The market for postbiotics is hot and getting hotter. According to the Global Postbiotics Market report by Prophecy Market Insights, it already accounted for $40.51 billion in 2020 and is expected to reach $83.30 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 7.50%.
Since the numbers are that good, what are the challenges?
They include the usual suspects for all marketing – generating traffic and leads, raising ROI, managing a multi-pronged online presence, reaching global audiences, etc.
The ‘bonus’ challenge is the topic of postbiotics itself.
Why is that a challenge?
The following should shed some light on it.
AN UNSCIENTIFIC SURVEY
My Survey Question: What do you know about postbiotics?
Everyone’s Answer: Never heard of ‘em.
This is a consistent result across all consumer segments. (Meaning: friends, relatives, colleagues, etc., who already take supplements.)
On one hand, plenty of people are savvy about vitamins, minerals, herbs, and antioxidants.
In addition, probiotic-buying consumers have even caught onto the importance of prebiotics.
Yet, on the other hand, confusion seems to reign when it comes to postbiotics.
One indicator is the plethora of online articles addressing the question, What are postbiotics?
In other words, in spite of a successful and promising market, the topic of postbiotics is at the bottom of a learning curve for consumers.
Nevertheless, a few leading companies are doing something right. Their efforts are driving market growth.
And that ‘something’ includes a strong educational component.
Furthermore, the best of them already have a stable of clinical trial studies supporting their efforts. LBiome, for example, cites dozens of journal articles, going back to 2004.
AN ADMISSION
Although I’ve written and consulted quite a bit about probiotics – books, articles, magalogs, emails – I’ve never before used the term ‘postbiotics’.
Not one of my clients has ever mentioned them. And I’m talking about some very successful probiotic businesses.
IS SOMETHING MISSING?
Yes.
Supplement marketing rests on much more than an educational component.
People don’t respond to a ‘BUY NOW’ call-to-action because of the scientific features backing a product.
No, buying action is driven by emotion. And that’s where extolling the health benefits of a supplement through persuasive copy comes in.
Of all the ‘marketing’ I’ve evaluated about postbiotics, the biggest missing component.
One segment has done a pretty good job addressing it – the bodybuilding market. It’s pretty straightforward to talk to the ‘I want to look like I’m cut out of stone’ crowd. Postbiotics fit the bill nicely for pushing muscle-building hot buttons.
The time is ripe for more benefits-heavy marketing to other market segments.
Gut health is the obvious emphasis, since it’s already at the core for marketing probiotics and prebiotics. So it’s no surprise, according to Lumina Intelligence, postbiotics have become the fastest growing area in terms of gut health related Google searches – a whopping 1,300% increase in the past 2 years.
However, as of 2020, the supplement buying public has grown more interested in immune support than in any other area of health.
Postbiotics fit the bill there, too. A few companies have begun to talk about postbiotics for immune health. However, their marketing copy is routinely staid and feature-based.
It’s a marketing gap crying out for persuasive copy.
If I were a betting man, I’d bet the predicted market growth of $83.30 billion by 2030 would be reached sooner when driven by truly persuasive marketing. And it would blow the doors off that CAGR of 7.50% cited earlier.
SIMPLE ACTION STEPS
No need to make this complicated. The model for marketing supplements has been well-established for more than a century.
The foundation is knowing what people want or need, then providing it. Regarding postbiotics, that’s primarily going to be better gut and immune health.
Then get the word out…
- Create new marketing materials, or modify existing ones, to emphasize benefits. That’s the high-performance fuel for a marketing Ferrari.
- Harness the marketing power of your customer base. User-generated content (UGC) drives two of Dr. Robert Cialdini’s principles of persuasion – social proof and unity. Although this may seem easier said than done, you can simplify the process with a few easy-to-use strategies (e.g., see my earlier article: How to Improve Supplement Sales with User-Generated Content).
- For B2B companies, a good white paper goes a long way. Emphasis is on ‘good’ – i.e., pushing different kinds of hot buttons for retail marketing people who might be considering using your ingredients. For B2C companies, selecting a top manufacturer is the most important starting point. This means more than having good products. It also means having access to persuasive marketing copy from the manufacturer. (At the moment, that copy is going to be hard to find.)
These three steps represent three prongs of a comprehensive program for marketing postbiotics. They will take some time. Nevertheless, they will be worth it to the bottom line.
Now imagine combining your best scientist and your best marketer into one person. Then add in superior copywriting skills.
That’s a very rare combination, wouldn’t you say?
THE ALL-IN-ONE PUNCH
I am that combination.
My career as a research scientist, published author, and freelance copywriter is a testament to it.
I understand the jargon of scientific studies and can translate it into marketing content that drives supplement sales. I’ve already written a books, articles, and white papers on the microbiome.
It’s one of my favorite topics in alternative health.
Would you like to explore what I can do for you? Then let’s talk.
Contact me today.
Contact me directly by email me at drdennisclark@gmail.com, reach me the old-fashioned way – by phone (602-908-8520), or complete my contact form.
I’d love to chat with you to see how we can work together to build strategies for marketing your postbiotic products.
All the best in natural health,
