When the Category Disruptor Isn’t Playing Like the Leader: A Hims & Hers Content Analysis
- Vanessa Marquez-Kramme
- Feb 13
- 10 min read
Updated: Feb 13
The biggest surprise from auditing 131 posts across three telehealth brands? The company that helped destigmatize digital healthcare isn’t showing up like they own the space.
🎧 Prefer to listen? This blog post is available in audio format below.
Note: This audio was created using AI voice technology (ElevenLabs) as part of my commitment to accessible content. I wrote every word, but used AI to narrate it so I could offer this format without burning out.
I dove into Hims & Hers’ digital strategy—the telehealth platform that made buying ED medication feel as casual as ordering skincare. Specifically, I analyzed Hers (the women’s brand) by examining their content across blog, Instagram, and TikTok, comparing them to competitors Ro and Nurx.
The methodology: I manually audited 131 posts across Hers, Ro, and Nurx, examining blog content, Instagram, and TikTok from December 2025 - February 2026. Then I ran the same analysis through AI to test where automation helps—and where it hallucinates.
Here’s what I found: Despite being a pioneer in the modern direct-to-consumer (DTC) telehealth era, Hers doesn’t feel like the category leader when you look at its digital presence.
In This Post:
In Isolation, Hers Looks... Fine. But That's the Problem
Here’s the thing: when you look at Hers’ content in isolation, it actually looks good. The brand voice is clear, the visuals are on-brand, and the messaging is coherent with their “destigmatizing healthcare” mission.
New Here?
This post builds on my Hims & Hers MACE Analysis. Start there if you want the full strategic context—or keep reading for the competitive tea.
In my previous analysis of their MACE strategy, I found solid fundamentals: authentic customer stories, strategic podcast sponsorships, and destigmatization content. Sure, there’s no consistent content cadence, which makes things feel a bit directionless—but overall? Not bad.
So, when I started this Hims & Hers content analysis, I expected Hers to rank high. After all, they pioneered the “healthcare without shame” positioning. They normalized conversations about hair loss, weight management, and sexual health.
But after auditing their content strategy against Ro and Nurx, a completely different pattern emerged.
Hers is positioned as the challenger brand, not the leader.
So… Who’s Actually Competing?
I chose two competitors for this analysis:
Ro: The Corporate Authority
They let the data talk—75% of their blog content is outcomes and research.
Nearly half of their Instagram feed features celebrity transformation stories (Serena Williams, Charles Barkley).
The vibe? High-production, corporate polish that screams "premium brand celebrities trust."
Nurx: The Birth Control Specialist
Nurx made a choice: own one conversation instead of competing everywhere.
While they technically offer weight loss and mental health services, 90%+ of their content is birth control-focused. Their blog? 27% product comparisons—but all within birth control ("IUD vs. pill," "Yaz vs. Yasmin"). They're not trying to beat Hers and Ro at the full telehealth game. They're positioning as "the birth control experts."
The catch? Nurx's last Instagram post was November 30, 2025. They've essentially abandoned social media, which raises the question: Can you actually compete where you don't show up?
That leaves Ro as Hers’ true head-to-head competitor.
I considered analyzing functional health companies like Thorne and Function Health, but they don't share the same product portfolio.
Hers is Playing Second Position
Here’s how I know Hers is playing challenger, not leader:
19% of Hers’ blog content is product comparisons (“Hers vs. Nutrafol,” “Hers vs. Musely”).
Ro has 0% comparison content—they never even acknowledge competitors exist.
Ro’s Instagram is 48% transformation content via celebrity partnerships (Serena Williams, Charles Barkley).
Hers’ Instagram is 57% educational content, only 13% transformation stories.
Nurx plays in a different sandbox (more on this below).
My read on this: Comparison content is what challengers do to help customers make informed decisions.
Leaders don’t compare themselves to anyone—they just show results.
Ro signals top-dog confidence through outcomes-focused content (75% of their blog is research and case studies), high-production celebrity partnerships, and a “we don’t need to explain ourselves” energy.
Hers, meanwhile, is teaching too much and showing too little proof. But the proof that took you here won't keep you here; proof needs to be always top of mind.
Three Critical Gaps in the Content Analysis (Thanks, Data, for Revealing These)
Gap 1: TikTok is a Ghost Town (and a MASSIVE Opportunity)
Here’s the most shocking data point:
Brand | Followers | TikTok Posts Audited | Last Activity | Transformation Content |
Hers | 894.4K | 8 (account has more, but is dormant) | May 2025 | 43% (of old content) |
Ro | 15.7K | 12 total | Essentially abandoned | 0% |
Nurx | 45.4K | Lots of content, but dormant | November 2025 | 0% (mostly edutainment on birth control) |
So what? Hers has 57x more followers than Ro on a platform designed for authentic transformation stories. And they're... dormant. Let that sink in.
Meanwhile, Instagram is an active battlefield:
Brand | Transformation Content | Educational Content | Product |
Hers | 13% | 57% | 13% |
Ro | 48% | 26% | 15% |
Translation: Instagram is where both brands are actively fighting. Hers has 4x more followers, but Ro's celebrity strategy drives higher engagement on transformation content. TikTok, meanwhile, is wide open.
