Top Insights
As we enter 2025, one thing remains clear: marketing has evolved beyond simply promoting services. Now, it’s about connecting authentically, earning trust, and adapting to and meeting the needs of today’s well-informed patients.
With my years of experience navigating this fast-paced industry, I believe next year will be pivotal and demand that healthcare organizations position themselves for long-term growth.
The 11 trends I outline below aren’t just tactical shifts—they’re strategic imperatives that will shape the future of healthcare marketing and, ultimately, patient care.
Keep your marketing strategy ahead of the curve with these 11 predictions:
1. Greater Adoption of AI in Healthcare
Our 2024 trends article highlighted AI’s growing role in healthcare marketing. In 2025, its impact will be even greater, with an increased focus on personalized healthcare experiences, optimized search ads, and improved patient acquisition strategies. If integrated strategically, AI will unlock new growth opportunities and scale to meet tomorrow’s consumer demands.
Here’s How to Stay Competitive
A recent industry report from Vultr, a leading cloud computing platform, reveals that 64% of Health & Life Sciences businesses recognize the strong link between AI maturity and superior business outcomes.
Integrate AI into your digital marketing strategy to enhance patient experiences and increase patient engagement, retention, and online visibility, resulting in more inquiries and appointments. Here are a few recommendations:
- Website Design
Enhance your website with interactive features and AI-powered chatbots to streamline patient communications and scheduling. - SEO and Content Marketing
Leverage predictive analytics and AI insights to optimize your website content for better search rankings and visibility. - Personalized Patient Journeys
Use AI tools to create deeper, more personalized patient experiences that extend across multiple marketing channels, creating seamless interactions.
2. Telehealth Services Continue to Evolve
The telehealth market is projected to reach $286.22 billion by 2030, making it a cornerstone of modern healthcare.
In 2025, the demand for remote consultations, diagnostic services, and follow-up care will continue to rise as more patients (and healthcare organizations) embrace the convenience, accessibility, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness of virtual care, especially for those in rural, remote, and underserved areas.
Here’s How to Stay Competitive
Expand telehealth services in your healthcare organization and promote it across your marketing channels. Here are a few tips:
- Digital Advertising
Promote telehealth services using geo-targeted campaigns on Google and social media platforms to target potential patients in your service area. - Landing Page Optimization
Develop engaging and targeted landing pages to promote your telehealth services. Ensure they are optimized to increase virtual appointment bookings and provide clear access to health resources. - Video Marketing
Create engaging video content that explains the benefits of your telehealth services. Educate patients on how it works, its available services, and its unmatched convenience.
3. Higher Demand for Personalized Patient Experiences
Today’s healthcare consumers expect more—a lot more. They want highly personalized healthcare experiences, from the first touchpoint to follow-up care with their healthcare provider.
As digital technologies advance, healthcare organizations can meet these rising demands and deliver highly customized experiences that build loyalty and trust. Personalized experiences will improve ROI by delivering higher conversions and patient retention rates.
Here’s How to Stay Competitive
- Automate Email Marketing
Leverage your CRM system to send personalized and targeted messages based on patient preferences and medical needs to increase engagement and improve satisfaction. - Manage Online Reputation
Encourage patients to leave online reviews and respond to each one quickly and thoughtfully to build stronger, more personalized relationships. - Leverage Patient Data
Improve patient experiences with data to ensure you’re offering the right services to the right patients.
4. Health Equity and Inclusivity Go Mainstream
Culturally competent care and inclusive healthcare policies, spaces, and messaging will be essential for building consumer trust and increasing patient growth, satisfaction, and retention.
Here’s How to Stay Competitive
- Branding and Positioning
Reposition your organization as a thought leader in health equity and inclusivity. To start, you can develop and share educational content, feature diverse patient and employee voices, and prioritize website accessibility and diversity in imagery. - Content Marketing
Create educational content (e.g., blogs, emails, webinars, or infographics) that informs and empowers your community to help destigmatize challenging topics like mental and behavioral health, transgender healthcare, and women’s health. - Social Media Marketing
Build awareness of your healthy equity and inclusivity initiatives with targeted social media campaigns that reinforce your message and help build trust and loyalty among a broad range of patients.
5. Data Privacy and Security Concerns Continue to Escalate
Due to the increasing reliance on AI-powered tools, digitization of patient health records, outdated systems with known vulnerabilities, and increased breaches and regulations, healthcare organizations must prioritize patient privacy to maintain (or rebuild) patient trust and enhance credibility.
Here’s How to Stay Competitive
- HIPAA-Compliant Website and Digital Tracking Technologies
Ensure all website and digital tracking technologies are up to date on HIPAA-compliance requirements to prioritize patient privacy and secure online communications. - Content Marketing
Share educational content about your ongoing commitment to data privacy and secure patient communications. Be transparent about what you do to keep your patient’s sensitive information safe, secure, and confidential. - Digital Audits
Perform regular audits of all marketing materials and online interactions (e.g., online reviews, social media engagement, etc.) to comply with data privacy laws, regulations, and best practices.
6. AI Content Personalization With a Genuine Human Touch Takes Priority
According to a recent survey, 50% of consumers can spot AI-generated copy, and 52% feel less engaged when they know it’s AI-created, underscoring the urgent need for original, emotionally engaging content.
