Liveworld

The rapid evolution of the digital marketing landscape has significant implications for pharma marketers. While 2024 has been a polarizing year globally, marked by societal, political, and economic shifts, these dynamics are influencing healthcare consumer behavior and expectations. As we move into 2025, pharma marketers should look to adapt to these changes.  To navigate a complex and ever-changing healthcare environment, marketers will need to leverage the enduring power of video and the rise of emerging platforms and AI-driven disruption. Here are the top trends shaping 2025 and how pharma marketers can stay ahead.

Trend: Why Emerging Stars Bluesky and Threads Deserve a Look Post-X (Twitter)

In 2024, platforms like Bluesky and Meta’s Threads gained significant momentum as users sought alternatives to X (formerly Twitter) due to the ongoing turbulence that followed Elon Musk’s acquisition. Musk’s controversial decisions—including the introduction of new verification models, challenges with content moderation, and algorithmic changes—alienated many long-time users and drove them to explore more stable and user-friendly platforms.

Research from Kantar highlights this shift and reveals that a net 26% of marketers plan to decrease their spending on X in 2025, the biggest recorded pullback from any major global ad platform. Only 4% of marketers believe X ads provide “brand safety”—the assurance that ads won’t appear alongside extreme content—compared with 39% for Google ads.[1]

Furthermore, pharma brands are concerned that X will be used to spread health misinformation around its products and jeopardize public safety. This happened in 2022 when verification standards for blue check marks were lacking and users were able to create fake Eli Lilly profiles, resulting in a decline in the company’s stock value due to false posts.[2]

This erosion of user trust and advertiser confidence created an opening for platforms like Bluesky and Threads to flourish. Both platforms appeal to audiences who seek cleaner, more transparent environments for dialogue, less discord, and the familiar look and feel of old-school Twitter.

As of December 2024, Bluesky boasted over 24 million users and 716.41 million posts[3], a sharp rise from 13 million users in October 2024. While it has yet to match the reported 275 million monthly active users[4] on Threads, Bluesky claimed higher engagement rates during the US Thanksgiving period. It surpassed both Threads and X, particularly in interactions with certain publications. In 2025, we will continue to see a shift to other micro-blogging platforms unless X addresses advertiser and user concerns.

What this means for pharma:

1. Meta is currently testing paid ads for Threads but has no immediate plans to roll out this feature for businesses in early 2025. Please coordinate with social media teams to prepare for a potential launch once promotional posts are enabled.
2. X is rampant with misinformation; we currently don’t recommend the platform outside of corporate communications and events marketing. However, pharma marketers need to keep monitoring X to stay current on its features and be aware of any brand risk matters.
3. Marketers should launch on Bluesky to hold their profile page.
4. As a baseline, consider cross-posting on both Bluesky and Threads.

Trend: Peer-to-Peer Recommendations Are Thriving

Peer-to-peer (P2P) recommendations have long been one of the most trusted forms of communication. Their influence is poised to grow even further in 2025.

This growth is largely driven by the increasing mistrust in the current online information ecosystem.

While Google remains the dominant search engine, a growing number of users are voicing concerns about privacy invasions, excessive advertising, and perceived bias in search results. This has prompted many to seek alternative sources of information.

At the same time, consumers are experiencing social media ad fatigue: a phenomenon where the constant bombardment of ads leads to disengagement and even avoidance. Many users now scroll past sponsored posts or install ad blockers, further diminishing the impact of online advertising.

As a result, users are spending more time on platforms like Reddit, a community-driven site where they engage in discussions, share content, and explore niche interests in thousands of specialized forums called subreddits. These forums prioritize authentic, organic content over polished promotional campaigns.

Reddit’s 2024 IPO showcased its value: over 500 million global users—approximately half based in the US—and 267.5 million weekly active users.

