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Ever wonder what a truly aggressive digital marketing strategy looks like?
Picture this: a company spending nearly half its revenue on marketing—not profit, revenue—and still turning a healthy profit.
Welcome to the world of Hims, the telehealth giant that’s rewriting the rules of digital marketing.
Let’s dive into some mind-bending numbers. Hims recently reported quarterly revenue of $401.6 million, putting them on track for $1.2 billion in annual sales. But here’s the kicker: they’re growing at a staggering 77% year-over-year while maintaining profitability. In their latest quarter, they pocketed $76 million in profit while pumping $182 million into marketing.
Graph property of Shares Magazine – How a tiny US healthcare company has become one of the year’s hottest stocks
The Secret Sauce: A Profitable Marketing Machine
You might be thinking, “Hold up—spending half your revenue on marketing sounds like a recipe for bankruptcy.” And normally, you’d be right. But Hims has cracked the code: their marketing isn’t just spending, it’s investing. Every dollar they pour in comes back with friends, allowing them to scale aggressively and profitably.
This wasn’t always the case.
Earlier years saw losses as they built their customer base. Now those initial investments are paying dividends through repeat purchases. Let’s break down exactly how they’re making this marketing magic happen.
The Website: Simplicity Meets Strategic Design
Visit forhims.com and you’ll notice something surprising: it’s remarkably simple.
While most businesses without Hims’ brand recognition would need extensive social proof and detailed explanations, Hims takes a boldly minimalist approach.
Why does this work? Their massive marketing spend has already done the heavy lifting. By the time visitors land on their site, they typically know what Hims offers. This allows for a streamlined experience focused on getting users to their desired treatment as quickly as possible.
The site’s most brilliant feature? A consultation-style approach that delays lead capture until users are invested. Rather than immediately asking for contact information, they guide visitors through a personalised assessment, making the eventual information request feel natural and valuable.
Content Strategy: A Masterclass in SEO
Hims’ blog, aptly named “Good Health,” isn’t just another corporate blog—it’s a traffic-generating powerhouse pulling in 1.1 million monthly visitors. But what sets it apart isn’t just volume; it’s the strategic approach to content creation.
Each article is a carefully crafted piece of the puzzle:
- Written and reviewed by medical professionals
- Strategically embedded CTAs that feel helpful rather than pushy
- Comprehensive source citations and author credentials
- Smart internal linking to product pages
- Shareable content sections for social amplification
They’ve mastered the topic cluster approach, creating deep content wells around their core products.
Take their hair loss content: from scientific articles about treatment efficacy to interactive tools helping users choose the right haircut for their face shape, they cover every angle of the customer journey.
The Paid Marketing Symphony
Here’s where things get really interesting.
Hims orchestrates a complex paid marketing strategy across multiple channels:
Search Advertising
- Heavy investment in branded search terms
- Benefit-focused ad copy that speaks to convenience and hope
- Interestingly selective about mobile search advertising, suggesting strict ROI requirements
Social and Video Advertising
Their social strategy reveals some surprising insights:
- While they test lots of User Generated Content (UGC), their biggest budget goes to polished, TV-quality ads — one such ad received $6 million in promotion
- Major investment in video advertising — spending $3 million in a single week in June
- Consistent branding and colour schemes across all ad creative
- Continuous testing of new formats and messages
The Growth Playbook: 5 Key Takeaways
- Start with a Winning Core Offering: Simple value proposition, competitive pricing, and strong brand identity create a foundation for scalable growth.
- Build a Conversion-Optimised Website: Focus on seamless user experience and strategic lead capture rather than overwhelming visitors with information.
- Dominate Search Rankings: Invest heavily in high-quality, medically-reviewed content that serves both SEO and conversion goals.
- Test Aggressively, Scale Winners: Don’t be afraid to invest significant resources in testing different ad formats and messages, then double down on what works.
- Scale Fearlessly When You Find Profit: Once you find a profitable marketing channel, pour gasoline on the fire. Hims’ willingness to spend half their revenue on marketing shows extraordinary confidence in their unit economics.
The Bottom Line
Hims’ marketing strategy isn’t just about spending big — it’s about spending smart.
They’ve built a marketing machine that turns dollars into more dollars, allowing them to scale aggressively while maintaining profitability. While few companies can match their marketing budget, their approach offers valuable lessons for businesses of any size: focus on what works, test relentlessly, and when you find a winning formula, don’t be afraid to go all in.
Remember, even giants have their weak spots.
Despite their massive success in paid channels, Hims struggles with organic video content on platforms like YouTube and TikTok, where their channel sees mostly triple-digit views despite having nearly half a million followers and 7.5 million likes. It’s a reminder that no company does everything perfectly — the key is excelling in the areas that drive your core business growth.
