How a potential TikTok ban in the US could impact healthcare and pharma marketers, influencers, and consumers

The “news”: TikTok’s potential ban in the US, slated for Jan. 19, will have a far-reaching impact on content creators, brands and marketers across a range of industries—healthcare and pharma are no exception.

Editor’s note: It’s a fluid situation, but at the time of writing, TikTok is preparing to shut itself down entirely in the US on Sunday, according to media reports.

Below is a breakdown of how different stakeholders in healthcare and pharma use TikTok and how a ban would impact each.

1. Creators and influencers

Medical professionals have turned to TikTok as a creative outlet for combatting health misinformation, humanizing their work, and marketing services to patients. Some have amassed large follower counts and generate side income from their content.

• Doctors, nurses, and dentists are among the most popular professions on TikTok, according to a 2023 survey from Registered Nursing.org.
• Videos with the hashtag #Doctor generated a total of 61.5 billion views, tops on the list.

A ban would push influencers elsewhere, with Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts the most likely platform destinations. Instagram has more lenient branded content guidelines than TikTok when it comes to topics such as weight loss drugs and mental health, which could ease the transition for some influencers in this space.

2. Brands and marketers

Most Big Pharma brands aren’t active on TikTok in the conventional advertising sense. But plenty of healthcare companies and drugmakers partner with TikTok influencers, looking to sway a person’s decision to purchase a health product, schedule a medical appointment, or ask their doctor about a medication.

A ban would drive brands and marketers to follow influencers to other social platforms. Advertisers in this space may not find X and Meta as appealing, however.

• X is generally perceived negatively by healthcare and pharma brands and influencers, particularly after a 2022 incident when an imposter account tweeted that Eli Lilly’s insulin is free. That drove a slew of pharma advertisers to flee the platform or be less active.
• Meta, meanwhile, is imposing new restrictions on health advertisers related to how they can target users on the platform.

3. Consumers

Lots of consumers—particularly younger ones with an affinity for TikTok—have turned to the platform as a primary source for health information. Many even prefer it over search engines and their doctors.

• 56% of Gen Zers said they go to TikTok for health and wellness advice. And about one-third indicate that TikTok is their main source of health advice, whether online or otherwise, per a 2024 Zing Coach survey.
• 40% of Gen Z adults prefer TikTok over going to a medical professional because it doesn’t cost anything. This was by far the top answer among Gen Zers when asked why they like to get health information from TikTok.

A ban would worsen consumer access to health information, both good and bad. Not all medical information on TikTok is beneficial. We could see fewer health hacks go viral, such as taping your mouth closed for better sleep or using castor oil for eye care.

Be sure to keep up with EMARKETER analysis and insights pertaining to a TikTok ban as developments unfold in the coming days.

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