The role of webinars in healthcare marketing: Still relevant, or past their prime?

Webinars had their moment during the pandemic. With in-person events on pause, virtual sessions became a lifeline for continuing medical education, product demos, and thought leadership. But now that face-to-face interactions are back on the table, it’s fair to ask: are webinars still worth the effort?

In healthcare marketing, where time-poor professionals value relevance, credibility, and flexibility, the answer is yes, but with caveats. Webinars aren’t dead. They’re just evolving. Used strategically, they can still deliver high-quality engagement, especially when aligned to the realities of today’s healthcare audience.

Rethink your format: Engagement over endurance

One-hour live webinars packed with slides and no Q&A? That format doesn’t hold attention anymore. The average healthcare professional is navigating packed clinics, admin overload, and tight schedules. If your webinar feels like a lecture, they’ll likely skip it.

Instead:

• Keep sessions under 30 minutes

• Include live polls, breakout Q&A, or short panel discussions

• Consider series formats (e.g., weekly 15-minute “clinical spotlight” sessions) rather than a one-off

Shorter, tighter sessions that offer value fast are more likely to attract repeat attendance and actionable leads.

Focus on peer-to-peer value, not polished marketing

Healthcare audiences, especially clinicians and senior decision-makers, are skeptical of sales-heavy content. What they respond to are authentic insights, peer case studies, and relevant updates that make their jobs easier or patient care better.

Make sure your webinars deliver:

• Real-world case studies, ideally from people they can relate to (not just KOLs)

• Tangible lessons they can apply immediately

• Speakers who are credible and relatable, not just charismatic

  
  

Think of webinars as educational content first, lead-generation tools second.

On-demand is the new default

Live attendance is declining across the board. That doesn’t mean your webinar failed, it means your audience wants flexibility. In fact, many healthcare professionals prefer to watch replays at a time that suits them.

So:

• Optimize your webinars for replay: clear structure, easy chapter markers, downloadable takeaways

• Host replays on your website and track engagement like any other piece of gated content

• Promote the on-demand version just as hard as the live one

  
  

What matters isn’t when people attend, it’s that the content remains accessible, useful, and findable.

Use webinars as content engines

A webinar doesn’t just have to be a single event. When planned well, it can feed an entire month of marketing content:

• Slice recordings into short video clips for social media

• Turn the transcript into a blog post or briefing note

• Repurpose audience questions into new content ideas

This way, even if attendance is modest, the ROI can still be high, especially in B2B healthcare where the buying cycle is long and trust matters more than traffic.

Webinars still work, when you meet your audience where they are

Webinars aren’t a silver bullet. But they remain one of the few digital channels where healthcare marketers can deliver depth, demonstrate expertise, and build trust at scale.

The key? Respect your audience’s time, give them something useful, and think beyond the live event.

Reach out to explore how your healthcare brand can build credibility and connect more meaningfully with the audiences that matter.