If you’re frequently on Social Media you probably stumbled across at least a dozen posts or ads promoting protein shakes, weight loss pills and other nutrition products. But how effective is online marketing and what are the do’s and don’ts? Here is what you need to know if you want to sell weight loss products online.
If you are not using social media to generate leads and sales for your business, you are potentially missing out. Even with a small budget, you can easily reach thousands of people at once. But wait, there are rules to follow and you need to put some tools in place if you want to be successful.
Educating before selling
Even though more and more people nowadays are looking for ways to get healthier, most people don’t like being sold to. The traditional “buy me” approach is not going to work on social media. Use your products to educate people, for example, show them how you can help solve issues such as obesity, insufficient nutrient intake or digestive problems.
Go Live
The internet is all about instant and to-the-point information. Rather than posting 10 paragraphs on the benefits of your products, do a quick live video showing how you fit them into your daily routine. It’s not only more entertaining but will help build relationships with your audience as they see the person behind the product. Use Facebook or Instagram Live, and upload your videos to YouTube. This will increase your audience and you can send the video to potential customers at any time.
Consistency is key
Selling is a process. Yes, it is about quality, but quantity also matters on social media. If you want people to remember you and your products, you need to engage with them regularly. Studies have shown that it takes about 7 exposures for someone from seeing a product the first time to actually making a purchase. That doesn’t mean you should spam your audience. Schedule posts once or twice a day at the same time, create categories that you are regularly posting about or have a theme or logo that people will be able to identify you with.
Be honest and authentic
If you don’t believe in your product, it will be hard to convince your audience why they should purchase from you. Be authentic, share your story, even if it means admitting that a product didn’t quite live up to its promises. In the end, people won’t buy the product because of the company, but because of the face behind it: You. Create a meaningful and trusting relationship, be honest with your audience, and your customers will return to you and even recommend you to friends and family.
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Facebook and Instagram also let you create paid ads that will help you target a more specific audience. They are a great tool, but unless you follow the guidelines can also be a waste of money. Taking that advice on board, here are the top 6 platforms to sell weight loss products online:
- Facebook. With more than 2 billion users, Facebook is the most popular platform for online sales. Simply set up a business page, link it to your online store or upload products so people can make a purchase without even leaving Facebook. A business page is absolutely necessary, as Facebook can shut down your personal profile if you use it to promote your business.
- Instagram. With just over 1 billion users, Instagram is another popular social media platform that can help you sell weight loss products online. Many fitness companies successfully build and increase their client base by using Instagram.
- YouTube. Videos are the most effective way of marketing yourself and your business. Using the right keywords will help your video to be found in related searches and increase your chance of building your audience.
- Twitter. Using Twitter for marketing your business can be extremely successful if done right. It’s perfect to target younger generations and with more than 300 million active users per month, the outlook is promising.
- Pinterest. Many people associate Pinterest with finding cake recipes or wedding dress ideas. However, because Pinterest users engage with topic and themes, it’s a great way of addressing your target audience.
- Google Ads. While Google do allow weight loss products to be advertised, they have a long list of products that are banned from their platform. Check out the list here.
Weight loss products are a hugely competitive area. Be prepared to spend a lot of time building networks and communicating with your audience to build trust and reputation.