How to adapt your healthcare marketing strategy during a recession

It’s hard to consume any news these days without hearing about a “recession.” From the effects of tariffs to cuts in research funding, there’s a lot of economic uncertainty, including in the healthcare space.

So, what can you do as a marketer? While we don’t know when or if there will be a recession this year, with the right strategic moves, you can prepare. 

This article includes tactics to help your marketing team be proactive, adapt your healthcare marketing strategy and even thrive during times of financial downturn.

What’s a recession, anyway?

First, let’s back up and define “recession.” In the U.S., the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) keeps track of U.S. business cycles. They define a recession as “The period between a peak of economic activity and its subsequent trough, or lowest point.” In other words, a recession is a period where people and companies have less money.

A recession can last for months or years. The most recent recession was the COVID-19 Recession. It lasted two months (the shortest in U.S. history, surprisingly). The Great Recession lasted 18 months, from December 2007 to June 2009.

Economists say that recessions are normal. It’s hard to avoid them. Often, during a recession:

• The United States sells less to other countries.
• There are recession layoffs, so unemployment goes up.
• People buy less, so sales go down.
• Customers and businesses lose money.

Is healthcare recession-proof?

Recessions normally mean a loss of business, money and jobs. In the past, healthcare and healthcare jobs have been mostly immune to the effects of the economy. People need healthcare. However, during the COVID-19 Recession, that changed. Healthcare jobs decreased. So did patients seeking elective surgeries and primary care. 

COVID-19 was a different kind of recession, but it might signify that the healthcare industry isn’t completely protected from the economy. It’s important to be ready for changes and agile enough to prioritize and strategize a little differently.

Healthcare marketing during a recession — how to achieve success

During a recession or poor economic times, the marketing landscape changes. With some preparation, your healthcare marketing strategy can be successful, even during a recession. Here are some helpful tactics:

Increase (or maintain) your marketing budget

Reba Thompson, our VP of client partnerships, says uncertainty in the market means many hospitals and health systems are on a spending pause. And many marketing teams are anticipating spending cuts. 

It may be tempting to cut your marketing budget, especially during a recession. But according to Harvard Business Review, companies that rebounded most quickly after previous recessions didn’t reduce their marketing budgets. Instead, they increased them. 

Why? Because in times of economic downturn, there’s often less marketing competition. The healthcare marketing supply is low because many healthcare systems reduce their marketing budgets. However, the demand for healthcare often stays the same. So, with low supply and high demand, your marketing tactics make a bigger impact for less.

But how do you make the pitch internally to avoid marketing budget cuts?

“Thinking of it less as marketing and more as communication can really help you sell yourself internally for dollars and funding efforts,” says Reba. “It’s important that we’re letting our people know our opinions, our stances, our values and our dedication to our community’s care. Marketing may sound like a ‘nice-to-have,’ but clear communication is something we need now more than ever.”

Repurpose and reframe your approach to marketing

During times of economic downturn, you may be asked to do more with less. If that’s the case, it can help to reframe or reallocate your advertising budget to patient education and communication. 

“Shuffle your budget around to focus on your most successful outputs,” says Reba. “Don’t get rid of your efforts, but move them to areas that will be most meaningful or impactful right now.”

It’s a great time to do a gap analysis, if you don’t already do them regularly. A gap analysis helps you see where your current healthcare marketing tactics are doing well or lacking and where there are opportunities to have a more substantial impact.

You may have new marketing opportunities. Maybe you can run a commercial because media rates are more flexible. Or maybe you can put more into internal marketing with existing patients, resulting in more referrals. 

“You can also repurpose content, being intentional and disciplined about breathing life into everything you’re doing,” says Reba. “Don’t just think about content in one place, one time, for one effort, but the shared line of sight around everything you’re doing. And building sustainability.”

Commit to your community with empathy-first messaging

Knowing your audience well is key to any successful marketing plan. Work to understand how they act, what’s hard for them and what they value most. During a recession, your consumers may:

• Have higher stress levels and anxiety, especially about paying for healthcare
• Cancel appointments more frequently
• Not get preventive care, making health issues worse overall
• Lose a job or employer-paid health insurance

Respond with messaging that’s relatable and accessible — show that you recognize that times are tough. It’s not about your organization; rather, it’s about the people and the community. Speak to your audience’s concerns in terms they use.

“It’s really about looking at communication as building relationships and trust, informing and educating,” says Reba. “I think the general message is to continue your mission and focus on providing care to everybody in your community.”

A content strategist can help you find the best and most searched phrases (also called SEO, search engine optimization) during a specific timeframe. Knowing what people are looking for can help you target your content to meet their needs.

Especially in a recession, most people are stressed. So, make sure they can easily find the information they need. Write content that’s accessible and follows plain language standards (even for the high-literacy population). Be concise, straightforward and helpful. Using empathy as your guidepost goes a long way.

And don’t forget your internal employees. 

“Communication is important to keep people happy and aligned, and understand the organization’s stance with constant change,” says Reba. “Your messaging can help keep people where they are, especially with current turnover rates in healthcare.”

Be transparent about costs

Many people lose their jobs during a recession. They also lose health insurance. Plus, with new and upcoming tariffs in place, the American Hospital Association expects hospital costs to rise by at least 15% in the next six months. 

Cost is a big pain point for your audience. You can respond by making information about insurance, Medicare and Medicaid, and other financial resources easy to find. 

“Transparency around cost and insurance is huge during this time,” says Reba. “It makes it easier for people to really understand what the cost of their care might be, so they can make good decisions in a time that financially might not be the most advantageous for them.”Promote the affordability of your services. Consider offering deals or packaging services together to save costs. Money is on most people’s minds, so it’s helpful to address it head-on in your healthcare communications.

Use your resources and vendors to their full potential

The most successful healthcare marketing campaigns are strategic about when they advertise or promote certain services. Make sure what you promote is based on need. If you can be in tune with the services that will benefit people the most at a specific time, you’ll likely have higher ROIs.

Also look to tools that augment your current staffing, including artificial intelligence (AI) and vendor support. 

“Rely on your vendors for high-value efforts,” says Reba. “Vendors bring specific skillsets to the table, so evaluate your strategy and use them for what gets you the most bang for your buck. Every hour from a vendor is production, so their partnership continues to remain valuable.”

Even if the U.S. doesn’t go through a formal recession soon, the economy is still always shifting. The happenings on Wall Street may not be your thing, but they do affect healthcare. It’s important to know how to help your healthcare marketing strategy weather the economy’s ebbs and flows.

Reach out to WG Content for help with your messaging

If you’re ever stuck or need assistance crafting an empathy-focused message, WG Content is here to help. Our content strategists and writers work with you to make the most of your marketing budget and plan. Reach out today to see how we can support your healthcare marketing strategy.

Editor’s note: This post was originally written in October 2022 and updated in June 2025.

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