If you’re a marketer in the nutritional supplement industry, you better know your stuff. The supplement industry is hyper-competitive and is anticipated to continue growing at an aggressive compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.2% between now and 2020.
In addition to that, new health supplement companies are sprouting up every day. As more research is done to discover newer nutritional supplements, on top of innovating the use of current supplements, entrepreneurs see the opportunity to make a mark in this health industry. With all this competition, however, it becomes important for any business to stand out. How they position themselves will determine how consumers react to their nutritional supplement brand, and that takes a comprehensive supplement marketing strategy that highlights the most important features of the health product.
How to Market Nutritional Supplements
Marketing nutritional supplements isn’t an easy task. Below, we discuss three tactics that can help in optimizing your nutritional supplement marketing better reach your customer base.
Highlight What Makes Your Health Supplement Different
There has to be something about your nutritional supplement that makes it unique. Something in the way it is produced or in its effectiveness. Maybe your supplement is designed specifically for athletes to recover after a practice, game, or workout. This level of specificity allows you to focus on a narrow group of targets who will gain the most from using your health product. In a multi-billion dollar health supplement industry, marketing to a small niche still means you can create a highly profitable company. Highlighting a particular feature is one way to gain attention to your nutritional product and achieve this profitability.
Earned Media Is Key in Health Supplement Marketing
Distributing marketing content through your own platforms is essential to any marketing campaign. Whether it’s social media, e-mail marketing, or direct mail marketing, it’s important you utilize those resources to communicate to your customers. But there are few things more powerful than earned media, which is having others validate the effectiveness of your nutritional product and sharing it through their own channels. This is no difference when marketing nutritional supplements. Marketers should be actively seeking out influencers within the industry. Connecting with these influencers so they can review your nutritional product or communicate their own experiences with your product is a vital part of your overall marketing strategy and confirms your product’s effectiveness.
Don’t Underestimate the Importance of Product Description
Operating in the health and fitness industry means you are automatically in a sensitive market. Consumers in this industry are careful about what they put in their bodies and need to know explicitly the contents of their health supplements. In the case of some athletes, knowing the contents of your supplement can have a significant impact on their career as the contents must be in line with whatever regulations their sport specifies. Being thorough in describing the ingredients in your supplements builds trust with your consumers and shows your willingness to be transparent.
Be a Valuable Resource to Your Customers
More consumers are heading online to buy their vitamins, which has led to an increase in the relevance of an omnichannel marketing strategy. However, before customers make decisions about products and brands, they will do their research. You should make sure that your current website is a valuable resource to your customers. You can achieve this by explaining how each of your product lines and supplements can enhance your customers’ well-being. Dedicate this year to making your website a valuable educational resource for prospects so that they keep coming back to order from you.
SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats)
This analysis helps companies identify their position in the marketplace and helps them find out whether they can succeed. By analyzing the key strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats you are facing, you can create and implement better marketing strategies and achieve success.
Get Better Packaging and Label Designs
There’s no way a nutritional supplement will perform well if it does not make its way off the shelf. Although customers are looking for something specific when they go to the store, attractive labeling and packaging are eye-catching and will make a huge difference in the appeal of a customer. However, before you start enlisting the help of a graphic designer, you should dedicate some time to market research. Find out which features of your competitors’ packaging and labeling appeals to customers. Is it the color? Large font? Key phrases? Your products should stand out from the shelf, compared to other brands offering the same general ingredients. It is also a good idea to work with a graphic designer who knows the dietary supplement industry. This will prevent you from losing valuable time, money, and resources.
Be Yourself
Think about what makes you unique as a brand. Why did you get into the supplement business? Are you passionate about health? Did you have the desire to share that passion with others? Did vitamins or supplements help you or a loved one overcome an illness, improve athletic performance, or boost your quality of life? Tell your story, or at least make sure that it shines through the spirit of your brand. Your personal connection to a healthy lifestyle can inspire your customers to seek the same, and they will feel more connected to your business and brand if you share a bit about your own life. It is also fair to assume that your core customers care greatly about their health and fitness. They are seeking a brand that gives them exactly what they’re looking for. Unfortunately, there are many brands that are offering the same thing that you are, and that is why you need to make an emotional connection with your prospects. Let your humanity sell your brand, and motivate their interest with your story.
Consider Local Media: Magazine, Newspaper, and Radio Ads
If you’re looking for a way to raise awareness about your supplement brand, consider posting ads in magazines, newspapers, or over the radio. Beauty and fitness magazines, and even medical or health magazines, are time-tested avenues to raise awareness. The abundance of advertisements makes marketing nutritional supplements challenging, so using every print media outlet available to you is beneficial. Want even more success? Consider implementing an omnichannel marketing strategy by connecting your print ads to your online website or digital blog. This way, customers can learn more about you digitally as well.
Build Your Reputation
If you are a small- to medium-sized business, it can be challenging to compete with larger vitamin supplement companies. However, you can find areas where you have greater strengths, such as your reputation. Take your ingredients for example: If you only use high-quality, naturally sourced ingredients, and can guarantee that your manufacturing process is ethical, you will get a much better reaction from your customers. You can even ask customers for testimonials about your products, and share them on your website and social media platforms. These reviews will go a long way in improving your reputation.
Try Direct Mail
Just like print media, direct mail can convey credibility and increase awareness among potential customers, especially those in a targeted area. One key tip you should remember when using direct mail is to make sure you create the right call to action (CTA). You can offer customers a lot with direct mail, but the most efficient types include invitations for events, seminars, testimonials, etc. You can also use direct mail to share special offers, discounts, and limited deals, to entice customers to visit your website or brick-and-mortar store.
Take Advantage of Smartphone Technology
Although iPhone and Android applications are generally geared towards consumers, apps can also affect the retailer’s experience with customers. You can create an app that lends to your credibility by allowing customers to learn more about the products you sell. You can also create a more intimate customer interaction with informative chat boxes, where customers can ask questions about your products and learn more about how they work. You can even use the app to connect customers with the right products for conditions they may be suffering from, especially if you have the right medical background to support your treatments and suggestions.
Hire a Drop Shipper or Fulfillment Partner
Perhaps one of the most important tips is to work with the right supplement manufacturer. Partnering with the right company can help you sell at levels you never expected before. You can expand your product line, offer a more impressive and effective assortment of high-quality products, and can even increase your customer base and brand loyalty. Working with the right fulfillment partner can also help you store and manage your stock so that you don’t have to pay for storage rental, and you can have a professional team moving your products in and out of the warehouse.
How We Can Help
When it comes to trust, clients have turned to North American Media with all of their direct mail marketing needs. We have over three decades of experience in direct mail and have helped countless businesses find success within the nutritional supplement industry.
If you are a supplement company looking for ways to optimize your marketing efforts, contact us today. North American Media has earned a reputation for gaining results for our clients and can help your business do the same.
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