(Because being digital is not enough. You have to know how to be there)
In the pharmaceutical world, having a brand with scientific rigor, a track record, and a product doesn’t guarantee visibility.
And even less so, connection.
The reason? Many pharmaceutical brands communicate the same way they did 20 years ago… but now digitally.
They publish. They send. They launch. But They don’t connect. They don’t differentiate. They don’t build.
Here are the 10 most common mistakes we see every week from healthcare brands… and how to avoid them if you want your digital strategy to go from being a formality to making a real impact.
Speak like a prospect, not a brand
Your audience (whether a doctor, pharmacist, or OTC consumer) doesn’t want to read the package insert on social media.
They want you to speak clearly, rigorously, but with a human, approachable, and modern tone.
If you can’t explain it easily, you’re not communicating well.
Do this instead:
Work with a team that translates technical information into understandable messages, without losing the scientific soul.
Thinking that “the important thing is to be”
The typical: “We’re on LinkedIn, we post things on the blog, we send emails…”
But without a strategy, without a goal, without real measurement.
Being without intention is like launching without direction.
Do this instead:
Define clear objectives (visibility, positioning, leads, education) and create a plan with metrics that measure what matters.
Addressing everyone (and connecting with no one)
Talking to a dermatologist isn’t the same as talking to a pharmacist.
Nor is talking to a patient with questions the same as talking to a healthcare professional under pressure.
If your content isn’t specific, it will be invisible.
Do this instead:
Define specific audiences, with messages and formats tailored to each one. Strategic microsegmentation.
Publish as if you were a fashion brand
Social media is not a parade of pretty posts.
In pharma, content must be useful, accurate, and add value.
Don’t just sell image. Contribute something memorable.
Do this instead:
Think of informative formats, educational microcontent, short formats with real value. And yes: well-designed, but not empty.
Disconnect digital from your overall strategy
Many laboratories treat digital as an extra, not as part of the core.
And this creates a disconnect between what is said digitally and what is experienced in the product, channel, or with the sales force.
Do this instead:
Connect digital marketing with your 360 campaigns, with trade, with medical events, with CRM. Everything should speak the same language.
Believing that regulatory compliance prevents communication
Classic mistake: “We can’t do anything, everything is limited.”
Complying with regulations doesn’t mean being flat or boring.
It just means being creative within the rules.
Do this instead:
Work with an agency that understands the regulations well, and knows how to craft messages that respect… and stand out.
Not leveraging your brand's scientific authority
Many laboratories fail to utilize their greatest differentiating value: knowledge.
They leave out the medical advisor, the KOL, the clinical study, and the data that truly supports it.
Do this instead:
Turn your expertise into valuable content: interviews, graphics, insights, Q&As, ebooks. Communicate science, not just marketing.
Underestimating the power of paid media (done right)
Thinking that only organic is enough?
Not in health.
Your audience doesn’t seek you out every day. You have to reach them with the right criteria, segmentation, and frequency.
Do this instead:
Activate paid campaigns with clear objectives: awareness, leads, qualified traffic. And always tailored to the healthcare or B2C profile you want to impact.
Not having senior digital profiles inside… or outside
Having an internal community that “runs the networks” is not enough.
Digital pharmaceutical communication requires profiles in strategy, content, design, analytics, and regulation.
On staff? Very expensive. Outsourced? Much more efficient.
Do this instead:
Trust a specialized partner. Someone who understands your industry, your tone, your limits… and your potential.
Not measuring well or not measuring at all
If you don’t know what works, you’ll keep doing the same thing.
And if you only look at likes or opens… you’re just seeing the tip of the iceberg.
Do this instead:
Define real KPIs: cost per lead, quality engagement, on-site retention, medical interaction, reputation. And act on data.
Digital marketing in pharma doesn’t need more presence. Needs more strategy.
And that’s not achieved with a pretty post or a single campaign.
It’s achieved with vision, consistency, and a partner who speaks your scientific language… and your digital language.
