Starting your own supplement brand is going to be tough. The world of supplements is an incredibly difficult market, and any new entrants are going to be competing with some pretty big brand names.
There are a few key things that you should know before you jump into the deep end. You may already have a rough idea of the challenges that you will face. Take a look at these pointers and embark on the right path.
Check Legal Requirements for Selling Your Supplements
In most countries, it is legal to sell supplements. This is assuming they are natural supplements. So, you should be fine. However, there are some countries that place limits on supplement retail or have specific requirements about how you label those products.
So, it is always important that you do your research into this before you decide to launch your brand. You would be surprised at the number of people that have attempted to launch supplement brands, only to be met with fairly substantial fines because they didn’t pay attention to some rather simple legal rules.
Use a Reputable Supplement Supplier
Most people that start a supplement store will turn to external companies to produce their supplements for them, at least during the early days of their business. This is known as white labeling.
There are a lot of companies that produce white-label supplements. It is important that you choose the right ones. You have to remember that when people purchase supplements from you, they want them to work.
They want them to be quality supplements. If you choose an awful supplement supplier, this will reflect poorly on you. Your business could be stopped dead in its tracks. In some cases, things could be so bad that you may have to launch a new brand altogether just to save yourself.
Thankfully, researching quality brands shouldn’t be too tough. Look at the highest-rated supplement suppliers. See where they get their supplements from. If they produce them themselves, see whether there is a white-label option.
Know Your Competition
When you launch, it is important that you know your competition. This means focusing on:
- The types of products they sell;
- How they retail their products;
- The places they advertise; and
- The prices they charge.
You should never copy the business model of another business directly. Chances are that there are things that they would be getting wrong, and these are things that you can improve upon.
However, understanding your competition will give you guidelines on some of the things you should be doing when you are creating your supplements business, as well as give you more knowledge about the market.
Know Your Target Market
The key to building a successful supplements brand is to understand who you are selling your products too. You can’t just say “I want to sell my supplements to everybody”. That’s too general. It would be impossible to run a supplement company that targets everybody.
You would have tons of products, and the advertising costs would be through the roof. So, understand which people you want to be buying your products e.g.:
- Heavy gymgoers;
- New workout enthusiasts;
- Weight loss; and
- The elderly who are looking to get fit.
You can always expand your target market later on. However, the most successful businesses are those that target a very, very specific section of the market and do it well. Knowing your market means that you can tailor your website, content, and advertising techniques.
Remember, knowing your target market will also have an impact on the products that you sell. Those building muscle for competition will require different supplements from those working toward weight loss.
Know How to Reach Your Target Customer
Once you know your target market, you can start thinking about how to target them. Search engine optimization (SEO) is always a great start, but you will want to include some paid advertising in here too. Most people will use standard Google paid advertising, but there are other options.
For example, magazine advertising could be a great way to target certain market segments (yep, fitness magazines still sell very well), as can advertising on specific social media platforms, etc.
Create Social Media Accounts
Branding is everything in business, and you should spend a ton of time cultivating your brand. Live and breathe it. During the early days of your business, you need to be creating social media accounts.
Through these social media accounts, you should be finding your target market and hoping they notice you. Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook are all great sources of customers for supplement brands.
Plan to Expand
A supplement company may launch with just one or two products. It is just enough to get decent market penetration, but not so much that you will be putting a ton of money on the line.
However, if you are going to have a proper supplements company, you need to think about how your business will expand in the future.
Think about what other products you should be offering. Think about the products that complement your brand. The best supplement brands are those that have a clear vision.
Final Thoughts
Starting a supplement brand is going to be tough. It is the same as any business. Many will fail, but a good number will succeed.
If you follow the advice given on this page, your business stands a much better chance of succeeding.
