Digital media consumption changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The average daily time spent with digital media in the U.S. is expected to increase in 2022. How can public health professionals, organizations, brands, and businesses reach their target audiences with digital marketing in 2022 and beyond? This report shares the latest statistics and insights on digital media consumption in the U.S., and relevant considerations for public health communication and marketing.
Publication Date: July 11, 2022
Last updated: July 11, 2022
In Focus: Awareness of and Trust in Public Health
Most Americans are now aware of “public health” and understand the role of public health agencies in preventing and treating chronic and infectious diseases, mental health, and substance abuse. However, they trust doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals more than federal or local public health institutions and agencies for health-related guidance and recommendations [Robert Wood Johnson Foundation].
What does it mean for public health communication and marketing? 
​Health communication professionals need to consider and account for the lack of trust in government public health agencies. While public health agencies work to rebuild trust, health communication and marketing professionals can be strategic when deciding how to brand health-related content and what messengers and channels to use to deliver health-related content.

Internet/Web Browsing

During the beginning of the pandemic, a majority of Americans 18 to 29 year olds searched the internet for COVID-19 information [Statista]. The largest individual source of COVID-19 information (and the most trusted) for Americans was government websites [JMIR, Statista, Digital.gov]. However, Americans' trust in government has since fallen [Edelman].
Key Internet/Web Browsing Statistics
  • Google Chrome remains the most popular web browser in the United States. [Statista]
  • Search engines are the most commonly used websites by Americans. [Statista]
  • Americans visit Google websites, such as Google Search, YouTube, Gmail, Hangouts, and Google Play, the most.  [Statista]
  • Over 90% of Americans accessed the internet in 2021. [Statista]
  • In 2021, younger Americans (Gen Z) ranked browsing the internet as their second favorite entertainment activity. [Deloitte Insights]
  • In 2021, laptops and desktops accounted for about half of U.S. web traffic, and mobile phones accounted for 46.5% in 2021. [Statista]
  • In 2021, a third of U.S. adults tried to cut back the time they spend on smartphones or the internet during the pandemic. [PEW]
What does it mean for public health communication and marketing? 
Search engine optimization is a key consideration for health communication and marketing professionals. You can create content for web pages and blog posts on your organization, agency, or company website, but if that content and website aren’t optimized to be picked up by search engines, it’s not reaching as many people as it could. It’s also important for websites to be optimized for mobile with a flexible and fully responsive layout. See these resources for more information: Google’s search engine optimization (seo) starter guide,  Search Engine Journal’s healthcare seo fundamentals to grow your medical practice, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion’s health literacy online guide 

Health communication and marketing professionals should also consider using search advertising to promote health-related websites. Setting up search ads is a great way to ensure that as people use their web browsers to search for health-related information, credible, relevant digital media channels (e.g., a local health department’s sexually transmitted disease (STD) testing services webpage when someone in that geographic area searches online for STD testing options) appear highest on the search engine results pages. Given the decrease in trust for government websites, there may be a difference in clickthrough for search ads promoting government health-related websites compared to those promoting non-profit or non-governmental health-related websites. See these resources for more information: Google’s create effective Search ads, Google’s reaching the right customers on Search

