SHAPING THE FUTURE: What HCPs really think about marketing tactics
CMO SPOTLIGHT: DRIVING ENGAGEMENT:
Video and HCP Influencers
Featuring Bill Cox, SVP Marketing at Lyra Health
Traditional paths to prescriptions and treatment are being redefined, creating new challenges and opportunities for providers. Healthcare marketers are at the forefront of this change, developing innovative business models that balance these complexities while building trust with increasingly connected patient communities. At the same time, they must engage a growing population of caregivers, and support physicians and healthcare workers navigating a rapidly evolving system.
This first edition of The Healthcare Pulse brings together the latest LinkedIn data and insights alongside perspectives from healthcare professionals (HCPs), marketing leaders, and subject matter
experts (SMEs). You’ll discover the key issues shaping healthcare today, the trends experts see on the horizon, and the marketing strategies brands are using to stay ahead.
154M+
21% people engage with health related content on LinkedIn
YoY increase in health related conversations
TRENDS Reshaping Healthcare Marketing
Consumers worldwide are investing more in their health than ever before.
This shift is driven by an aging population, a rising burden of chronic disease, and an expanding pipeline of new treatments across a wider range of conditions. HCPs and the brands that support them are adapting to a rapidly evolving landscape that has been reshaped by the pandemic and continues to accelerate.
As healthcare’s role expands, its impact on the broader economy is becoming more visible:
Even as the broader jobs market slows, healthcare remains one of the labor market’s bright spots with hiring outpacing most sectors. Healthcare hiring reflects healthcare’s growing importance in both the workforce and economy at large. This growth poses both challenges and opportunities as we learn how technologies like AI can support physicians and practitioners in their critical work. For marketers, growth means finding innovative ways to support patients and providers. That is today’s challenge and opportunity in healthcare marketing.”
Kory Kantenga, phD Head of Economics, Americas LinkedIn
The innovations that will define the future of healthcare are increasingly marketing-led.
They involve new approaches to how patients, caregivers, and providers interact, when and where treatments are delivered, and how emerging solutions reach the market.
We’ve analyzed the latest data and insights across healthcare to uncover the most critical trends shaping marketing strategies today and the opportunities that lie ahead.
The Shift to Remote and In-Home Care
In LinkedIn’s research last year into the Future of Health and Work, 21% of professionals said that they expected to take on the care of another adult, full-time within the next five years, adding to the 13% who already do so today. At the same time, 33% pay for over-the-counter medications for loved ones. These insights are early evidence of the rise of remote and in-home care, which is being driven by pressures to make healthcare more affordable and accessible, and which is supported by financial incentives for caregivers in the US. The rise of remote care creates a new category of demand for Health Tech. It also establishes the caregiver as an important voice in healthcare decisions for patients – and an important target audience for healthcare marketers.
THE CHALLENGE AND OPPORTUNITY FOR MARKETERS:
Engaging and supporting caregivers, recognizing their role in decisions.
Leveraging AI and other technologies to scale in-home nursing support.
Combining remote care technologies with the need that patients and caregivers still have for direct human contact with physicians.
Aditi Nerurkar, MD, MPH Physician Harvard Medical School
Empowering Physicians as Their Role Expands
Generative AI will shape how physicians make decisions about prescribing medications. AI agents offer a smoother path to prescription, while direct patient outreach through telehealth services like LillyDirect and PfizerForAll further reduces the pressure on physicians’ offices. Brands that fail to develop such innovative support structures risk falling behind those that use them to stay front-of-mind. As physicians take on a greater role in radiography and diagnostics services (identified by McKinsey as key healthcare trend), their need for support from a wider range of brands will continue to grow.
THE CHALLENGE AND OPPORTUNITY FOR MARKETERS:
Outreach to both healthcare providers and patients.
Ensuring that physicians feel supported, not supplanted.
PERSPECTIVES
Building trust in AI agents.
Prioritizing the right information for physicians.
