Top 8 Healthcare Marketing Trends for 2025

Healthcare marketing has changed significantly in recent years to keep up with changing consumer preferences and buying habits.

We can expect 2025 to be no different. With insights from EMARKETER and other resources, here are the top eight healthcare trends to watch out for in 2025.

1. Women Will Be More Likely To Use the Internet for Searching Health Information Than Men

According to a December 2023 EMARKETER survey of 1,391 U.S. consumers: 

• 86% of women use online medical research for medical conditions or symptoms.
• 69% of women turn to online medical search for prescription drugs, treatments or services. 
• 51% of women turn to online resources to look for and research healthcare providers.

This will most likely continue in 2025, offering healthcare organization (HCO) marketers a strategic opportunity when developing campaigns targeting women. 

2. HCOs Will Need To Rethink Their Portrayal of Women in Ads

Women are a potent force as healthcare consumers. Per EMARKETER, women are responsible for 80% of all healthcare decisions made in the U.S. Still, healthcare marketers must ensure that their portrayal of woman. A report from the Association of National Advertisers’ SeeHer initiative found that only one-third of all healthcare advertising accurately portrays women.

This means that HCOs must be attentive to authentically portraying women’s lives, goals, responsibilities and needs in ads in 2025.

3. Online Ads Will Inform Consumers About New Products and Services

47.1% of consumers reported seeking out more information after seeing or hearing an ad about a healthcare product or service. Per this survey, consumers are mainly being exposed to ads on search engines (58.6%), followed by connected TV (41.0%), social media platforms (33.9%) and healthcare websites like WebMD and Healthline (33.6%). We expect this trend to continue throughout 2025. That’s why it’s critical to consider using these key channels in your media mix and have a multichannel strategy tied to search.  

Marketers must also be cognizant of the generational differences in the actions taken by U.S. consumers as a result of seeing or hearing a healthcare ad. An EMARKETER survey found that millennials are the most likely to go online to further research information in an ad (58.1%), followed by Gen X (48.4%) and Gen Z (47.6%). Conversely, only 36.5% of baby boomers reported being likely to do so. Gen Z (35.9%) is also the most likely to turn to family or friends to ask about personal usage of the medication, treatment or service shown in an ad.  

Overall, baby boomers remain the most skeptical of information presented in ads, while Gen Z and millennials are more likely to take action after being exposed to a healthcare ad.

4. Consumers Will Turn to Health Influencers for Healthcare Information 

46.6% of respondents who use social media to search healthcare information follow or engage with influencers on social media platforms. Keep in mind that not all these influencers are healthcare professionals. In fact, only 31.8% of respondents said that they followed and engaged with influencers who were.

Influencer marketing will remain a powerful advertising method in 2025, but marketers should be discerning when deciding who to work with and what information to have them share to stop the spread of disinformation. Prioritize transparency by clearly disclosing sponsored content to maintain trust and authenticity in influencer partnerships.

5. Most Consumers Will Use Search To Start Their Digital Patient Journey, But Social Media Will Remain a Potent Force

Per EMARKETER, 79.5% of consumers turn to search engines to self-diagnose a medical condition, and 70.5% start their medical research online using search engines. Other popular channels to start medical research include health information websites like WebMD and Healthline (50.7%), health system websites (23.4%), a doctor’s practice (19.7%) and a health insurer (18.3%). 

Consumers also use search engines to research provider reviewers, with 48.8% relying on Google reviews and 35.2% relying on WebMD to discern doctor ratings.

Still, among younger generations, social media is a growing starting point for medical searches. The survey revealed that 28.8% of Gen Z consumers and 25.8% of millennial consumers are more likely than the average consumer (15.5%) to use social media to search for medical information. We can anticipate this trend to continue. 

When developing your marketing strategy for 2025, ensure search engine marketing (SEM) is a major focal point and consider prioritizing paid search within your channel-level investments as the first touch with patients. Also, actively promote positive reviews through paid search ads to help enhance your online reputation. And when targeting Gen Z and millennial consumers, consider social as a powerful channel to leverage.