As more businesses become comfortable with AI content, 2025 will demand a shift towards blending AI with human insight. Focus on humanizing your brand and connecting with your target audience in more meaningful ways to deliver a better, more unique, and compelling brand experience.
Search engines like Google prioritize visibility for original, high-quality, relevant, authoritative content.
Here’s How to Stay Competitive
- Content Marketing
Leverage AI-powered tools to support content curation, but invest in creating original, relevant, and emotionally engaging content that humanizes your brand, increasing online visibility, engagement, and conversions. - Email and Social Media Marketing
Build stronger relationships with patients through personalized communications about the health topics that matter to them and their families.
7. Aging Baby Boomers Require a Shift in Marketing Focus
As the large Baby Boomer population ages, healthcare marketing must adapt to meet their unique needs. Create a more targeted approach to leverage this growth opportunity by focusing on services and care models that highlight services tailored to their specific needs. These include:
- Telehealth services for easier access to routine care.
- Specialty care.
- Fitness and wellness programs to enhance mobility and independence.
- Financial planning and insurance education to navigate healthcare costs.
- Mental health support for aging adults and their caregivers.
- Memory care and dementia services.
- Chronic disease management.
- Home healthcare solutions.
- Palliative and hospice care for end-of-life planning.
Here’s How to Stay Competitive
- Paid Social Ads
Promote accessible services like telehealth and home healthcare to highlight the convenience and accessibility your organizations provide to older patients. - Content Marketing
Leverage blogs, videos, and custom landing pages to increase awareness about available programs for older patients (e.g., wellness, memory care, financial planning, and chronic disease management). - Email Marketing
Create personalized email sequences to educate older patient and their caregivers about available services to meet their unique needs. This will help increase patient engagement and retention.
8. Wellness & Preventative Care Make a Major Comeback
In 2025, wellness and preventive care will return to the mainstream as patients demand more holistic and accessible care options, like wearable tech that tracks health metrics, preventive care services, and personalized recommendations that support their physical and mental well-being. Healthcare organizations must answer this call and differentiate themselves with more personalized health and wellness services.
Here’s How to Stay Competitive
- Branding and Positioning
Reposition your organization as a holistic partner in patient health. Prioritize health solutions like nutrition, exercise, mental health, and stress management. - Content Marketing
Develop and share health and wellness content on your website, blog, emails, social media channels, and marketing materials that clearly communicate your dedication to holistic health. Offer webinars or eBooks focused on mental health and preventive care to drive engagement and build trust.
9. Digital and Virtual Mental Health Demands Soar
Telehealth, AI-powered therapy, virtual one-on-one sessions, and self-guided mental health tools will become more common as more patients demand greater accessibility and flexibility. Behavioral health and self-care services will become integral to whole-person wellness and optimal health outcomes.
Here’s How to Stay Competitive
- Content Marketing
Increase awareness of available tools like telehealth to emphasize your commitment to the efficiency and accessibility of virtual care solutions. - Paid Search Ads
Focus on geo-targeted ads to increase awareness of those actively seeking mental health care in your service area. - Trust Signals
Share video testimonials, quotes, and case studies to highlight positive experiences with your digital mental health services to increase awareness, credibility, and trust.
10. Patient Acquisition Strategies Require Integrated Marketing
Healthcare marketers must adopt a diversified mix of traditional and digital marketing channels to influence today’s healthcare consumers and their complex digital journeys. Relying on a single channel, like paid search ads, will eventually become unprofitable—if nothing else changes.
Here’s How to Stay Competitive
- Expand Marketing Mix
Consistent visibility and messaging across several channels build trust and keep your brand top-of-mind in a crowded marketplace. Consider paid search ads, social media ads, and content marketing. - Embrace Automation
Leverage CRM and email marketing automation to create highly personalized communications and multi-touch campaigns to remain a top contender during their decision-making process. - Build (or Revamp) Referral Programs
Encourage current patients to refer friends and family to create organic growth through trusted recommendations.
11. Service Line Marketing for Hospitals Remains Strong
While the shift toward value-based care and capitated reimbursement models continue to grow (slowly), service line marketing continues to expand across specialized services (e.g., cardiology, diabetes, oncology, and women’s health) through digital channels.
As patients continue seeking advanced care options, hospitals must highlight quality outcomes and provide easy-to-understand information about treatments, procedures, and other medical interventions.
Here’s How to Stay Competitive
- Paid Search Ads and Landing Pages
Create and optimize paid search ads and landing pages for specific service lines to improve search visibility and attract more patients seeking these specialized services. Leverage analytics and AI tools to identify high-value keywords and phrases. - Content Marketing
To attract and nurture prospective patients, create service line-specific educational content (e.g., blogs, articles, FAQs, and videos) and promote relevant patient testimonials. - Email Marketing
Create segmented lists to send targeted emails based on patient medical needs, preferences, or interests.
If you want to stay ahead of the competition and meet your patients’ growing demands, it’s time to focus on AI, patient-first strategies, and data-driven decisions. These will be key to building stronger relationships and staying competitive now and in the future.
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