Social Media

During the pandemic, both the number of social media users and daily social media use increased in the U.S. [Statista, Statista]. At the start of the pandemic, social media sites were among the leading media sources used by Americans to keep track of news and information [JMIR]. Facebook was the most preferred social media platform to check on COVID-19 updates across all age groups [Statista]. Even though social media users in the U.S. had high levels of mistrust in the accuracy of COVID-19  information on social media, they were unlikely to fact-check the information they saw on social media with a health professional [JMIR]. Those people who cited social media as one of their most influential sources of COVID-19 information were more likely to believe misinformation than people who cited doctors or government officials [de Beaumont]. As the pandemic continued, social media platforms were increasingly used as a gateway for consuming news, as well as video, music, and gaming content [Deloitte].
Key Social Media Statistics
  • In 2021, YouTube was the most popular smartphone app in the U.S., and TikTok was the most downloaded app. [Statista]
  • In 2021, YouTube and Facebook continued to be the most widely used platforms by Americans in general. [PEW]
    • For adolescents, Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram were top favorites. [Statista]
    • For young adults ages 18 to 29, Instagram and Snapchat had higher use. [PEW]
  • In 2021, Gen Z and Millennials in the U.S. found ads on social media platforms and ads from social media influencers to be more memorable than other generations. [Deloitte Insights]
What does it mean for public health communication and marketing? 
Social media use increased during the pandemic. Health communication and marketing professionals should consider boosting their health communication activity on social media and incorporating social media ads into their digital advertising budgets. Given the increase in misinformation on social media and distrust in public health institutions, there may be a difference in engagement and click-through for health-related social media content from government accounts compared to similar content from non-profit or non-governmental accounts. See these resources for more information: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's the health communicator’s social media toolkit, Hootsuite’s how to use social media in healthcare: a guide for health professionals, National Association of County and City Health Officials' social media toolkit a primer for local health department pios and communications professionals
Health communication and marketing professionals should also consider outreach and relationship building with social media influencers for advertising and activation opportunities, especially if trying to reach younger audiences. These audiences may be more receptive to health messages from influencer social media accounts versus those from public health institutions or representatives. See these resources for more information: JSI’s 5 tips for working with micro-influencers to boost your public health campaigns
In Focus: Local and National News Media for Health Information
Local and national news networks were popular mainstream media sources for COVID-19 information [JMIR]. Americans aged 18-29 were more likely to use social media sites to get their news, while those aged 30-49 were more likely to use news websites or apps [PEW, PEW]. About a quarter of U.S. adults got their news on YouTube from both channels associated with news organizations and independent channels [PEW]. However, in 2021, far fewer Americans reported having a high level of trust in national or local news [PEW].
Key News Statistics
  • In 2021, most Americans got their news via digital platforms, such as news websites, apps, and search engines, at least some of the time. [PEW]
  • In 2021, about a third of U.S. adults ages 18 to 49 got their news from podcasts at least some of the time. [PEW, Statista]
  • The percentage of U.S. adults who regularly get their news from social media sites has remained largely unchanged since the beginning of the pandemic. [PEW]
    • In 2021, almost a third of U.S. adults (31%) got their news regularly on Facebook. [PEW]
    • In 2021, about 13% of U.S. adults got their news and news headlines on Twitter. [PEW]
What does it mean for public health communication and marketing? 
Media relations is a great way to get health information and messages in national and local news media and can boost earned media coverage.  Given the decrease in trust in national and local news, health communication and marketing professionals should consider outreach and relationship building with social media influencers and other digital publishers, such as bloggers and podcasters, for advertising and activation opportunities to complement media coverage. See these resources for more information: Annual Review of Public Health’s public health and media advocacy, Global Health Advocacy Incubator's public health media advocacy action guide

Email

Pre-pandemic the average open rate for the healthcare industry—this includes emails from alternative medicine providers, hospitals, other healthcare facilities, individual and family services organizations, medical device companies, medical practices, mental healthcare providers, and veterinary clinics—was 21.72%, and the average click rate was 2.49% [Mailchimp]. While the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns and quarantines gave people more time to sort through their email inboxes, data suggests that people have been spending less time reading emails from brands (down from an average of 11.8 seconds in 2020 to 10 seconds in 2021) [Statistica].
Key Email Statistics
  • In 2021, the average open rate for the healthcare services industry was 23.7%, and the average clickthrough rate was 3.0%. [Campaign Monitor]
  • In 2021, Americans liked reading emails in the morning. Over 20% of email opens occurred from 9am-12pm local time. [Litmus]
  • In 2021, Gmail continued to be the most popular webmail client. When people opened emails online, it was most likely using Gmail. [Litmus] 
  • In 2021, mobile was the top way to read email, and Apple iPhone (iOS Mail) was the most popular mobile email client. When people were reading emails on smartphones, they were most likely using the iOS Mail app on an iPhone. [Litmus]  
  • In 2021, Apple Mail (macOS Mail) was the most popular desktop email client. When people were reading emails on desktop computers, they were most likely using the macOS Mail app on an Apple computer. [Litmus]
  • In 2021, most email users were using light mode on their devices. Only about a quarter were using dark mode. [Litmus] ​
What does it mean for public health communication and marketing? 
Health communication and marketing professionals should consider how email campaigns can be used as a tool to build relationships and restore trust. What emails can be automated to welcome new patients or perhaps check in on, engage with, and encourage diabetes management program participants? See these resources for more information: Mailchimps’ marketing automation examples: getting started with email automation, Constant Contact’s 7 ideas for your first automated email series

Email campaign optimization is another key consideration for health communication and marketing professionals. Are email designs being optimized for mobile, with flexible and fully responsive layouts? Do email designs look good in both dark and light modes? How are email designs displaying across the different email clients? See these resources for more information: Mailchimp’s email marketing strategy and tips for successful campaigns, Litmus’s foundations of email design, Constant Contact’s email design 101: best practices for email marketing design​
Additionally, if there is an existing third-party e-newsletter that is popular with and trusted by target audiences, health communication and marketing professionals should consider sponsoring health-related content in that newsletter (in addition to or in lieu of sharing that content via an owned e-newsletter). Email recipients would be more inclined to open and read the email from their trusted source and be more receptive to the health messages that email contains. See this resource for more information: Autopilot’s 9 steps to maximize your sponsored email campaign ​