Healthcare audiences have gravitated toward the platform, including patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals (HCPs). Many users flock to subreddits dedicated to specific conditions, treatments, or patient experiences. For instance, r/Endometriosis, with over 200,000 members, provides a space to share experiences and advice about endometriosis; r/CrohnsDisease, with over 150,000 members, offers support for individuals living with Crohn’s Disease. These communities enable users to exchange advice, find support, and discuss their experiences with various medications and therapies.

HCPs are also thriving on Reddit, using it to exchange advice, commiserate, and discuss case studies. For example, r/nursing boasts over 931,000 members, while r/medicine—described as “a virtual lounge for physicians and other medical professionals worldwide to discuss the latest advances, controversies, ask questions, share a laugh, or navigate difficult moments”—has over 494,000 members.

This audience has increasingly embraced Reddit.  As such, pharma marketers are now leveraging promoted ads and hosting “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) sessions with HCPs. These AMAs provide brands, patient advocates, and healthcare professionals with an opportunity to host interactive Q&A sessions—creating open forums where audiences can directly engage with experts and receive real-time answers to their questions. This approach fosters trust and transparency; users value the authentic and informative interactions often absent from the more curated content found on other platforms.

What this means for pharma:

1. Reach out to private group forum moderations (e.g., Facebook Private Group, r/subreddits) about hosting a Q&A.
2. Look to Reddit to build awareness and education through paid content.
3. When building your social content strategy, use insights from private communities to ensure audiences’ top concerns are addressed.

Trend: Why Video Remains the King of Content in 2025

 Video, in both long-form and short-form formats, remains the dominant force in content creation as we head into 2025. Platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram are thriving due to their unique ability to capture attention, evoke emotion, and foster meaningful connections between creators and audiences.

In 2024, YouTube cemented its role as a hub for entertainment with 82% of users visiting the platform for leisure[5]. Interestingly, over half of viewers now prefer watching content creators analyze major events—like news stories, sports games, or award shows—to actually watching the events themselves.

TikTok, which experienced exponential growth during the pandemic, has transformed into more than an entertainment platform: it’s now a go-to source for information. In fact, nearly 40% of young users now turn to TikTok over Google[6] for searches, making it the world’s most popular search engine among Gen Z.

This evolution has significant implications for health education. TikTok has become a vital platform for delivering health information, particularly among younger healthcare consumers. A peer-reviewed study in the Journal of Medical Internet Research highlights the platform’s influence, emphasizing that “…health professionals and health communication scholars need to proactively consider using TikTok as a platform for disseminating health information to young women because young women are obtaining health information from TikTok and prefer information from health professionals.”[7]

However, marketers must also look to diversify their platforms. In the US, if a TikTok ban happens in 2025, marketers must be able to shift budget and resources to other video platforms quickly.

What this means for pharma:

1. To drive engagement and education, video must be a core component of all marketing strategies. Look to creating video-first content.
2. Partnering with creators is essential for building trust and connecting with younger audiences.
3. Optimizing content for platforms and emerging search behaviors is critical for discoverability.
4. Social platforms should be leveraged as key channels for delivering credible health education to battle misinformation.

Trend: Our Attention Spans Aren’t Totally Dead. Why Long-Form Episodic Content Continues to Thrive

In 2024, Marketing Week reported that over two-thirds (68%) of marketers have increased their production of long-form creator content in the past 12 months, with a similar proportion (64%) of creators doing the same.[8] Currently in the US, over 67% of people listen to podcasts and more than 60% of podcasts range between 15-45 minutes in length[9]. Healthcare audiences, in particular, value long-form content as it allows for a more comprehensive exploration of topics. This format enables brands to share their expertise and perspectives and fosters more informed and probing conversations between patients, caregivers, and care teams while creating a hook to entice audiences to return for more information later. Additionally, long-form content, such as blogs or articles, offers the added benefit of discoverability. Audiences searching for related information online are more likely to find and bookmark these resources as reference points. Unlike the fleeting content encountered on social media, long-form pieces are purpose-driven and cater to an audience actively seeking in-depth information. In recent years, the pharma industry has cautiously embraced podcasts, experimenting with audio advertising on platforms like Spotify, collaborating with podcasters for in-audio promotions, and even launching podcasts of their own. For example, iHeartRadio and AbbVie introduced The Head Start: Embracing the Journey, a podcast featuring candid conversations with healthcare professionals, experts, and patients about the challenges of living with chronic migraines.

