With 80% of American adults saying they’ll be more mindful about practicing self-care regularly since the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s an opportunity for brands that sell self-care products to harness influencer marketing.
The industry—which includes everything from lotions and weighted blankets to art supplies and puzzles— encompasses a broad spectrum of products and services designed to improve physical health, relaxation, and mental wellness.
This post explores the best practices and insights to guide your self-care brand’s influencer marketing efforts.
Market trends
The wellness market has reached $480 billion in the United States, with 82% of American consumers now considering wellness a priority, according to a 2024 report by McKinsey & Company. So what are Americans spending their money on? Among six health and wellness categories, millennials outspent all demographics, with Gen Z also spending more than all other non-millennial cohorts. Here are some examples from each of the categories:
Appearance
Skincare and hair care products, as well cosmetic procedures
Health
Vitamins, personal- and home-care products, and over-the-counter medications
Fitness
Fitness club memberships, studio classes, and wearable devices
Nutrition
Food-subscription services and food-tracking apps
Sleep
Cooling mattresses, gravity blankets, and melatonin
Mindfulness
Meditation classes, mindfulness apps, and therapy sessions
So, what makes health-conscious consumers so willing to spend on quality self-care products? Here the top 10 factors weighing on U.S. consumers minds when selecting wellness products:
- Effective/works for me (51%)
- Well-priced (50%)
- High quality (50%)
- Good value (37%)
- Addresses my specific needs (35%)
- Science backed (27%)
- Recommended by a medical professional (26%)
- Easy to understand (23%)
- Certified by a scientific and/or food-and-drug organization (23%)
- Clean/all-natural ingredients (23%)
Understanding the target audience
With 85% of Gen Z shoppers saying that social media influences their purchasing choices and that influencers are their primary product discovery channel, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers, it’s no surprise that this younger demographic is a sought-after target audience.
American millennials, too, are willing to purchase what they’ve seen promoted by their favorite influencers, with 54.1% of social network users saying they’ll make a purchase on a social platform this year, per eMarketer.
IZEA research also found that influencer content has the most significant impact on product consideration across all age groups but is particularly effective with younger demographics.
Choosing the right influencers
The right influencers for self-care promotions will depend on various factors:
- Does the influencer’s audience match the audience that your brand is seeking to reach?
- Is there niche specific to the self-care products your brand offers?
- Do they have good engagement rates on the platforms where your campaigns will be hosted?
- Do their values align with those of your brand?
- Is their previous content helpful, entertaining, informational, and of high quality?
- Do their rates fit your campaign budget?
- Will they come across as credible in the health and wellness space?
- Are they genuine advocates of self-care in their non-sponsored content?
The most fundamental concepts of the health and wellness industry are built on trust and transparency, and those pillars apply to your partnering influencers as well. Whether your strategies include sponsored content, co-created products, or brand ambassadorships, who you choose to work with matters. Ensure that you vet your influencers digitally and through one-on-one conversations.
Engaging content ideas
For your influencers to resonate with health-conscious audiences, your campaigns must seamlessly complement the creators’ content, use the audience’s preferred formats and showcase the type of content your target audience wants and needs to drive action. Think engaging video content, product demonstrations, educational content, authentic storytelling, and personal wellness journeys.
Not sure what that looks like? Check out these successful influencer campaigns for self-care products and services:
When Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast wanted to remind consumers that prioritizing women’s health care is part of self-care, it made sense to partner with a doctor on social media. Here’s Dr. Alisha Reed’s Instagram post highlighting three ways Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast can be part of a self-care routine.
Skincare brand Bondi Sands partnered with Instagram influencer Jaclyn De Leon to make this social media ad for its Ultra Dark Self Tanning Foam. The tutorial featured specific application techniques, a before-and-after shot, and multiple hashtags to improve discoverability, including #SelfCare.
To capitalize on January being National Puzzle Month, puzzle-maker Ravensburger had TikTok influencer Regan (@PeruseProject) make this ad touting “a puzzle a day keeps the scaries away.” To build trust and capture the interest of eco-conscious viewers, she mentioned that the company has been around since 1891, that the puzzle is nontoxic, and that they recently reduced their plastic packaging by 89%.
@peruseproject #ravensburgerpuzzlepartner Puzzling is a lifestyle and I’m truly obsessed with @Ravensburger North America and their amazing new packaging #Ravensburger #Ravensburgerpuzzle #puzzletok #Puzzlecommunity #jigsawpuzzles #puzzletok
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Measuring impact
To measure the ROI of your influencer marketing campaigns, you’ll need to track KPIs to assess the effectiveness of your efforts. While you may be tempted to only look at sales or an increase in followers on your brand’s social media accounts, here are what marketers reported to be their top 5 measures of success for influencer marketing programs:
- Engagement rate
- Reach (CPM)
- Brand Lift/Share of Voice
- Conversions (Signups)
- Traffic (CTR)
In the rapidly changing health and wellness landscape, brands need to innovate continuously and adapt their strategies based on evolving consumer preferences and market trends. But regardless of what’s new or popular, influencer marketing is an effective tool to showcase authenticity and build trust among audiences. Brands who find success with influencer marketing should look to build long-term relationships with content creators who can help grow their campaigns and evolve into brand ambassadors.
Feeling excited about the potential of influencer marketing but overwhelmed by the process of finding and vetting influencers, managing campaigns, and measuring results? Reach out to our team to chat about influencer marketing for self-care brands.
Influencers:
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Marketers:
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IZEA MANAGED SERVICES
Strategy and execution from the company that launched the industry.
Learn more about our
Managed Services offerings
IZEA MANAGED SERVICES
Strategy and execution from the company that launched the industry.
Learn more about our Managed Services offerings
IZEA MANAGED SERVICES
Strategy and execution from the company that launched the industry.
Learn more about our Managed Services offerings