Leveraging the Power of Influencers to Address COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in HIV-Positive Individuals

AIDS United, a nonprofit organization, aimed to address COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among people living with HIV or vulnerable to HIV. They needed to identify relevant influencers to educate audiences across Instagram and TikTok about the COVID-19 vaccine and the risks associated with being HIV positive and unvaccinated.

To address the challenge of reaching their target audience via TikTok, AIDS United partnered with Social Driver, because of our people-centric approach. This approach meant that Social Driver would be looking to reach AIDS United's target audience in an authentic and empathetic way through a true partnership with AIDS United as the client. Social Driver identified ten influencers from different backgrounds and perspectives to support the initiative. These influencers created a variety of content ranging from PSAs to day-in-the-life videos to TikTok dances, all aimed at educating audiences about the COVID-19 vaccine and the risks associated with being HIV positive and unvaccinated.

The content created was accessible and educational, resulting in high engagement from supportive comments around each post. AIDS United saw an increase of 10,198% in profile views from people that did not follow their social profiles. By partnering with Social Driver and leveraging the power of social media influencers, AIDS United was able to effectively address vaccine hesitancy among people living with HIV or vulnerable to HIV, contributing to their mission of ending the HIV epidemic in the United States.

AIDS United and Social Driver's partnership was a successful example of how social media can be used to promote important public health messages. By identifying and leveraging the power of relevant influencers, AIDS United was able to reach a wider audience and effectively educate them about the COVID-19 vaccine and the risks associated with being HIV positive and unvaccinated. The accessible and educational content created by the influencers resulted in high engagement from audiences, as seen by the increase in profile views. This case study highlights the importance of collaboration between organizations and agencies that prioritize people-centric approaches to create compelling content tailored to audiences.

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