Influencer marketing in the health and fitness industry [Report 2020]

We looked at 50 health and fitness brands who work with influencers to see which strategies work right now. 

The health and fitness space has diverse product offerings, and as a result, there are no one-size-fits-all rules brands can follow. Finding the right fit may not always be straight forward and depending on the chosen strategy (create awareness, content or build a network of brand advocates) the brand may emphasise different influencer attributes. 

Raising Awareness for your product
A large scale gifting campaign is an excellent and cost effective approach to create awareness of your product and create a lot of diverse content at the same time. Depending on the value of your product brands will find it much easier to partner with a lot of smaller influencers for this type of campaign. Checking which influencers already mention your brand organically is a great way to get started here. 

Content
Lots of health and fitness brands use long form content to showcase their product and inspire existing and potential customers. A healthy way of living is a lifestyle choice and in most cases, isn’t achieved by simply purchasing a product. Integrating your product in a narrative of how to be healthy and get the most out of your workout or cooking routine is a powerful way of bringing your product to life.

Brand advocates
As influencer marketing matures, many brands start opting for long term partnerships with influencers, often in addition to ad hoc awareness campaigns around product launches. Building a community of influencers that make your product their go to staple in their routine communicates loyalty and reliability of your product. Influencers who are continuously vocal about your brand or feature your product in non sponsored posts encourage your customers to have the same loyalty to your brand as they do. 

In our analysis we highlight some of the specific campaigns and approaches brands in the health and fitness industry have taken to use influencers in their marketing strategy. Findings include:

• Using IGTV to create Q&A’s with key industry influencers
• Taking a partnership approach to influencer marketing
• Gifting samples to influencers to generate buzz around a new product
• Repurposing influencer content across channels
• Allowing influencer to ‘take over’ a brand’s social channels

Implementing these tactics in a strategic way, not only ensures that campaigns are authentic, but also fosters ongoing relationships and enables both parties to connect and communicate with consumers in a genuine way.

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Working with influencers in the health and fitness industry

Health and fitness brands see better results from influencer marketing when partnering with influencers on a long-term basis. This mindset shift sees influencers act like creative partners rather than paid sponsors. 

Health and fitness brands opting for niche influencers attract a hyper-targeted, mobilised audience. For products with long-term effects (like supplements), consumers would need to see influencers using the products referencing benefits they’ve already had.

Data from our “State of Influencer Marketing” report supported this idea: 21.7% of brands found ambassador and long term relationships as the most effective collaboration type and 49.6% of influencers stated their followers care most about authentic content.

This trend encourages brands to work with fewer influencers on a more personal level, resulting in stronger relationships between influencers and brands. Brands understand their target market through the eyes of influencers who act as a direct line to consumers.

Brands might seek a better understanding of consumer trends, specific issues customers face or even gaps in the market. The stronger the relationship between the brand and the influencer, the easier it is to access such information. Treating influencers like creative partners leads to increased exposure and a valuable business asset filled with insight. 

The market

The Health and fitness market is a $4.2 Trillion Global Industry. However, with so much conflicting information online about health and fitness products, it’s becoming harder for consumers to know what to try and who to trust. 

For brands this becomes a challenge – consumers no longer find their ‘truth’ from the brand’s words or website. Instead, they seek accurate information recommendations from friends, peers, network and influencers. Given that 83% of respondents say they completely or somewhat trust the recommendations of friends and family – it makes sense that influencers with a preexisting connection are trusted online.

Download the full report to find out more.