The nutraceutical industry witnessed strong sales during the recent economic recession, as Singaporeans embraced health supplements as cost-effective, alternative solutions to expensive pharmaceutical or medical options.
A report by Packed Facts showed a 16% ($12.5 billion) sales growth in 2012 and is expected to reach $18.5 billion by 2019. Consequently, the rapid evolution of the supplement industry in Singapore has resulted in more suppliers, and in turn, stiff competition. However, health supplement businesses still have a great chance of succeeding in such an environment if the following digital marketing strategies are implemented:
Search Marketing
Before making a purchase, a majority of supplement consumers in Singapore often run searches to look for the information they need about the product. Think about the last time you used Google search engine on your smartphone or laptop. When you searched your query, you probably saw a list of results as well as potential matches marked as ‘Ad.’ Every business that appears in these ads pays for the privilege.
You may have also clicked on the organic search results that you saw on the first page. These appear on page one of Google because the site’s admins have optimised their pages for search traffic. If more effort is put into search engine optimisation (SEO), your health supplement website will rank high, making it easily visible to people searching for information and products related to your business.
A survey carried out by the Pew Research Center found that 76% of people who look for supplements online begin with a query on search engines. Whether organic or paid, search marketing can leverage those searches to direct potential supplement buyers to your website.
Additionally, a single search may actually double your exposure. The center reports that more than half of those who search supplements and related information online do so on behalf of another person, such as a friend or parent. When this happens, your business is exposed to the searcher and their loved one.
By getting to understand your target market and conducting keyword research, you can anticipate the behavior of the prospects and use paid search, such as pay-per-click, as well as search engine optimisation to increase your sites’ traffic. From there, you will keep visitors coming back with an inspiring and engaging website that directs them to your services and products.
Social Media Advertising
Do you have a business page for your health supplements on Facebook? How about Twitter? Chances are, you are using at least one social platform, whether it is LinkedIn, Instagram, or something else. What you might not be aware of is that these platforms provide social advertising services, which increase their followers to improve your business exposure.
The large number of people on social media today has indeed created an excellent digital marketing opportunity for business in almost every field. Perhaps you have had trouble directing traffic to your health supplement website, which means that only a few people are aware of the business. If you use social platforms like Facebook or Instagram to spread your message, you will be able to market your brand to so many people.
Additionally, social media has a very large number of influencers — individuals who have huge followers that respect their recommendations and opinions. Among consumers of ages 18 to 24 in Singapore, 90% report that they trust wellness and health information that they learn about on sites, such as Twitter and Facebook. If a single person finds one of your supplements via social advertising, so many others could learn about it in just an hour.
