2022 Healthcare Marketing Statistics | Digitalis Medical

8 min readNov 24, 2021

A strong healthcare marketing strategy is key to engaging, motivating, and educating potential and existing patients, especially in this advancing digital age.

Here are the top healthcare marketing statistics you need to be aware of in your 2022 marketing campaigns. Keep reading below!

The Healthcare SEO Trends for 2022

1. Google is one of the most important, influential, and involved channels in modern healthcare.

77% people use search engines to start their patient journey.
7% of daily Google search queries are health-related
There are 70,000 healthcare searches performed per minute.

Google is now more focused on local SEO. This is good news, especially for those who are involved in medical SEO.

2. Patients go online when choosing their healthcare providers

82.8% of patients use search engines (Google, Bing, etc.) to find a healthcare provider.
56% use three different online sources when looking for medical provider.
When booking a consultation with a doctor: 83% of patients book via hospital websites; 54% via sites for health insurance companies; 50% from health information sites, and; 26% via online reviews sites.

3. Local SEO has become more crucial for healthcare digital marketing.

31% healthcare providers don’t have a local listing
48% of healthcare websites also make mistakes in their addresses.
Nearly 50% (49.3%) would not book an appointment with a provider whose website has missing information.
71% will search for another provider if the website lacks information.

Social media marketing statistics for healthcare marketers

Most patients use social media to search for health-related information.

There 4.48 Billion social media users as of 2021
More than 95% of respondents stated that social media is the best way to reach patients.
Most social media users use more than one platform to access information about health and make decisions
Facebook is the most used platform when searching healthcare information on social media, with 97% of respondents using this.
People aged 18–24 years are twice as likely to use social media to discuss health issues than those between 45 and 54 years

Paid advertising statistics in healthcare marketing

1. Healthcare marketing experts will spend more on digital ads.

Healthcare digital advertising will surpass TV advertising by 2021.The expected healthcare digital advertising spend will reach 46%.
The market for healthcare digital ads will reach $24.7 billion by 2026. The majority of this amount will likely go to digital platforms like Facebook ads and Google.
Google Search is the market leader in health-related search with 89%. Only 11% of users use other methods like word of mouth and website direct.
On average, businesses make 2 in revenue for every $1 of digital ad spending.

2. Paid search ads are great, but don’t underestimate the power of social platforms.

Search ads account in two-thirds of all traffic to pages with medical online form-fill page content, while social media accounts just for one-fifth (19.4%). However, social media visitors convert twice as fast than the average rate.

If you only advertise on Google, now is the time to test social media advertising.

3. Invest as much in website optimization as you do in paid advertising.

60% of visitors click on a link to visit a website with relevant information regarding healthcare.
Nearly three-quarters (71%) lose trust in healthcare websites that fail to provide adequate information.

Email marketing statistics for healthcare marketers

1. Email, although it is traditional, remains a viable channel for healthcare marketing.

There are over 4.1 billion active email users globally as of 2021
Email marketing makes an average ROI of up to $36 per $1 of investment
60% prefer to receive promotions via email, while 20% prefer social media channels.
The average email open rate in healthcare is 21.48%.
Healthcare email marketing has a 2.69 click-through rate.

2. Your email marketing content matters

Emails with personalized subject lines have 50% higher open rates. E
Email content should be clear, concise, and most importantly helpful.
When it comes to subject lines, it is best to keep things simple. Tell the truth, but don’t try to sell what’s within.

3. Do not lose heart if your users reject your emails.

Write a thoughtful follow-up mail instead.

Professionally written follow-up emails increase conversions by 74%.
It is possible to use phrases like “We noticed that you bought this item last time” and “How was your experience buying [item]?”
Sending three abandoned cart emails generates 69% more orders than a single email.

