Knowing how to launch and market a health supplement business involves balancing your creative energy and health industry knowledge to use a variety of marketing strategies. Whether you plan to create your own innovative brand in the health supplement market or join an existing health supplement manufacturer, promotion is key. Strategic online marketing and social media sites will help you reach your business goals.
Health supplements are a booming business. Classified as a member of the food industry, health supplements are a multibillion-dollar industry with a projected financial growth rate that will nearly double by 2026.
As a lucrative industry, the health supplement market offers a few business strategies you can implement online. These are proven best practices to promote and brand your health supplement business on social media platforms while staying within the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines. Here are some tips on how to market health supplements to online customers.
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What are Health Supplements?
Health supplements, also known as dietary supplements, can provide minerals, vitamins, herbs, amino acids, enzymes, and many other ingredients as complementary to your existing diet. They come in many forms including gummies, tablets, capsules, powders, tinctures, and more.
Generally, the manufacturer of a health supplement will determine the amount per serving and display it on the product label. However, a health care provider may suggest a varied amount appropriate for a patient.
Health supplements are FDA-approved but with important federal guidelines. So, be sure you do your research before you start to market any health supplements.
Create your packaging and label designs
Marketing health supplements will require you to become familiar with the details of packaging under FDA guidelines. Here are some of the guidelines:
- Study the legal rules (and hire a lawyer to assist you).
- Labeling and advertising requirements must meet the rules set by the FDA.
- Marketing your health supplements with integrity about their quality, safety, and reliability is crucial.
Details, such as the form your health supplements come in, require different specifications in their packaging. Other factors to consider are the requirements on a health supplement label, as approved by and as directly stated by the FDA’s list of approved supplement facts, which include but are not limited to:
- A statement of identity
- The net quantity of contents statement
- The nutrition labeling
- An ingredient list
- Business name and address of the distributor
For instance, health supplements cannot be packaged as a food product or meal replacement in any form, as specified by the FDA.
Regardless of your health supplements’ form, the standards set by the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA) categorize supplements as a “food” instead of a drug, with specific requirements in creating labels for them.
Always be sure to check with the FDA guidelines when planning your promotional material, packaging, and advertising campaigns to the public, and follow them closely. The FDA provides internet resources to answer your questions on health supplements.
How to begin marketing health supplements
To begin marketing health supplements, it pays to focus your energy on a strong internet presence. By defining what makes your health supplement business a cut above your competition, you can implement an online media strategy that builds and maintains momentum. Here are some important factors to keep in mind while contemplating public forums for advertising:
- Always include a disclaimer on your promotional materials.
- Avoid making any health claims.
- Do not link your product to a disease or illness.
- Be sure to reference any medical topic with a reminder to your consumers to always consult with a physician.
Create content to market
Your website and blog are powerful tools for recruiting clients and showcasing expertise. By publishing high-quality content regularly with effective search engine optimization (SEO) criteria, you position your business as an invaluable resource, which will attract new clients. Short YouTube videos will also showcase your knowledge and expertise, or you can engage with potential clients on other social media networking sites such as LinkedIn or Twitter.
Build a mobile-responsive website
A mobile-responsive website is an important foundation for your health supplement business. It can provide you with an online store so you can set up:
- Payment providers
- Shipping details
- Coupons and discounts
- Special giveaways
- A blog
- Newsletter signups
Start a blog
If you haven’t started a blog yet, now’s the time. Blogs are an intricate part of establishing your business’s reputation in the health and food industries.
Besides aiding in organic SEO, a blog allows you to provide valuable content to consumers — building brand awareness for your business. Using this strategy for SEO, you can share links to reputable education sites based on health supplements or government sites such as the FDA.
Build an email list
Email is an important marketing tool, proven to increase sales and receive a high response rate from your customers. With an email list, you can build your ideal audience and avoid the spam folder. It’s secure, and potential new clients can see the services and products you offer. Benefits of email marketing include:
- Emails can be personalized to accommodate your company’s target market sales campaign. You can also segment clients into categories to send out more personalized messaging.
- They keep your audience up to date with company news, industry news, and upcoming events.
- Emails provide a more personal way of connecting your health supplement business with clients.
- They build your personal directory of networks.
- Email marketing has a high return on investment.
- Emails keep your health supplement business at the top of customers’ minds.
How to market health supplements on social media
The power of social media provides mass networking opportunities. The foundation you create on these networking platforms on behalf of your business aids in developing and securing your brand image. It also serves as one of the best forms of advertising.
Establishing your presence on the following social media sites will greatly aid in ensuring that marketing your business gains popularity, loyalty, and sales.
Pinterest is a highly visual social media sharing app. It’s an effective method of business promotion and marketing that sends powerful and aesthetic messages to consumers. With this site, images sell when they’re accompanied by great descriptions and short nuggets of information. You can also sell on the app as well as pin articles and informative short videos.
Twitter is an effective social media site with a hashtag feature. By tweeting, you can keep your audience engaged by sharing industry news, product drops, tips, and more. Plus, the hashtag feature can be very effective when implemented properly and combined with consistent tweeting. For instance, you can create your own hashtag (#yourbusinessname) and incorporate it at the end of every tweet.
Facebook allows you to set various levels of sharing (private and public), which helps you to create personalized content for your customers. It also incorporates a wide variety of advertising forms. Some of the benefits of this popular app include:
- Sharing promotional pictures, videos, and articles
- Connecting to other social media platforms, which can streamline your marketing strategy
- Offering a range of advertising options
Instagram
Instagram is similar to other social media sites, allowing you to upload photos or videos (for example, short videos with reels or long videos with IGTV), conduct live streams, sell directly in-app, and announce special events. Your audience can comment under your posts, share your posts, and more. With this app, you can also turn your comment section on or off as applicable.
YouTube
YouTube is an effective way to create and upload promotional videos. It can also be great for sharing behind-the-scenes content and serving as a free source for advertising, with the option to purchase ads for your business.
LinkedIn
LinkedIn is considered the internet’s largest international professional network. The app allows you to join and start groups where you can share valuable knowledge, establishing you as a trustworthy expert in your field.
It can also provide you with access to other industries you may not have known to engage with or market to otherwise. It’s a good option if you plan to sell your supplements to other businesses rather than directly to consumers.
Ask your customers for reviews
Through marketing health supplements and encouraging customers to consume your product, be sure to request and collect any reviews and testimonials customers have about your product(s) and your business. Testimonials add credibility to the quality of your services.
Remember: To build rapport and earn trust, it’s important that you respond to positive and negative reviews alike with a positive demeanor.
Healthy marketing
Now that you know how to market health supplements, it’s time to get started.
Using online marketing platforms like a website and social media — as well as regularly creating high-quality content — can get your brand noticed by consumers, all while building your credibility as a health supplement business.
While executing your business strategy, be sure to keep up with and follow FDA guidelines to remain a reliable source of health and wellness for your clientele.
To make greater sense of how to market health supplements effectively online, check out Constant Contact’s health professional marketing guide, The Download.