The word-of-mouth of the digital age
Influencer marketing is a social media strategy where brands partner with individuals (influencers) who have established credibility and a dedicated online following to promote products or services, leveraging the trust they’ve built to reach target audiences authentically and drive awareness, engagement, and sales, often through sponsored content on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. It’s a powerful way for businesses to gain visibility and tap into existing communities by using influencers as trusted voices for endorsements and product mentions, acting as social proof for potential customers.
What has worked?
We have closely monitored the quality of the posts and the engagement thereof (likes, comments, etc.). Below are two of our favorite posts. We hope these types of posts continue as they are every engaging and have high reuse value. Well done to the Events and Campaigns team.
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
Suggestions to improve performance
The debate of whether or not we should use non-member influencers has been one we’ve had since the Bestmed influencer campaigns started. There are very strong and valid opinions as to why we shouldn’t. However, we also have very strong and valid opinions why we should. We feel this restricts our reach and we are not using this avenue to its full potential. Before we continue, we’d like to share this video of a very powerful influencer named Grace Mondlana.
Grace Mondlana for Netcare
@grace._mondlana On bed rest for the weekend 🙂↔️🫶🏽 & when I come back? 🫵🏾YOU🫵🏾 better have medial aid okay?😂 #gracemondlana #flu #sickday #hospitalvisit #medicalaid #braces #bracescolors #bracesjourney #thatgirl #foodtiktok #adulting ♬ original sound – Grace Mondlana 🎀
Things to note
- Macro influencers, like celebrities, have fans. Their fans will share anything they post regardless of whether they are interested in the product or not, therefore increasing reach and visibility.
- This post from Grace got 253 000 likes organically (not a paid ad). Most of her posts perform just as good. If this was a music album, we’d say the post went double platinum. It got 1300 comments and was shared 568 times.
- What we notice on most nano influencers’s posts is that they get robotic comments like “please send me quote” and when contacted, they never reply. These responses are either from bots, or from their friends who they asked to come and comment so it can seem like their posts are generating engagement. Macro influencers like Grace have real people with real engagement.
Addressing the main concern around using non-member influencers
“It’s not believable because they are not using the services.”
A person who does not own a BMW can comment on how great a BMW is and influence those around them to buy one as long as they are seen as knowledgeable and credible.
- Its all about how the post is positioned. For example instead of saying “Join bestmed because they are so amazing and have incredible benefits”, the post can be “So, I’ve been shopping around for Medical aid and came accross Bestmed. I spoke to a very friendly consultant who explained their plans and benefits, and they are amazing.” Or, “I’ve been comparing medical aids here is why I think Bestmed is a great choice.”
- Macro influencers have built trust with their audiences and are seen as credible sources of information by their audience. They do not need to have used a product to convince their audience it is a good product … their reputation preceeds them. They are taken at their word.
- This might sound arrogant, but who’s gona know?
Start exploring non-member influencer partnerships: Limiting influencer partnerships to existing members restricts reach. Working with non-member influencers allows the brand to access new audiences, stay culturally relevant, and enter conversations where future members already are. With proper briefing, these creators can position Bestmed as an aspirational choice, not just a testimonial from those already converted.
Macro and Micro influencers give Bestmed immediate access to large, diverse audiences, helping Bestmed achieve awareness quickly and consistently across platforms. Their established credibility positions Bestmed alongside trusted public voices, elevating perception and legitimacy especially for a category like healthcare where trust matters.
Closing note
Social platforms now prioritise video, not static posts. Video drives higher reach, stronger engagement, and clearer storytelling, while static content is easier to ignore and less likely to surface organically. Hiring creators who can confidently create video ensures Bestmed’s content is algorithm-friendly, and built to capture attention in a scroll-driven environment and not just exist on a feed. We need to limit the number of influencers who are not able or comfortable with creating video content.