The supplement business is no doubt a competitive one. Still, more people than ever are interested in using supplements to support their health. You know what makes your products stand out, but you need a fresh, effective, and affordable way to spread the word. When it comes to choosing a product (especially a health-related one like supplements), people tend to trust the people that they love — and follow. This is where social media influencers and affiliate partners can do a lot of your promotional work for you.
Affiliate marketing allows you to attract audiences you may not be able to reach through more traditional marketing. Keep reading to learn more about affiliate marketing, the power of influencers, and how to grow your supplement business with an affiliate marketing program.
What is affiliate marketing?
Affiliate marketing takes from the playbooks of both public relations and advertising. It involves working with people outside your business who will promote your brand. These are known as affiliate partners, and they receive some sort of commission from you in return for their promotion. Let’s use social influencers as an example.
Imagine following a well-known person on Instagram who often talks about the products they use and love. One day, you notice that they’re promoting one of your top competitor’s supplements. With five simple words — “Swipe up for my link” — an Instagram celeb with thousands of followers just sent potential consumers directly to your competitor’s website. There’s no reason you can’t do the same. There are many different “influencers” out there, after all.
Why use affiliate marketing for supplements?
By 2026, the dietary supplements market is expected to reach $210.3 billion. Consumers will spend more money in your industry than ever before — and many of them are on social media. Instagram has over one billion monthly active users. Even if you focus on just this platform, you’ll have the potential to experience significant business growth.
The power of influencers
They’re called influencers for a reason: A whopping 40% of people say they’ve purchased an item promoted by a social influencer. Harnessing the power of influencers is just smart business. These individuals are out there every day promoting products, many of which fall into the multi-billion-dollar supplement industry.
Why do influencers make valuable affiliate marketing tools for supplements in particular? They can speak to the results-driven outcomes consumers are looking to replicate.
Your supplements company is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of your customers. Those customers develop trust in your brand as they see your products working for other people. It may be a visible result like weight loss or a dramatic improvement in quality of sleep.
If an influencer/affiliate achieves a desirable result from taking your supplements — and passionately talks about it — their followers will be more tempted to purchase your products.
Brand loyalty
Many consumers make a serious commitment when it comes to choosing supplements. Research shows that over a third of customers rarely switch supplement brands. That loyalty can only improve with effective brand ambassadors participating in your affiliate marketing program.
How to set up an affiliate marketing program for your supplement business
Here are four helpful tips for growing your supplement business with an affiliate marketing program.
Take advantage of existing customers
The hottest lead in finding an affiliate partner is an influencer who already uses your products. Whether they come to you out of their own love of your brand or you seek them out, they will likely be your most organic and authentic influencers.
Here are some ways you can find them:
- Existing followers: Passionate people who like your brand will be following your company’s social accounts already. Look for accounts with a large following of their own or are officially verified by the social platform.
- Tags: Do any of your followers tag you in posts or stories? Pay attention to who tags your brand. These people are already promoting you — they might as well get paid for it.
- Hashtags: Similar to tagging, search for hashtags related to your company. This will narrow down existing loyal customers even more.
Offer enticing incentives and compensation
Make influencers come to you. The social media moguls making money with affiliate marketing probably talk with each other every once in a while. When word gets out that your supplement company’s program is serious about rewarding affiliates, you establish brand loyalty from influencers and customers. Come up with a commission plan that makes sense for you and will be enticing for them.
Work smarter, not harder
Partner with an affiliate system software that tracks everything for you and integrates with your e-commerce and/or CRM system. You should be able to manage every aspect of your affiliate program all in one place. Use the analytics at your fingertips to find new ways to work with affiliates and set your supplement company apart from the competition.
Be too legit to quit
Your affiliate marketing program should ooze professionalism. That doesn’t mean it needs to be prim and proper. Stay true to your brand voice and be consistent in your style with help from a detailed affiliate program setup guide. Influencers will want to sign up as affiliates on the spot. The easier you make it for them, the better they’ll work for you.
With the smart functionalities of LeadDyno software, make your affiliate program professionally stand apart with the following:
- Brand standards: Be consistent with logo usage, colors, verbiage, hashtags, etc. When an affiliate signs up, give them a clear brand standards guide of easy-to-follow rules for promoting the company.
- Communication: Send your affiliates newsletters directly through the software to keep them up to date. If you keep them top-of-mind, they’ll do the same for you.
- Resources: Provide a library of shareable content where affiliates can easily get new ideas for promotion. It’s a bonus that this content will already follow brand standards.
- Rewards: Follow through on your promises. From a consistent commission payout schedule to timely incentives and rewards, always deliver. If you promise things you don’t fulfill, your affiliates will drop you for someone who will.
Get started
Even if you’re already using — or attempting to use — affiliate marketing to promote your supplements company, consider implementing software that can better manage and analyze how those affiliates are working for you.
