Nutrition and wellness have become incredibly popular in the last decade. And that trend is likely to increase even more with the coronavirus pandemic. Corporate food processing giant Archer Daniels Midland found that 77% of Americans want to actively improve their health. The research discovered that consumers are interested in the connection between food and gut health, plant-based eating, personalized nutrition, and are planning to spend more on health and wellness products in the future.
This is great news for entrepreneurs looking to launch a nutrition business. But just because health and self-improvement are popular doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll immediately be successful as a health-centered small business. You’ve got the audience, so this is how you can captivate it and make the most of your nutrition brand. To help you get started, here are four key tips to running a successful nutrition business.
Network
Build your customer referral portfolio by connecting with lots of nutrition professionals. Start by researching health and wellness professionals in your area using search engines and LinkedIn. Meet up with experts at conferences and other health-related events. Go further than primary care doctors and network with dietitians, doulas, gynecologists, endocrinologists, therapists, eating disorders specialists, and personal trainers.
Outsource Tasks
As a small business owner, understand you can’t do it all. Consider outsourcing certain tasks to professionals. Doing so will free up your time more so you can work on your business goals, refine your brand, and cultivate a strong customer base. Connect with a probiotic manufacturer to help create and distribute products meant to improve digestion. You can work with the manufacturer to develop your probiotic supplements and decide if you want your supplements sold in capsule, powder, or tablet form. Or perhaps you are more interested in offering general dietary supplements and nutritional beverages.
When running a company, the last thing you want to do is worry about customer support. Instead, leave it to a qualified contact center to handle incoming calls. Consider a virtual call center instead of a traditional call center for your customer service needs.
Virtual call center agents can still provide the same customer satisfaction — just from the comfort of their own homes. This is, of course, a safer way to operate call center services during a pandemic while also saving money.
Start a Blog
Having a great website isn’t enough nowadays. If you want to help drive customers to your website and attract a greater social media following, then start a blog! Decide on the topics relevant to your target demographic and set aside time each month to creating articles on these subjects — two per month is a good start. Potential clients can read the information in your blog and, if curious, go to your website to learn more about your services.
Having a blog may help present you as an expert in nutrition and health and boost your search engine optimization. You can also use materials from your blog in social media posts, email marketing campaigns, and as potential resources for your customers. You want your blog to come across as an authoritative, credible source that people want to share on social media.
Develop a Niche
Narrow your brand from general nutrition to something more specific. Maybe you are focused on selling herbal supplements specifically designed with Ayurvedic principles in mind. Maybe your business is focused on healthy digestion and delivering food and beverages that support gut health like yogurt or dietary supplements with various probiotic strains. Or maybe your small business is completely centered on women’s health, so offering products that help with menstruation, menopause, pregnancy, and the like. Whatever your niche is, be sure to be specific and unique. Having a strong brand can help better attract relevant customers.