For HCPs, in addition to podcasts, walled garden social media sites like Sermo and Skipta have become popular platforms for sharing longer-form content on disease states and drug information. These platforms offer a controlled environment where HCPs can engage in deeper discussions and access high-quality, peer-reviewed content.

What this means for pharma:

1. SEO discoverability is enhanced through evergreen educational content for both patients and HCPs.
2. Consider immersive ads on audio platforms.
3. Tap employee advocates to write about their experiences.
4. Invest in serialized content that moves audiences through a story with a beginning, middle, and end.

Trend: Let’s Be Human. Using Patient Stories to Balance AI Without Compromising on Authenticity

Generative AI entered the mainstream in early 2023, propelled by the release of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in November 2022. By the start of the year, ChatGPT had rapidly become a cornerstone of professional workflows, educational settings, and consumer tools, enabling marketers to achieve greater efficiencies. However, this rise in AI-driven content came at a cost: authenticity. Social content began to feel homogenized, with much of it sounding the same, leading to diminished emotional resonance with audiences.

Although research on generative AI is still in its early stages, one emerging insight is that consumers often feel less engaged when they suspect content is AI-generated[10]. Humans crave emotional connections; for marketers, the ability to evoke emotions and tell compelling narratives remains essential—particularly in healthcare. In 2025, patient stories will once again take center stage as the driving force behind content engagement. Healthcare consumers connect deeply with stories that illuminate the human experience behind a disease. It helps them better understand their own diagnoses, feel less isolated, and share their experiences with families, caregivers, and providers. Patient stories bring messages of perseverance and hope that inspire behavior change—something that no AI can replicate.

What this means for pharma:

1. Overcome bland AI copy with patient, caregiver, and HCP stories.
2. Encourage audiences to share their own stories and post user-generated content.
3. Use generative AI to help build audience personas that help marketers create better content.
4. Use AI tools in CRMs to better plan when to flight content to get optimal engagement.

Conclusion

As we step into 2025, the landscape of pharma marketing continues to shift. It is shaped by the evolving preferences of healthcare consumers and the rapid integration of new platforms, technologies, and formats. Whether it be harnessing the power of video to educate and engage, diving into long-form content to build trust and credibility, or tapping into emerging platforms and peer-to-peer recommendations to connect with audiences, the opportunities for meaningful engagement are vast.

However, amidst all these advancements, one key takeaway stands out: authenticity remains non-negotiable. While tools like generative AI can enhance efficiency, the human element—stories, emotions, and shared experiences—will continue to drive deeper connections and inspire change in the healthcare journey. By balancing innovation with authenticity, pharma marketers can not only navigate the complexities of 2025 but also forge meaningful relationships that leave a lasting impact.

 

Reach out to the author, Rishi Kadiwar, VP Strategy, LiveWorld at rishi@liveworld.com

FOOTNOTES:

[1] https://www.kantar.com/company-news/more-marketers-to-pull-back-on-x-ad-spend-than-ever-before

[2] https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/11/14/twitter-fake-eli-lilly/

[3] https://bsky.jazco.dev/stats

[4] https://www.theregister.com/2024/12/02/bluesky_growing_problems/

[5]  https://www.rev.com/blog/youtube-statistics

[6] https://www.brusselstimes.com/925953/tiktok-overtakes-google-as-most-popular-search-engine-among-gen-z

[7] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11150891/

[8] https://www.marketingweek.com/content-footfall-cookies-5-interesting-stats/

[9] https://www.buzzsprout.com/blog/podcast-statistics

[10] https://www.thedrum.com/open-mic/50-of-consumers-can-detect-ai-generated-content-heres-how-to-apply-the-human-touch