoughtful preparation empowers authenticity — and audiences can feel the difference.

Bringing It All Together

Influencer marketing isn’t a side tactic anymore,  it’s a core part of modern communications. Our work with Wolters Kluwer Health showed that partnering with credible creator scan do more than boost visibility; it can deepen trust, build momentum, and meaningfully shape how innovation is understood.

Winning in this space isn’t about chasing big followings, it’s about aligning with the right voices, offering thoughtful guidance, and building authentic relationships. When brands combine a strong foundation with smart influencer selection and clear messaging support, they unlock a level of relevance and resonance traditional media cannot achieve on its own.

The creator economy is only expanding. Brands that learn to partner with influencers strategically and authentically will set the pace, not follow it.

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