The future of healthcare depends on collaboration. Physicians, nurses, advanced practice providers, healthcare leaders, and specialists must work together as one team to optimize health and longevity. We needto facilitate real-time participation of all members of the team, if we want to reduce the inefficiency and waste that’s so common in healthcare.”
Jonathan Fisher, MD, FACC Cardiologist & Clinical Physician Executive Author of Just One Heart
Reinforcing Trust in a Fast-Paced Treatment Pipeline
Generative AI promises to transform the time taken to develop new drugs and the economics involved in doing so, enabling companies to target a wider range of conditions and bring treatments to market faster. However, the benefits of this can only be felt if pharmaceuticals marketers rise to the challenge of reinforcing trust. The growing LinkedIn conversation around healthcare topics, for both HCPs and patient communities, provides an opportunity to do so. In LinkedIn research last year, 43% of professionals say that they’ve found it easier to talk about health with colleagues since the pandemic.
THE CHALLENGE AND OPPORTUNITY FOR MARKETERS:
Finding credible ways to join the conversation around treatments.
Working with the influencers that patient communities trust.
Jayne Morgan, MD VP of Medical Affairs
Hello Heart
Helping HCPs to navigate a more complex landscape of medical solutions.
Turning Healthcare Brands Into Media Brands
#4
Northwell Health caused a stir last year when it built on its track record for launching award-winning documentaries with a new studio division. The idea of healthcare brands spinning off content operations makes a great deal of sense. Medical dramas and documentaries from Grey’s Anatomy to Lennox Hill are enduringly popular, and one of the safest bets in the media and entertainment space. Growing public interest and increasing government focus on preventive care creates new demands for credible medical content. In some cases, it can provide a new commercial opportunity. In many more, it can help to power marketing strategies.
THE CHALLENGE AND OPPORTUNITY FOR MARKETERS:
Opening up new revenue streams through media interest in medicine.
Preserving credibility and trust when leveraging content assets.
Embracing the potential for creative approaches when sharing video content and thought leadership on LinkedIn.
PERSPECTIVES
Healthcare brands are sitting on a goldmine of expertise. As consumer expectations shift and trust in information sources evolves, the brands that lean into storytelling rather than focusing solely on service delivery will shape the next era of healthcare. Content is no longer a marketing tactic. It’s a trustbuilding tool, and platforms like LinkedIn make it easier than ever to connect knowledge with need.
Anika Nieh Global Head of Healthcare Marketing LinkedIn
New Revenue Streams: The Expanding Role of Hospitals
Reduced income from acute care is adding to the financial pressures that hospitals have faced since the pandemic. A growing number are seeking to diversify their revenue streams in response. Some are already running staff outsourcing operations to help meet labor shortages, and laboratory and diagnostics services to support the physicians’ practices that are increasingly expected to manage this part of the prescription process. Leveraging anonymized data to train a growing array of healthcare AI models represents another commercial opportunity. Building new revenue models will involve broader, innovative thinking from hospital marketing teams.
THE CHALLENGE AND OPPORTUNITY FOR MARKETERS:
Re-inventing the range of services that hospitals provide.
PERSPECTIVES
Developing new revenue streams and routes-tomarket.
Building wider healthcare brands that can support a broader range of activities.
Hospitals are trusted brands, which has allowed them to move into different business lines. Many have been diversifying into other care settings, buying up physician practices and opening up satellite offices in suburbs closer to where people live; they still own the entire spectrum of care, but that care doesn’t have to take place in a big, flagship campus. In another example, a hospital built a nurse staffing agency, which has allowed it to sell services that address the healthcare staffing shortage, rather than just assume the cost. Hospitals also have a ton of data, and they’re starting to partner with AI startups to train algorithms with that data. However, hospitals need to make sure they’re not diluting their brands when they expand into these new areas.”
Beth Kutscher Healthcare Editor at Large LinkedIn News
Bill Cox From Lyra Health
Lyra Health is the leading provider of workforce mental health benefits, leveraging AI and other technologies to connect members to an exclusive network of mental health providers and well-being tools. As SVP of Marketing, Bill Cox is building an ecosystem that can transform access to life-changing mental health care for millions of professionals.
