Practice What You Preach To Earn Consumer Trust

If you’re in the health and wellness space, you’re in an incredibly competitive market full of similar businesses vying for the same customers - and dollars - you are. Even so, you have a strong belief that your differentiators put you head and shoulders above the rest. But, is this translating into customer acquisition, retention and revenue? Or are you struggling to gain consumer trust? If so, you may be failing to achieve authenticity in business, which is critical in health and fitness. Here’s how this looks, and how to use it to your competitive advantage.

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Removing Doubt

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Because the nutrition, fitness, and wellness industries are so crowded, consumers often approach each new brand with a large dose of skepticism. They’ve been told before that some new gimmicky machine will give them Chris Hemsworth’s abs or some innovative skincare cream will magically make their skin look like J.Lo’s. So they buy the machine or the cream and use it faithfully just to discover they’re still the same person, without the dramatic transformation they expected.

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Whether it’s regarding cosmetic ideals like these examples or promises regarding health and wellbeing, many feel a lot of brands have sold them a bill of goods. So as a brand in this space, you don’t just have to entice a neutral audience to try your products and services; you have to overcome an often deep-seated doubt that’s been many years in the making. This is where eating your own dog food comes in (ew, whoever came up with that phrase?).

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When you make sure your customers and prospects know that your company’s staff and leaders are actively enjoying what you sell, you give yourself instant credibility. Not only does this demonstrate how safe your products and services are, it also implies that they’re beneficial. But, the only way to show this authenticity in business is to make it public-facing.

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Your instructors might take a group Pilates class at your studio every Saturday with your patented reformer machines, but how will anyone know if you don’t post about it on social media? Similarly, your executive team may religiously follow a daily protocol with your brand’s supplements, but customers won’t have any insight into this unless they share how much energy they have online or in an email newsletter. Simply by showing your team’s own use of what you sell, you remove doubt in the consumer’s mind.

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Walking Advertisements

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The other prong of practicing what you preach is that your employees and leaders can act as living proof of your brand’s success. In an era where “influencers” are known for being able to sell products like hotcakes, and celebrities are used for the same, you have access to your own version within your own walls.

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Think about how a brand like Peloton handles this, for example. Their instructors are world-class, and people look up to them for their commitment to health. A Peloton customer will see these instructors riding their bikes at the same time they do, and subconsciously attribute their admirable levels of fitness and physique to taking Peloton rides. Of course, the instructors may also have extremely healthy diets and cross-train in a variety of ways, but this doesn’t matter. What’s visible is that they also take Peloton classes, so they represent the brand and its efficacy.

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Your team members may not have their own established brands like Peloton’s do, but you can still call on them to be brand ambassadors. Encourage them to promote your products and services on their own social media channels, and showcase their own health and fitness journeys on yours. Customers will be much more convinced about the effectiveness of your offerings if they see people they can relate to who are going on the journey alongside them.

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It’s not easy to gain consumer trust in the health and wellness space, but it’s a lot more attainable when you practice authenticity in business. Empower your team to use your products and services, and to make sure others know about their experiences. Over time, you’ll remove doubt and build a trustworthy brand with numerous brand advocates. Interested in creating a strong social media and/or digital ad strategy? We can help!