Latest trends about online reviews

1. Online reviews highly affect the patient acquisition

74% think online reviews are very important when choosing a provider
90% patients who search for healthcare services use the internet to review their providers.
88% of patients will read reviews about providers even after being referred.
Patients aged between 30 and 44 are the most active age group when searching for providers (85.8%), looking at reviews (65%), and writing reviews (40.3%).
65% of patients younger than this age consider online reviews helpful in forming an opinion about a medical service provider.

2. Pay more attention to your online reputation

69.9% considers a positive online reputation very important when choosing a healthcare provider.
43% of out-of-network patients would go out of their insurance network for a provider with positive online reviews.
Negative reviews can negatively impact consumers’ purchasing decisions and make them 92% less likely of obtaining a service.
Majority of consumers would not use a business that had negative reviews about its COVID-19 safety and health measures.

3. Patients appreciate providers who take negative feedback seriously.

51.8% patients who left negative reviews online about a healthcare provider were not contacted to address their concerns.
Patient satisfaction rate will increase by 99% if a medical provider addresses negative online feedback.

4. Most patients leave positive reviews.

In 2021, 44.6% of patients have written reviews about a healthcare provider online, a relatively higher number in comparison to 36% in 2020.
37% of these patients have left at least one negative review. The common reasons for negative reviews include: patient care quality; the demeanor of the dentist or doctor, and; problems with front desk staff.
72% of patients give positive reviews about their healthcare providers.
60% of patients believe that ease in booking appointments is the key to a 5-star rating.

Patient experience statistics

1. Healthcare marketing experts recognize the need to provide a personalized experience to their customers.

92 percent healthcare marketers believe their customers and prospects expect personalized experiences
Top reasons for personalization in healthcare marketing strategies: improving customer experience (89%); loyalty (61%); generating measurable boost/ROI (59%)

2. Patients trust the Internet over their doctors.

Almost all Americans (94%) seek information about specific medical conditions and questions.
Nearly 9 out 10 (86%) of those who search the Internet for information about their health are confident the information is accurate.
Nearly 2/3 (62%) Americans aren’t confident in their knowledge of the health information shared with them by their doctors.
In the last two-years, 36.4 percent of patients left their healthcare provider. Eight in ten patients said that their decision was due to a poor experience and/or a lack of communication.

3. The younger generation does not feel positive about their doctors.

Visiting the doctor can make younger Americans feel more negative than those who are older. They often feel confused, unanswered or unsure of their questions during consultations.
86% of these generations relied on the internet for information about health because they were unable to answer these concerns after visiting a doctor.

4. Many patients prefer a digitalized experience even after the pandemic.

51% of patients preferred a digital connection to five key interactions: (1) scheduling appointments; (2) filling in forms; (3) asking providers queries; (4) paying bills; (5) accessing personal health records.
The number of remote patients monitoring users in the US will more than double between 2020 and 2025.

5. Continuous website optimization is needed to please potential patients.

71 percent of patients would search for another provider if the website does not provide enough information.
A staggering 70%% believe that page speed is an important factor in their decision-making.
According to the Google Algorithm update page loading speeds should not exceed 2 seconds.
The average page loading speed for healthcare websites is 5.4 seconds. The quicker your website loads, the better.
94% of Americans uses their smartphones when searching for local information online. Users will leave websites that aren’t optimized to mobile.
The majority (57%) of website users will abandon a page which takes more than three hours to load.

Healthcare practice growth statistics

1. Digital healthcare continues to grow.

The global market for digital health was valued around $96.5 million in 2020.
The market is expected to grow at an annual compound rate (CAGR), 15.1%, between 2021–2028.
Telehealth has grown 38X since the pre-COVID-19 base.
83% of US adults say they would like to use telehealth, even after the pandemic.
The demand for COVID tracking devices and other healthcare apps has led to a 50% increase in medical app downloads between 2019 and 2020.
Nearly two-thirds of all patients will have access to healthcare via a digital frontend by 2023.

The healthcare industry is rapidly changing, and the numbers are proving it. These digital marketing statistics will help you create a healthcare marketing strategy that fulfills the needs of your patients better.

Originally published at https://digitalismedical.com on November 24, 2021.