46% of LinkedIn members agreed that mental health awareness has become much more important to them.
What are the most important marketing objectives for Lyra?
Our job is to show what quality mental health care really looks like and make the stakes impossible to ignore.
Most people don’t realize that traditional talk therapy can be worse odds than flipping a coin—only 40% improve. When care doesn’t work, everyone pays through burnout, turnover, and rising medical costs. We’ve built a care model that actually works, with 90% clinically improving or recovering.
We’re seeing a growing conversation around mental health on platforms like LinkedIn. How does Lyra build trust in such a personal and often stigmatized space?
For a long time, talking about mental health at work felt offlimits, uncomfortable for most, and even risky. But that’s finally starting to change. We recently published The Workforce of Tomorrow, a study which shows how Millennials cracked the door open by questioning hustle culture, and Gen Z are kicking the door down by demanding mental health at work. Now we’re seeing this domino effect, like we’ve finally opened the windows in a room that’s been stuffy for way too long.
We’re building trust by telling the whole story, not just the comfortable parts. We help our customers build cultures where it’s okay to not be okay, whether someone’s managing everyday stress or navigating serious challenges. This isn’t just compassionate; it’s strategic. Teams that bring their whole selves to work produce better results. The math is that simple.
How do you tailor marketing to your different audiences?
“
Empathy drives our work. For HR leaders, we show the connection between mental health and retention, productivity, and costs–data that moves decisions.
With individuals, Lyra
is a
supportive friend, showing
the
path for
help and how easy it is to get started.”
Which content and formats are most effective?
For employers, nothing beats peer stories. For members, short videos create powerful “that’s exactly how I feel” moments: a mirror reflecting their experience while illuminating a path forward. Lyra now supports employees in over 150 countries.
How do you adapt your messaging for different regions and cultures?
Mental health vocabulary changes at every border. What resonates in San Francisco might alienate in Singapore. In some regions, we emphasize coaching or performance support over clinical
language that might carry local stigma. In other places, family context is central. Our promise to our customers is to maintain our standard of high-quality care worldwide while adapting to cultural nuances.
What advice would you give to healthcare marketers trying to balance innovation with impact?
Behind every condition are stories of struggle, resilience, and hope. When your marketing honors these narratives and is delivered in impactful ways, you don’t just capture attention—you build belief. And if you can do that while also showing economic benefit, you build trust.
What role can technologies like AI play?
AI’s greatest potential in mental health is amplifying human connection, and making those moments more accessible, personalized and effective. Lyra played an early role with provider matching and clinical documentation. With our knowledge base from 11 million therapy sessions, we’re developing tools that extend the reach of our providers while strengthening therapeutic relationships.
The Pulse on LinkedIn
Healthcare professionals (HCPs) aren’t just consuming content on LinkedIn anymore. They’re creating it.
With the rise of influencers, short-form video, and event-driven engagement, LinkedIn has become the platform of choice for HCPs to share insights, connect with peers, and engage with brands.
The way HCPs, organizations, and brands engage online is changing.
More than ever, they are leveraging LinkedIn to share insights, educate audiences, and build credibility.
As the healthcare industry evolves, so does the conversation, shifting from static content to peer-driven discussions, expert-led video storytelling, and real-time event engagement.
LinkedIn has become the go-to platform where HCPs, industry leaders, and patient communities exchange knowledge, respond to innovations, and drive awareness.
With these dynamics reshaping how HCPs and brands engage online, let’s explore what’s driving the most impact.
The Growth of Healthcare Influencers
Healthcare conversations on LinkedIn are increasingly being shaped by the people delivering care. From physicians to health advocates, these voices are becoming go-to sources of insight, sparking peer discussions and influencing how audiences engage with brands. As this ecosystem grows, so does the opportunity for marketers to amplify trusted perspectives.
