What is Self-detailing in Pharma?

November 2024

Demystifying Self-detailing

Self-service detailing refers to an automated eDetailing presentation, providing healthcare professionals (HCPs) with on-demand access to product information. Unlike a mere repository of eDetailing content, self-detailing replicates the full eDetailing experience, incorporating a digital brand assistant or chatbot. This chatbot guides HCPs through the content, mimicking the interactive and 'guided' aspect of a representative's involvement, ensuring a compliant and engaging experience. The digital brand assistant enhances the customer experience, offering personalized guidance instead of expecting HCPs to navigate information independently.

Self-Detailing is the missing link between visits and standard digital activation

Self-guided detailing seamlessly integrates into contemporary pharmaceutical omnichannel marketing strategies, carving out a distinctive niche within the pharmaceutical channel ecosystem. It surpasses the engagement level of a standard website and extends its reach beyond in-person or remote Healthcare Professional (HCP) meetings. This characteristic grant considerable flexibility, allowing the creation of diverse omnichannel customer journeys. Somehow, self-Detailing is the missing link between visits and standard digital activation.

Consider your overall pharmaceutical omnichannel strategy as a classic marketing funnel. It initiates engagement through channels like advertising or search engine-optimized (SEO) content, attracting a broad audience. Subsequently, it progresses towards higher-value representative engagement, showcasing your company's value.

Self-service detailing, characterized by scalability and personalization, acts as a catalyst for building relationships. It serves as an intermediary between impersonal channels and genuine human conversations. While transitioning from reviewing a website to engaging with a representative might be a significant leap for an HCP, moving from a website to interacting with a self-detailer and then meeting a field force member offers a more natural and smoother progression. 

In the early stages of the customer journey, self-guided detailing proves effective in enhancing content relevance. It serves as a cost-efficient method to reach a wide array of HCPs and identify their specific interests in a particular topic.

This approach allows HCP interactions to guide them through tailored content, swiftly aligning them with the right profile. It also determines the preferred content formats based on their self-detailer interactions. For instance, if it becomes evident that an HCP favors video content, this preference can be prioritized in subsequent engagements, whether through automated email content delivery or personalized video messages from representatives and Medical Science Liaisons (MSLs).

Self Detailing mechanics

The structure of self-detailing follows a 'choose your own adventure' approach, offering branching pathways through detailing content with predetermined interactions. The key is to maintain HCPs in control, allowing them to explore content based on their preferences while ensuring a logical progression. A well-designed self-detailer tracks HCPs' interactions, remembering their reviewed content for future visits, providing a seamless and efficient experience. This approach not only extends engagement time but also contributes to better-informed HCPs in subsequent interactions with representatives.

User eXperience

Remember, devil is in the details! HCPs only might have a few minutes to engage successfully with your content. Thus, the feeling you provide within the first 10 seconds are going to be key. On Internet, Users are always a click away from your content and can switch very easily from your content to something else. So, if you publish your existing e-Detail Aid just like that, hoping HCPs will browse your content, you might get disappointed.

Using bots to introduce your content in a more discutional way has been tested by several providers. At VISIGRAM, we have developed an expertise based on intra video discussion. Whatever the option, considering revamping your e-Detail Aid content with a more gamified approach is always a good option.