A Fresh Look at Digital Marketing Strategies for Healthcare for 2026

Digital marketing is already part of how healthcare organizations operate, but the strategies behind it are still catching up to how the industry has changed.

The healthcare industry has been slower to accept and embrace digital in the past, and it’s not completely their fault. Federal privacy regulations and other challenges made traditional advertising more appealing. In addition to traditional marketing, healthcare providers also made good use of in-office marketing tactics.

But with COVID-19 and the loss of some point-of-service marketing opportunities, digital spending in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry accelerated and continues to grow. Digital channels now account for roughly 70% of total media ad spend in the sector. This growth reflects how digital channels have taken on a larger role in how patients encounter and engage with care.

In this edition of Plain Talk, we’ll take a fresh look at digital marketing strategies for healthcare.

Where the Healthcare Industry Spends Its Marketing Budget

So, where is the healthcare industry spending? Healthcare and pharma still include TV as part of their media mix, but traditional channels are shrinking as budgets shift online. Digital ad spending is on the rise, with healthcare and pharma digital ad investment growing faster than traditional spending and now expected to widen the gap even further through 2026.

Paid search remains a core focus because it helps organizations appear when people are actively seeking care or employment information. Reaching people who are looking for a doctor or specialty care, whether that’s a pain clinic, children’s therapy or at-home care, still makes strategic sense. If a prospective patient or employment candidate is actively seeking information, concentrating marketing spend there tends to be more efficient.

Other digital formats such as social media (which is projected to exceed linear TV spending) and video and connected TV options are also gaining budget share as marketers pursue both reach and targeting precision.

4 Ways to Get More Value From Your Digital Spend

If you aren’t seeing results from your digital marketing strategies, the issue is likely how those strategies are being used rather than whether they’re in place. Here are a few tried-and-true options for ways to make sure your spend reaches the right audience and also drives results (new patients, new appointments, etc.).

1. Targeted Lists Improve Results While Limiting Costs

Using a targeted list, whether built from first-party data collected through your own systems or sourced from a reputable third party, allows healthcare marketers to move beyond email and direct mail and apply that same precision across channels like search, display, and certain social platforms. When lists are properly permissioned and privacy-compliant, platforms such as LinkedIn, Meta, and Google can use them to support audience matching and more focused media delivery, rather than relying on broad interest signals alone. In some cases, those platforms can also identify shared traits within a list that help inform expanded targeting without depending entirely on direct matches. As third-party cookies have phased out and state-level privacy laws have taken effect, this type of approach has become more practical than many legacy targeting methods.

Executed well, these campaigns tend to be more efficient than broad targeting and often drive stronger engagement at a lower cost per meaningful action. The quality of the list matters as much as the tactic itself. For example, nurse recruitment efforts benefit from working with verified sources tied to licensure or professional qualifications, while specialty practices that depend on referrals can focus on curated lists of primary care providers instead of casting a wide net.

2. Contextual Advertising Lets You Reach People in Various Stages of Research

While it’s probably not recommended by a doctor, people tend to look up information on the internet when they aren’t feeling well. This makes search an ideal location to advertise, since it makes your brand visible in the space where people are actively searching for answers or solutions. Contextual advertising can complement these search efforts by putting your messaging alongside relevant content that users will click through to and read. As privacy restrictions have limited the use of audience-based targeting, contextual approaches that rely on page content rather than personal data have become more widely used in healthcare marketing.

We also know that contextual advertising can increase brand favorability when ads appear alongside credible, relevant content. If you are a pain clinic, articles that talk about what to do about back pain or when to be concerned if you have a headache are still effective places to promote your practice.

3. Video Plays a Larger Role Than Many Healthcare Marketers Realize

Video has become a more central part of healthcare marketing, even for organizations that have historically relied on traditional media like television. What’s changed is where and how video is consumed. Streaming platforms, social feeds, and connected TV have expanded video’s reach well beyond broadcast, allowing healthcare brands to show up in environments people already spend time in.

We’ve seen strong results when video is used as part of an overall campaign strategy, particularly when it introduces a broader message before other channels support follow-up engagement. Video is well suited for conveying tone, credibility, and experience in ways static formats cannot. For a children’s therapy center, video can help communicate not just services offered, but the care approach and environment families can expect. For providers with modern facilities, video makes it easier to show the experience directly rather than asking prospective patients to imagine it.

4. Don’t Forget About Social Media, Reviews and Other Touchpoints

Upping your social media game is a critical way to communicate with people in the industry (potential future hires) and the community. One aspect that has become increasingly critical to healthcare decisions is the use of online reviews via social platforms and other channels like Google Business Profile. In a recent survey, 84% of patients reported checking online reviews before choosing a healthcare provider, and many read multiple reviews before making a decision. Yet review management can often be overlooked by providers.

Having a good review management program in place is a critical element to improving your brand’s reputation on the same Google results page that people are using to find a new primary care doctor or specialist. While people are searching online, they’re going to come across reviews. The number of positive versus negative reviews often is a deciding factor in whether they trust you to care for themselves or a loved one. A review management program can help you generate additional reviews, building up the positive feedback from current patients.

Get Expert Help With Your Digital Marketing Strategies for Healthcare

Hopefully, this article gave you some great ideas for upgrading your digital marketing plan. But if you still need some advice, we’re here for you. Just give us a call at 502-499-4209. You can also drop us a note here and we’ll get you on the right path.