50% of US physicians want to hear about the experiences of physicians with similar patients on social media
+73% more campaigns by healthcare companies now use Thought Leader Ads (TLAs)
How healthcare marketers can adapt:
#1
Engage influential HCPs and medical experts within your organization to share insights and actively contribute to industry discussions.
#2
Leverage Thought Leader Ads and LinkedIn Live to expand reach and foster real-time engagement.
438% higher CTR with healthcare TLAs than conventional single image ads
#3
Prioritize authenticity by creating content that feels real, experiencebased, and not overlypromotional.
Leading Healthcare Influencers to Watch
Scott Hadland, MD
Chief of Adolescent Medicine
Massachusetts General Hospital
Associate Professor
Harvard Medical School
Reshma Gupta, MD, MSHPM
Chief of Population Health & Accountable Care
University of California
Nisha Mehta, MD Diagnostic Radiologist & Founder
Physician Side Gigs
Erkeda DeRouen, MD, CPHRM Chief Medical Officer
Emme Founder Digital Risk Compliance Solutions
Zhen Chan, MD, MBA, FAAP Pediatrician
Children’s National Hospital
Founder Grapevyne
“
We’re seeing a powerful shift in healthcare: professionals aren’t just joining the conversation — they’re leading it. Physicians, pharmacists, nurses and other practitioners are using LinkedIn to share real insights, build community, and promote a variety of viewpoints in the healthcare dialogue. This isn’t just influence, it’s impact.”
Haley Deming Senior Community Manager
LinkedIn
Video Is Becoming The Preferred Format For Healthcare Engagement
Healthcare companies are increasingly turning to video to educate, engage, and inform key audiences including HCPs, patients, and caregivers. From expert insights to research-driven storytelling, video is helping brands build deeper connections across the healthcare ecosystem. As viewing habits shift and attention spans tighten, shortform, high-impact video content is becoming a go-to for marketers looking to deliver value and drive action.
more campaigns by healthcare companies now use video ads
more investment in video ads YoY +15%
+70% +15%
more video completions for healthcare ads YoY
How healthcare marketers can adapt:
#1 #2
Keep video content concise and focused on delivering valuable insights, emphasizing research, real-world applications, and clinical relevance.
Feature real experts, researchers, and physicians for credibility.
#3
Ensure clear CTAs, guiding viewers to in-depth resources.
Live Events and Virtual Engagements Are on the Rise
Healthcare marketers are turning to events not just to spark real-time conversations, but to build long-lasting value through on-demand content. From live panels with key opinion leaders to virtual sessions tied to major conferences, brands are using LinkedIn to bring healthcare audiences together then extending the impact by repurposing and amplifying those moments. The result? Stronger visibility, deeper engagement, and ongoing opportunities to inform and inspire.
+100%
increase in event ads from healthcare brands
HCPs engaged with
18,000
LinkedIn live events in the last 6 months.
+37%
increase in LinkedIn Events hosted by healthcare companies in the last 6 months.
How healthcare marketers can adapt:
#1
Host LinkedIn Live sessions featuring KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders), industry experts, and thought leaders.
#2
Repurpose event content into bite-sized video clips to sustain engagement post-event.
#3
Leverage Event Ads to boost attendance and maximize visibility.
Healthcare Marketing in Action:
Winning Strategies on LinkedIn
Healthcare marketers are embracing innovative formats and strategies to connect with HCPs, patients, and industry stakeholders.
From video-driven storytelling to expert-led conversations and real-time engagement, these case studies showcase how brands are driving impact on LinkedIn.
GSK tag teams video to master the influence game
As stigma around health conditions fades, brands have a unique opportunity to provide educational content that resonates with both patients and HCPs.
GSK capitalized on this by launching a video ad featuring a one-on-one basketball game between RSV advocate Magic Johnson and GSK’s VP of Vaccines, Dr. Leonard Friedland.
This campaign effectively bridged patient awareness and physician education, delivering twice the benchmark engagement rate.