Digital Video/TV (Traditional and Streaming)

During the pandemic, most adults in the U.S. were paying to access their favorite digital video/TV content online via streaming services, and many had subscribed to at least one digital video/TV streaming service [Forrester, Statista]. Social media and gaming platforms were also increasingly used to stream digital video content [Deloitte Insights].
Key Video/TV Statistics
  • In 2021, watching TV and movies at home was the overall favorite (ranked in the top three of entertainment options) for Americans of all ages, except Gen Z. [Deloitte Insights]
  • In 2021, many Americans (41%) enjoyed watching TV/video more after the pandemic than before the pandemic. [Forrester]
  • In 2021, some Americans (21%) were streaming movies on a daily basis. [Statista]
  • In 2021, many Americans (42%) reported relying on watching TV/video as a distraction from real-world stressors–this was especially true for Gen Z and Millenials in 2020. [Forrester, Statista]
  • Streaming and broadcast now account for half of television time in the U.S. [Nielsen]
  • 60% of Gen Z and Millennials spend more time watching user-generated video content than they do TV shows and movies on video streaming services. [Deloitte Insights]
  • Most people (62%) use a smartphone to watch digital video/TV content. [Statista]
  • In 2021, people in the U.S. found ads while watching streaming video content mildly annoying. [Deloitte Insights]
What does it mean for public health communication and marketing? 
Video streaming platforms have great reach. For public health professionals who are considering adding video streaming platforms to their digital advertising budgets, consider why people are watching video/TV. If the main purpose is distraction, how receptive are viewers going to be to health messages in ads (especially those health messages aiming for behavior change as opposed to building awareness or recall)? Edutainment, weaving educational health-related messages into entertaining and engaging stories, is an alternative strategy that can be used to reach people streaming video content. See these resources for more information: Neil Patel’s how to advertise on vod platforms, Smaato’s advertise on tv: the complete guide to ott and ctv advertising, Forbes’s how to advertise on streaming video platforms: 14 essential tips,  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's tip sheets for entertainment education content developers, Hollywood, Health, & Society's tip sheets

With video views shifting to user generated video content (UGvC), health communication and marketing professionals should consider incorporating UGvC into their organic and paid digital video marketing mix, especially if trying to reach younger audiences. These audiences may be more receptive to health messages in video content generated by social media influencers versus those in video content from public health institutions and representatives. See these resources for more information: Hootsuite’s what is user-generated content? and why is it important?, Forbes’ why and how marketers should be leveraging user-generated video content
In Focus: Mobile Applications for Health Information (mHealth)
The mHealth app market—this includes health information, fitness, telemedicine, prescription, digital therapeutics, insurance, and pharmacy apps—grew to over 350,000 mobile applications in 2020. About 54% of mHealth apps were wellness, fitness, lifestyle, and diet apps and the rest were health condition management apps [IQVIA Institute]. Downloads and usage of mHealth apps also increased during the pandemic, especially apps for telemedicine, fitness, mental health, and blood pressure [Statista, IQVIA Institute, Statista]. Gen Z and Millennials were more likely to report owning telemedicine, fitness, and insurance apps. Gen X were more likely to report owning fitness, health information, and insurance apps. Baby Boomers were more likely to report owning health information, prescription, and pharmacy apps [Statista].
Key mHealth App Statistics
  • As of March 2022, there were over 51K healthcare and medical apps available on the Apple App Store. [Statista]
  • As of March 2022, there were over 52K healthcare and medical apps available on the Google Play Store. [Statista]
  • Physical activity was the most tracked health parameter by app users in the U.S. in 2021, followed by sleep and then weight. [Statista]
  • Planet Fitness, Calm, and MyFitnessPal were the most downloaded health and fitness apps in the U.S. in 2021. [Statista]
What does it mean for public health communication and marketing? 
Some mHealth apps offer in-app advertising opportunities. Public health professionals should consider if any of these advertising opportunities align with their health communication and marketing needs and goals. For example, do users of certain mHealth apps (e.g., clinicians or people managing high blood pressure) fall into key target audiences or audience segments for a health communication campaign, public health initiative, or health product?  See these resources for more information: Smaato’s an advertiser’s guide to in-app’s advanced advertising capabilities, Adfire Health’s mobile and in-app advertising for hcps: why does it work?

