The Biggest Marketing Mistakes Wellness Brands Make
Wellness is an all-encompassing industry that’s growing by the day, featuring beauty, nutrition, sports, fitness, and everything in between. With more brands popping up by the minute, everyone’s competing for a slice of the pie- which, let’s be honest, makes it feel nearly impossible to get noticed by the right people.
We’ve worked with wellness brands for over a decade now, from those first stepping into the big wide world to long-standing names ready for a new direction. And as shoppers’ needs (and attention spans) continue to alter, we’ve learnt a lot about what does, and definitely doesn’t, cut through.
So, with that in mind, here are some of the biggest mistakes wellness brands make when going to market… and how to get around them if you want to be remembered.
A BROAD TARGET AUDIENCE
We get it- casting a wide net feels like the safest way to get seen. But in reality, trying to target everyone makes your marketing work ten times harder (and it’s usually far less effective).
Every person in your audience has different goals, pain points and motivations. They respond to different messaging, different visuals, and different stories. So if you’re talking to everyone… you’re not really connecting with anyone.
We’d suggest:
- Get specific with your ideal customer- age, lifestyle, habits, motivations (not just “people interested in wellness”)
- Build messaging around one core problem or goal at a time, rather than trying to tick every box
- Test and refine- your audience will tell you what resonates if you’re paying attention
OVERLY TECHNICAL LANGUAGE
Marketing paracetamol is very different to probiotics, and this is where a lot of brands trip up.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of over explaining. You’ve got great ingredients, impressive stats and plenty of science to back it up, but that doesn’t mean your audience wants a lecture.
At the end of the day, people don’t connect with complicated- they connect with clarity.
We’d suggest:
- Strip it back- say what it does in plain, everyday language
- Remember that humans listen to humans- write like you speak, not like a textbook
- Save the deeper detail for those who want it (FAQs, expandable sections, etc.)
A ONE-SIDED MARKETING STATEGY
People are everywhere. They’re scrolling socials, flicking between tabs at work, dipping into emails they might read later.
So if you’re putting all your energy into just one area, whether that’s branding, paid ads, or your website, you’re only doing half the job.
Everything needs to work together. Your branding, your website, your ads, your emails… that’s your SYCI (or what we call the “stuff you can’t ignore”). And marketing only works when the full picture does.
We’d suggest:
- Analyse your audience and meet them where they actually are (not just where you think they are)
- Build a joined-up journey- your ads, site and socials should all feel like the same brand
- And actually get on social- you’d be surprised how many wellness brands don’t. In today’s world, it can be one of the fastest ways to connect with a more impressionable audience and stay visible
NOT DEFINING WHAT MAKES YOU DIFFERENT
When everyone’s saying the same thing and promising the same outcomes, it’s very easy to get lost.
And in an industry where you’ve got seconds (if that) to grab attention, blending in is the quickest way to be forgotten.
You don’t need to do everything, you just need to own that one pivotal thing that actually makes you different from the rest- your ‘Difference’.
We’d suggest:
- Do your competitor research- see what everyone else is saying, but don’t say it the same way
- Own your “Difference” in all sense of the word
- Build your messaging (and your SYCI) around that, consistently, across everything
IGNORING SEO + GEO
Search has fundamentally changed. It’s not just Google anymore- AI platforms are now part of the mix, and the way people search (and get answers) is changing quickly- hence the term ‘GEO’ or “Generative Engine Optimisation.”
At the same time, stricter rules around medical terminology mean wellness brands need to be more considered than ever with how they phrase things. You can read about that here.
We’d suggest:
- Do proper keyword research (tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, etc.) to understand what your audience are searching for
- Focus on informative, helpful content over exaggerated claims. Remember, the more down-to-earth you are, the more likely you are to stop the scroll
- Think beyond SEO (and GEO), optimise for how AI pulls and presents information too
YOU’RE NOT POSTING REGULARLY ENOUGH
Consistency is everything in such a busy industry. You might catch someone’s attention once, but in a crowded space like wellness, it’s very easy to slip out of sight.
And, although engagement is great, it can sometimes give a false sense of security and lead to you taking your foot off the gas. That’s when you risk losing momentum.
We’d suggest:
- Create a content planner- take the guesswork out of what to post and when
- Show up regularly, even if it’s simple- consistency beats perfection every time
- Mix it up- education, lifestyle, product, personality… keep your posts interesting
DOING IT ALL ON YOUR OWN
We’ll hold our hands up and say that marketing a wellness brand in today’s climate isn’t easy. It sounds a bit cliché, but getting it right does take time. And staying relevant means constantly evolving, testing and refining behind the scenes. It’s not always possible to do that when place it all on your own shoulders.
We’d suggest:
- Be honest about where your strengths lie (and where you could improve)
- Invest in the areas that will actually move the needle
- Don’t be afraid to bring in support- sometimes an outside perspective makes all the difference
So, if you’re looking to avoid these all-too-common mistakes and give your wellness brand the best possible start, you know where we are.
We can help with your brand, web and digital, taking the heavy lifting off your plate so you can focus on what you do best.