We’re seeing the jumps in the Nielsen figures, and then seeing this reflected in our internal brand tracking as well. Before we launched this campaign, we were ranked ninth in the US for innovation. In just one year, we’ve jumped up two places and we’re ready to keep that momentum going.”
Danny Choo
Strategy Planning & Paid Campaigns
GSK
1.34% 2x benchmark Engagement Rate
22-point lift in favorability Brand impact:
Medtronic generates brand lift with Thought Leader Ads
by leveraging innovators in healthcare technology
For a campaign to build brand awareness across the financial community and other key influencers, Medtronic shared the perspectives of its senior innovation leaders through Thought Leader Ads on LinkedIn.
Authentic, personal posts from Chairman & CEO Geoff Martha, VP Research & Technology Bill Peine and Chief Technology and Innovation Officer Ken Washington delivered engagement rates at least 150% higher than standard single image and video ads. When Geoff Martha shared a video showcasing the range of Medtronic innovations, it generated a click-through rate (CTR) 164% higher than when the same video was shared as a standard video ad.
Showcasing Thought Leader Ads with content that included videos focused on breakthrough innovation, a thought leadership panel with Fast Company, and a Fortune feature on Medtronic AI leadership helped drive a 16% increase in top-of-mind awareness among the target audience.
“
We learned that the right combination of compelling messages, credible thought leaders, and content our target audience is interested in can significantly enhance authenticity and credibility. Moving forward, we will continue to leverage Thought Leader Ads as Medtronic navigates a rapidly evolving landscape driven by technological innovation.”
Kristin Lonsbury Director of Performance Marketing & Media Strategy at Medtronic
Click Rate:
higher than image and video benchmarks
Brand impact:
16% increase in in top-of-mind awareness
Link to post here
Bridging the Gap
Between Healthcare Marketers and HCPs
We asked HCPs and industry experts how brands can better support and engage providers and their peers. Here’s what they had to say.
THE NEED
Cutting through the noise with credible claims
Most physicians that I know have enough curiosity that we are skeptical when something is oversold and when evidence is cherry-picked.”
Jonathan Fisher, MD, FACC
Cardiologist & Clinical Physician Executive
Author of Just One Heart
“
Physicians are by nature highly discerning and we are skeptical about new things. We want things that are tried and true because truly, lives are at stake.”
Aditi Nerurkar, MD, MPH
Physician
Harvard Medical School
THE SOLUTION
Leading with research, and specific use cases
There’s a unique opportunity for brands to rise above the noise and establish themselves as trusted authorities. They can do so by fostering authentic, value driven relationships with HCPs through evidencebased information such as clinical studies, trial results and affirmation from other physicians to support product claims.”
Alexandra Gilson, SVP Paid Social, CMI Media Group
Aditi U Joshi, MD, MSc, FACEP
Global Digital Health Strategist
Author of Telehealth Success: How to Thrive in the New Age of Remote Care
THE NEED THE SOLUTION
Engaging a healthcare professional audience under serious strain
Jonathan Fisher, MD, FACC
Cardiologist & Clinical Physician Executive Author of Just One Heart
Community-building and leading with empathy
We need to provide content and messaging that aligns with HCP interests and the topics they are concerned about, and demonstrates an understanding and empathy with the challenges they face. Explore ways to support physicians, through practical support like continued professional development opportunities, connection opportunities, community-building and just checking in. Regular engagement helps to build long-term relationships and establish credibility and trust over time.”
Alexandra Gilson SVP of Paid Social CMI Media Group
Over 90% of HCPs report being open to communications from brands on social platforms. But they don’t want more content. They want better content. What cuts through is short form, relevant and engaging messaging that respects their time and delivers real value in seconds.”
Adam Goodcoff, D.O. MedFluencers CEO
Keep your finger on the pulse with healthcare marketing on LinkedIn
The conversation doesn’t end here.
The Healthcare Industry Pulse brings together insights, stories, and strategies from marketers and healthcare professionals who are shaping what’s next. We hope it inspires new ideas and deeper connections.
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