I popped more cacao nibs into my mouth and re-read the New York Times quote. Yes, CEO Mark Washington had used the term “quadrupled.”
SuperGut did it by riding the GLP-1 wave. This gut health brand positioned itself as a credible alternative to GLP-1 drugs and grew like crazy.
Most wellness brands can ride the wave too, with the right strategy. I’ve advised multiple brands on this playbook before. The patterns are clear.
Today I’ll cover:
- Why the GLP-1 “niche” is worth targeting
- How GLP-1 users shop differently for wellness products
- Two GLP-1 marketing strategies for growth (including the one SuperGut used)
- A GLP-1 marketing formula to North-Star your efforts
- How to stay FTC compliant when making GLP-1 health claims
- 5 tips for effective GLP-1 content that builds trust and sales
- Where AI enters this marketing plan
- And more
Let’s start with the GLP-1 customer.
Knowing the GLP-1 Customer
The cardinal rule of business is to know your customers. By understanding the GLP-1 customer, you can reach them with your marketing.
The wave is growing. Goldman Sachs estimates 15 million Americans will take GLP-1 drugs by 2030. More will join as oral semaglutide takes over and costs plummet. The numbers could 10X as the drugs spread through the US population, 75% of which is overweight or obese. Once someone starts taking anti-obesity drugs, they’re often on them for life.
The main pain point for GLP-1 users is excess body fat. The promise of losing that fat is why the drugs are a hit. A good GLP-1 strategy never strays far from this weight loss narrative.
But there are other angles. Most relate to GLP-1 side effects: muscle loss from inadequate protein, gut issues, dehydration, and others. If you can credibly address these issues, GLP-1 users will buy from you.
Two GLP-1 Marketing Strategies
Wellness brands can ride the GLP-1 wave in two ways:
- As support for the GLP-1 journey
- As an alternative to GLP-1 drugs
#1: Support
To use this strategy, focus on how your brand tackles the pain points and preferences of GLP-1 users.
Data from market research firm Mattson says that GLP-1 users:
- Crave fewer junk calories, but more healthy ones
- Buy more protein products to retain muscle and avoid skin sag after weight loss
- Buy more gut health products for GI side effects
- Buy more hydration products to relieve dehydration
- Want smaller portions because they’re not as hungry
Most wellness brands have an angle. Let’s say you sell greens, protein, electrolytes, or all three. Each addresses a GLP-1 pain point (even greens plug nutrient gaps on a reduced-calorie diet). See SoWell for a brand going all in with this strategy.
#2: Alternative
This is SuperGut’s strategy: market your product as a credible alternative to GLP-1 drugs.
The key word is credible. For instance, SuperGut’s products contain a fiber called resistant starch that naturally boosts GLP-1 levels in the body (GLP-1 is a hormone that reduces hunger). SuperGut’s proprietary formula has been clinically shown to help with weight loss and blood sugar control.
And so, rebranding its flagship product “GLP-1 Booster” isn’t a stretch. It’s legitimate.
SuperGut supports its science-backed product with science-driven content. The content builds awareness and demand, driving high growth multiples in short time spans (4X in six months — not bad).
Another example is Pendulum, a probiotic that also boosts GLP-1 levels. Again, clinically-backed. Again, a steady stream of science on their aptly-named blog, “The Digest.”
GLP-1 Marketing Formula
This brings us to a simple formula that underpins both strategies.
Effective GLP-1 marketing = credible benefits + science-backed content to support them
We touched on the credible piece already. The product must legitimately support the GLP-1 journey or mimic the meds.
The FTC is watching. It cracks down on health brands making untruthful or unsupported claims, levying hundreds of millions in fines annually. Read my FTC compliance post to learn more, including what counts as proper support.
Then there’s science-driven content. If you want people to know your product supports or mimics anti-obesity meds, you must educate them. Simplify the science, build trust, and sales will follow.
Sales can follow briskly, too. Just look at SuperGut.
5 Tips for GLP-1 Content
Let’s talk content marketing tips to ride the GLP-1 wave.
#1: Lean into science
Scientific credibility is a wellness consumer’s number one buying factor, according to McKinsey data. This fits with my shopping experience. I buy lots of supplements.
So lean into published research. Stock a science page with pillar content, like my long-time client, LMNT. Tie GLP-1 science to your product’s benefits. Education builds trust.
#2: Repurpose
Squeeze every last drop from your GLP-1 pillar content. Blast it to your social channels, email list, and paid ads if you use them.
The goal is to add big value. A proper value-to-selling ratio (3:1 or 4:1) nurtures your audience and prevents you from sounding like a used car salesman who’s always trying to close.
#3: Grab and hold attention
Your content should have a compelling hook — a headline you can post on social and elsewhere. For example, “Which protein is best for GLP-1 users?” beats “Here’s why GLP-1 users need more protein.” The first makes you curious, the second tells you something you already knew.
Once you have their attention, you must retain it. Listicles keep eyes moving down the page, but so do humor, transitions, and other elements of good writing. A good writer always thinks in terms of attention retention (say that 5 times fast).
#4: Reward prospects
A prospect has used their time to consume your content. They should come away happy.
There are no shortcuts. To provide real value — like this LMNT article on the science of sparkling vs. still water — you need talented, experienced science writers.
By now, you’re probably wondering about AI.
#5: Use AI wisely
AI is a useful marketing tool like the VitaMix is a useful cooking tool. The VitaMix lets a master chef work faster and better, but it’s not what makes them a master chef.
Same for marketing pros. Our team of “master chefs” uses AI tools like:
- Grammarly for proofreading
- Consensus for scientific literature reviews
- Clearscope for SEO
- ChatGPT for ideation, analogies, and search
These tools help us produce better work, but only because seasoned pros wield them.
AI intelligence can’t replace human intelligence (at least not yet). It can’t learn new things or set goals. It hallucinates scientific data. It doesn’t have a POV. It can’t tell what’s good or bad. It doesn’t have judgment.
SuperGut knows that. That’s why it uses a team of in-house science writers and content strategists. Experts. I’m sure SuperGut uses AI tools, but only to augment its human power.
Recap
Knowing your customer means knowing the GLP-1 user. There are too many to ignore.
SuperGut 4X’d sales in six months by marketing its products as GLP-1 alternatives. Other brands have won big by supporting the GLP-1 journey.
The formula for success is simple: use science-backed content to support legitimate benefits related to GLP-1.
The content should be credible, catchy, and rewarding (easier said than done — that’s where experts come in). Use the content as fuel for your value-based marketing across channels.
That’s how you ride the GLP-1 wave.
I help wellness brands grow through science-backed strategy and content.
If you’d like support on your next stage of growth, you can reach me here.