Online Music/Audio

The pandemic shifted the way people consume online music/audio. Fewer people were listening to online music/audio while commuting or traveling by car. Digital music streaming declined during the first few months of the pandemic, while online music consumption increased via live video streaming on Twitch, Instagram, and YouTube [Forbes, Deloitte Insights, Goldman Sachs]. Podcast consumption also increased [Forbes].
Key Online Music/Audio Statistics
  • The number of paid streaming music subscribers in the U.S. is increasing. [Statista]
  • The most used online music services are Spotify, YouTube Music, and Pandora. [Statista]
  • In 2021, around 60% of Americans said they have a paid streaming music service or use a free, ad-supported music service. [Deloitte Insights]
  • In 2021, 40% of Americans placed listening to music as a top-three favorite entertainment activity. [Deloitte Insights]
  • In 2021, Americans spent an average of 1 hour and 34 minutes a day listening to online music/audio sources—this can include music streaming, online radio, and podcasts. [Statista] 
  • In 2021, people in the U.S. found ads while watching streaming music content highly annoying, and most younger radio and audio streamers tuned out ads when listening. [Deloitte Insights, Deloitte Insights]

Key Internet Radio Statistics
  • The leading online radio company in the U.S. in 2021 (based on the average number of active sessions) was iHeartRadio. [Statista]
  • The monthly internet radio reach in the U.S. in 2021 was highest among listeners ages 12 to 35 years old. [Statista]

Key Podcast Statistics
  • The share of Americans who listen to podcasts is increasing. [PEW, Statista, Stastita]
  • Younger Americans (ages 12 to 34) are listening to podcasts more consistently than older Americans (ages 55+). [Statista]
  • In 2021, about a third of Americans listened to podcasts at least monthly. [Statista]
  • In 2020, Spotify was the most popular podcast streaming service for Americans. [Statista]
​What does it mean for public health communication and marketing? 
Many people are engaging with online music/audio streaming platforms, particularly younger audiences. However, listeners may be tuning out ads on these platforms. For health communication and marketing professionals considering advertising on these platforms, ad optimization is key. See these resources for more information: Spotify's quick start guide to creating digital audio ads, Pandora’s advertising creative direction forms

Edutainment, weaving educational health-related messages into entertaining and engaging stories, is an alternative strategy that can be used to reach people streaming audio content, specifically audio dramas and fiction podcasts. See these resources for more information: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's tip sheets for entertainment education content developers, Hollywood, Health, & Society's tip sheets
​Additionally, if there is an existing third-party podcast or internet radio show that is popular with and trusted by target audiences, health communication and marketing professionals should consider working with the content creators of that podcast/show to advertise or sponsor an episode(s) of that podcast/show (in addition to or in lieu of advertising on the online music/audio streaming platform). See this resource for more information: Hubspot's ultimate guide to podcast advertising and sponsorship

Video Games

At the height of pandemic lockdowns, more than half (55%) of Americans were playing or watching video games for reasons resulting from the restrictions (e.g., fighting boredom, passing time, escaping the real world, substituting unavailable entertainment, and/or to connecting with people) [Nielsen].
​Key Video Game Statistics
  • At least once a week, more than three-quarters of Americans play video games on devices such as smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles, or computers. [Deloitte Insights]
  • In 2021, almost 61% of internet users in the U.S. engaged in smartphone gaming (playing video games on mobile phones). [Statista]
  • In 2021, almost 32%  of internet users in the U.S. engaged in console gaming (playing video games on gaming consoles). [Statista]
  • The average age of American video game players is 33 years old. [Entertainment Software Association]
  • About 90% of American video game players are spending as much or more time playing video games as they did during the pandemic. [Entertainment Software Association]
What does it mean for public health communication and marketing? 
Video games have great reach, and offer several options (e.g., in-game ads, brand sponsorships, and in-game activations) for advertisers looking to reach gamers. Public health professionals should consider if any of these advertising opportunities align with their health communication and marketing needs and goals. For example, do players of a specific game or game genres fall into key target audiences or audience segments for a health communication campaign, public health initiative, or health product?  See these resources for more information: Smaato’s in-game mobile advertisements: the benefits of in-game advertising​
Credits
Authors:
 - Monique Thornton, MPH - CEO, Let's Talk Public Health

Suggested Citation:
Let's Talk Public Health. (2022, Jul 11). 2022 Digital Media Trends for Health Communication Report. https://www.letstalkpublichealth.com/health-communication-media-trends-2022.html
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