6. Younger Consumers Will Use Generative AI for Research

EMARKETER found that 5.8% of respondents use generative AI like ChatGPT for medical research, with 12.2% of millennials and 7.9% of Gen Zers using these tools for research. According to a fall 2023 survey from the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions, 69% found the output to be very or extremely reliable. 

Younger healthcare consumers are turning to generative AI for healthcare information because it offers personalized, instant and accessible answers to their health-related questions. They appreciate the convenience of receiving tailored advice, symptom analysis and medical information through AI-driven platforms and chatbots, which can offer a more engaging and interactive experience when compared to traditional healthcare resources.

According to a Hyro 2024 study, here are the types of questions U.S. healthcare patients feel the most comfortable asking an AI assistant and trust it to answer correctly:

• General info such as opening hours, clinic location, arrival instructions and contact information (38%).
• Assistance with scheduling, rescheduling or canceling of appointments (37%).
• Assistance with finding relevant physicians or facilities in my area (35%).

Healthcare organizations should explore the integration of AI tools to provide accurate and reliable medical information to users across existing patient engagement platforms. By using AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants, you can offer personalized and immediate support to individuals seeking healthcare information online. Also, when developing your search strategy, don’t neglect AI platforms like Perplexity or ChatGPT search.

7. Rising Healthcare Costs Will Make Brand Trust and Loyalty Paramount for Cost-Conscious Consumers

A 2024 West Health-Gallup Survey found that 67% of U.S. consumers said healthcare costs are a financial burden to them and their families. In 2025, medical cost growth is set to reach the highest level in 13 years. This makes building trust and brand loyalty with consumers extremely important.

To do so with consumers who are burdened with medical debt, don’t dance around the issue. You have a key opportunity to stand out from other healthcare organizations.

Acknowledge the financial hardships your patients and possible patients are facing. Market the solutions you offer to alleviate medical costs including patient support programs, copay assistance, coupons and price transparency.

8. HCOs Will Need To Consciously Develop Consumer Relationships

Consumers are becoming the CEOs of their own health journey. They expect something different — and better — in how they navigate, choose, manage and experience their health and wellbeing. Consumers are examining and questioning the value of the health services they consume. The increased healthcare costs, combined with a significant gap of insurance and health literacy, places pressure on consumer trust in the healthcare ecosystem. Behind the out-of-pocket spending lies a continued evolution of what consumers experience as “shoppable” decisions.

Shifting ownership of decisions (from clinicians to patients) means that HCOs need to engage with and develop a true relationship with the consumer via marketing (e.g., conversion rate optimization, search engine optimization, SEM, content, advertising, website/digital experience, reputation management, creative/messaging, etc.) because that consumer is the leader of their own health journey.

Wrapping Up

With these trends on the horizon, you should have a good starting point for your 2025 healthcare marketing planning.

Are you looking for additional insights? Download our 2025 healthcare marketing tool kit or get in touch with our expert healthcare team at GRADIANT. 

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About the Author:

Erin Killion is a director of client strategy at GRADIANT, Goodway Group’s modern funnel digital agency. With more than 15 years of healthcare experience, Erin develops purposeful strategies backed by data-driven insights, helping clients navigate the complexities of the healthcare space. She serves as part of the Goodway Private Health Information + Consumer Privacy in Healthcare team, is a member of the Society for Healthcare Strategy and Market Development Education Advisory Board and is a thought leader in the evolution of the healthcare consumer and the “retailization” of healthcare. Erin has worked with clients across the healthcare vertical including providers and delivery systems, payers, pharma, MedTech and retail healthcare, leveraging her extensive experience, insights and knowledge to shift the way HCOs engage, educate and elevate today’s healthcare consumer. She is a powerhouse in client strategy and digital marketing, significantly impacting the industry. 

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