Gap 2: Hers is Over-Teaching and Under-Showing on Instagram
Here is Hers Instagram content breakdown:
Brand | Transformation Content | Educational Content | Product |
Hers | 13% | 57% | 13% |
Ro | 48% | 26% | 15% |
Hers has incredible customer stories:
“60 lbs down”
“56 lbs down”
Hair regrowth transformations
But they’re only using them 13% of the time.
So what? Instagram's algorithm rewards transformation content—it gets saved, shared, and commented on. Educational content ("How many steps do you need?") gets scrolled past.
Hers is optimizing for information when they should be optimizing for inspiration and edutainment.
Every unused transformation story is a missed opportunity to let their customers sell for them.
Gap 3: No One Owns Content Cadence (Opportunity)
None of these brands have a consistent publishing rhythm.
Hers posts every 2-14 days
Ro posts sporadically, prioritizing big moments (Super Bowl, celebrity launches)
Nurx batch-publishes blog content, but is dead on Instagram and TikTok
According to the Content Marketing Institute, companies that publish content regularly perform better. For example, businesses posting 16 or more articles per month see almost 3.5 times more traffic than those publishing fewer than 4, which directly fuels lead generation.
So what? In a category where trust is everything, predictability builds credibility.
Think about it this way: Trust is built through repeated exposure. If I'm researching whether to start GLP-1s or HRT, I'm probably Googling over 2-3 weeks. I'll check a brand's blog multiple times during my decision-making process.
If Hers posts sporadically—maybe I see new content, maybe I don't—they're losing touchpoints.
What I Actually Found, Channel by Channel
Blog: Teaching Without Proving
Hers’ blog strategy:
Strong educational foundation (81% evergreen content)
Some comparison content (19%) positioning as a helpful challenger
Zero outcomes/research content
What’s working: The education is solid. Articles like “How GLP-1s work in your body” and “What are biomarkers?” are clear, accessible, and SEO-friendly. They also write in friendly, plain language. Ro’s content sounds more stakeholder-focused, so 10 points to Hers.
What’s missing: Proof. Ro publishes things like“One year weight loss outcomes through Ro” and “How Ro is helping patients improve their cardiometabolic health.” Building evidence-backed claims that build trust.
Instagram: The Education Overload
What’s working: Seasonal content (“Staying fit during holidays,” “NYE resolutions”) shows they understand cultural moments. The brand voice is warm and accessible.
What’s missing: Social proof. With only 13% transformation content, they’re under-leveraging their best asset—real customer stories.
The contrast with Ro:
Ro: 48% transformation (via celebrity)
Hers: 13% transformation (via real customers)
TikTok: The Abandoned Goldmine
What the data shows:
Hers has 894.4K followers
Ro has 15.7K followers
Hers went dormant in May 2025
Ro posted 12 videos total
What Hers was doing (before going dormant):
43% transformation content (good!)
Educational explainers on PCOS, birth control, mental health
Some lifestyle content (seasonal fruits, routines)
Why this is shocking: TikTok is designed for the content Hers creates. Transformation stories. Destigmatization conversations. “Things nobody tells you” series. POV content.
And they have 57x more followers than their main competitor.
This is the single biggest missed opportunity in the entire analysis.
What I'd Do If I Were Running Hers
These four recommendations directly address the gaps above—prioritized by impact and feasibility.
Own Edutainment as Through-Line
Hers' strength is making healthcare jargon-free. They should go all in on edutainment.
Instead of separate buckets (educational post, transformation post, product post), use edutainment as the lens through which everything gets delivered:
Educational content → “3 things nobody tells you about GLP-1s” (surprising facts)
Transformation stories → “POV: Losing weight while still enjoying brunch with friends” (shows weight loss with proper support doesn’t mean salads forever)
Product content → “Your vibe, based on your Hers products” or “Which product do you actually need? Take this quiz”
Seasonal content → “How to survive Thanksgiving on GLP-1s” (practical + relatable)
The positioning becomes “Your friend who makes healthcare make sense (and actually fun)” vs. Ro’s “premium brand celebrities trust.”
This differentiates from Ro’s celebrity polish while playing to Hers’ educational strength
Lead with TikTok, Repurpose to Instagram
Make TikTok the primary content engine, not Instagram.
Why:
Zero active competitors on TikTok = whitespace to shine
Hers already has 894.4K followers (vs. Ro’s 15.7K)
They need to protect their market share on Instagram while fighting hardest on TikTok. Ro has better engagement on celebrity posts, but otherwise, engagement is low for everyone on IG. Protect (IG) and Serve (TikTok).
Hers has nearly a million people waiting for content on a platform designed for authentic transformation and myth-busting. The first-mover advantage is still there—but only if they wake up.
Hers has 894.4K people who already follow them on a platform that’s designed for transformation stories and destigmatization conversations. The platform that rewards authentic, relatable content over high-production celebrity polish.
WAKE UP, HERS.
What I’d recommend:
Stop making Instagram content and repurposing it for Facebook. Instead, create high-energy vertical TikTok videos (15-20 posts/month), repurpose them as Reels to protect the IG brand equity. Keep carousels as Instagram and Facebook exclusive content. This maximizes content investment while leveraging their 57x follower advantage.
Create video-first content that shows real customer transformations, POV storytelling, and myth-busting.
Fight where there’s opportunity AND where you already have an audience advantage. And protect your IG with good, transferable content. Don’t cede this territory to Ro just because they have a bigger Instagram budget.
The first-mover advantage to TikTok is still available to you. But only if you move.
Prove It on the Blog:
Hers current blog distribution is: | I’d recommend shifting to: |
81% Educational content | 60% Educational (40% evergreen, 20% seasonal) |
19% Comparisons | 25% Comparisons (maintain challenger position) |
0% Outcomes/research | 15% Outcomes/research (build credibility) |
Why? Hers has 0% outcomes/research content on the blog. As they move into cancer screening and international markets, they need to borrow a page from Ro’s playbook. Show the data. Show the success rates. Build the "why it works" credibility.
Example outcomes content:
Customer success data (“Our patients’ average weight loss outcomes”)
Product efficacy studies
“Behind the scenes: How we source compounded medications”
This adds Ro-level credibility while maintaining Hers’ accessible voice.
The missed opportunity on social: As we saw above, most of Hers content on social falls under educational. However, Hers could own authentic customer transformation (real people, real results) while Ro owns celebrity transformation (aspirational, premium). Instead, they’re teaching when they should be showing.
Get your content on the clock:
Establish a publishing rhythm. Test monthly category themes (January = Weight Management Month) vs. weekly rotation (Monday = weight loss, Wednesday = hair care, Friday = proactive health) to find what resonates.
The first brand to own “the reliable healthcare resource you can count on every Monday and Thursday” wins this space.
The Manual vs. AI Analysis: What I Learned
I ran this analysis twice: once manually (auditing 131 posts by hand) and once with AI.
The manual audit was tedious. I went through 131 posts across three brands, categorizing each into content buckets (Reviews/Comparisons, Educational, Transformation, Product, etc.). I’m not a data scientist, and after hours of Excel, the "blue light fatigue" was real.
A note on the statistical significance of this analysis: This analysis examined 20-30 posts per brand, per platform—enough to identify patterns, but not statistically significant at scale. For a comprehensive audit, you'd want 50-100+ posts per channel over 6+ months. But for identifying strategic gaps? This sample size reveals the story.
But when I fed that data to Claude AI, it hallucinated. It claimed Hers had "no product features" (they did) and missed the nuance of why I labeled certain posts as educational vs. symbolic.
If I hadn’t done the manual audit first, I wouldn’t have caught these errors. I would’ve trusted AI’s analysis and made recommendations based on incomplete understanding. (Thanks, Claude for keeping me thinking)
The Lesson: AI is a pattern recognizer, not a truth-teller. It’s only as accurate as the data structure you give it. If I hadn’t done the manual audit first, I would’ve trusted the AI’s errors and made flawed recommendations. Trust, but verify.
My tips for a better AI analysis:
Always do manual audit first to understand your data (or have control points to cross check if its accurate)
Standardize your categorization system before feeding to AI
Cross-reference AI conclusions against actual examples
Use AI for pattern recognition, not truth determination
Or, if you have a team, loop in your data people and save yourself the headache
In the end, AI accelerates analysis but doesn’t replace strategic thinking. You need to understand your data well enough to know (and notice) when AI is wrong.
Why Content Analysis Matters
Here’s something I’ve been thinking about: When you have no reference point, it’s nearly impossible to know if you’re winning or losing.
If you only compare your brand to your brand, you’re either meeting, declining, or increasing your own benchmarks. Internal metrics matter—but the marketplace doesn’t work like that.
Research shows that organizations that treat competitive benchmarking as an ongoing discipline are significantly more likely to uncover new market openings early—before they become crowded. Competitive analysis isn’t just about knowing where you stand; it’s about seeing where the market is going.
We need to:
Compare internally (are our products improving?)
Compare externally (how do we stack up against competitors?)
Think outside the box (what can we learn from other industries?)
Understand macro forces (supply, demand, forces of change)
This is what helps us think ahead and innovate in ways that are validated by actual market dynamics, not just our own assumptions.
Hers’ content looks fine in isolation. But put it next to Ro? The gaps become obvious. And those gaps are opportunities.
The Verdict: Great Strategy, Inconsistent Execution
Does Hers have a sound strategy? Yes. They created the category. But in execution, Ro looks and acts like the leader.
Hers has the raw materials—the mission, the customers, and the massive TikTok audience. They just need to shift from teaching to showing, establish a rhythm, and own the space they worked so hard to create.
Analysis Details:
Period: December 2025 - February 2026
Posts audited: 131 across 3 brands and 3 platforms
Competitors: Ro, Nurx
Frameworks: Content Pillars (Functional/Experiential/Symbolic/Worth), Platform Execution Planning
Brands referenced:
Where Theory Becomes Practice
Want to see how I’m applying what I learn in this and other classes to projects and client work?
Explore my portfolio (including the full Hims & Hers case study) to go behind the scenes of the strategies I talk about here.
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