20 Health & Wellness Business USPs: From the Superfit to the Sluggish
I’m on a mission to get out of my house more. As a work from home solopreneur, I spend a whole lot of time alone. Which by and large is fine (people, who needs ‘em?). But then I find myself stammering through a salad order like it’s the first day of 6th grade and I’m like “I need to talk to more people in the real life person flesh space."
As part of this mission, I’m on a lot of email lists for local networking events and other mix n’ mingle kind of things. I got an invite the other day to one hosted by the mega brand Create & Cultivate and this was how the event was described:
What the hell does any of this mean?
I posited the question on instagram and no one else seemed to have any idea either.
It sounds kind of cool? I guess? Rep real? Push new??
Do I want it?
Is it for me? Or is it for younger, skinnier, happier, snapchattier women?
I honestly could not tell you. And I didn’t go to the event. Even though they promised snacks.
But this got me to thinking about how important -- and tragically overlooked -- the power of a THIS IS WHAT WE ARE statement (AKA a USP) is to all businesses.
No matter how cool your business sounds, it’s not going to get very far if you can’t explain what it is and who it’s for pretty fuckin’ quick (unless you have a hook like you’re Beyoncé or something. Wait, are you Beyoncé? OMG it’s an honor to have you here!)
This is why your wellness brand needs a USP.
Even if the brand is just you.
Even if you think everyone that lands on your website already knows who you are.
Your Unique Sales Proposition (USP) is a clear, concise descriptor (it could be a sentence or a *very* short paragraph) that reassures people they want what you’ve got and they’re in the right place.
Your USP should be obvious and it should be on your homepage.
Because, like Joanna Wiebe says, “your home page should help people understand that they’ve come to the right spot and then move them quickly along to the right next page for their needs.”
If people don’t understand that they’re in the right spot, they’ll be more than happy to click away to one of the 80 bazillion other things available to them on the internet.
Hell, it’s taking all my self control not to click away from this blog post and see what’s in the sale section at Sephora. And this is MY OWN BLOG.
But I digress.
Also important to note is the fact that different pages on your website may have different USPs. For instance, if you’re hiring and have a jobs page, what appeals to potential employees is going to be different from what differentiates you to potential customers. This post is only about the USP you present to your potential customers. On your homepage.
You’d be surprised how many businesses either don’t have a USP or bury it on their site. In fact, I found a lot of the ones below hidden on the company “About” page. That’s...less than ideal.
Don’t make your customers hunt for a reason to be interested. Most of them won’t do it.
So if having a USP is soooo important, every big health & wellness brand should have that on lock, right?
You would think.
But as you’ll see below, even the big brands struggle with this.
I believe it’s worth getting right, so to help you out, I spent a few hours combing through websites for health and wellness companies -- from the huge to the teeny -- to collect these USPs.
Some of ‘em are amazing. Some are confusing. And some are...wait, where are they? Oh yeah, some don’t seem to exist at all.
I’ve divided the companies that I examined into the following categories (click to skip down):
- Fitness
- Fashion (all athletics/health based brands)
- Beauty (all natural, organic types)
- Wellness (which includes health coaches)
Not only should this list give you some inspiration, it should hopefully boost your spirits if you’re on the struggle bus with your own USP.
PS: want to download this in a pdf to check it out later or, I don’t know, print it I guess? You can do that.
FITNESS
Company: Peloton
USP: Ride with the best instructors live from NYC.
When I first heard of Peloton I thought it was some type of dance music.
But going to their website, I see that it’s actually extremely clear what they do and who it’s for.
Notably, Peloton has a couple of other USPs that are buried on their about page:
A world-class indoor cycling studio experience on your time, and in the comfort of your own home.
A cutting edge fitness experience that makes working out at home a viable, exciting option.
Yeah, I think they’ve put a little bit of thought into this.
Company: FitBit
USP: Fitbit motivates you to reach your health and fitness goals by tracking your activity, exercise, sleep, weight and more.
In 2018, FitBit has the benefit that most of solopreneurs and small businesses don’t: basically everybody already knows what they sell.
Instead of describing their product, they can use their central USP to convey user benefits, which is a fit bit of delicious conversion copywriting.
Still, since there are a number of entrants in the wearable fitness trackers market by now, I think they could go a bit further in differentiating themselves from other companies (e.g., by honing in on how they were the first, how they've shown better results, or whatever it is that makes them really unique).
Company: Equinox
USP: Unrivaled fitness classes. Unparalleled personal training. Studios that inspire you to perform and luxury amenities that keep you at your peak. It’s more than a fitness club. It’s life.
Equinox is a gym. It has weights and treadmills and locker rooms. But doesn’t its whole brand -- including its USP -- just drip with luxury? Or is that just me coveting those eucalyptus towels?
While I definitely already wanted to join Equinox (this is a personal flaw), the USP could actually lean a bit further towards specificity. What makes its classes unrivaled? Are the more difficult? Burn more calories? More class times?
The more specific you can be in a concise USP, the more compelling it becomes for your target market.
Company: PopPhysique
USP: A specialized class designed to sculpt and tone the entire body in just one hour.
If you live in one of the cities where PopPhysique has locations, you’ve probably seen their marketing. It’s hard to miss.
Butt (hahaHA) I have to say, their USP is a little lacking. Sure, if I’m looking to tone and sculpt I guess it does the job, but do I have to be good at dance? At choreography? Do I have to already have a skinny butt? Do I have to own between 3-5 pairs of American Apparel 80s-inspired leggings? It’s unclear.
FASHION
Company: Bandier
USP: Curated collection of the world’s best activewear
Mmmm, yes, please curate things for me! Don’t make me go to 8,000 websites to find a pair of chic leggings! Thank you, Bandier, can I have another??
Company: Mission Statement
USP: Clothing that supports women who want to be stylish, in every aspect of their life.
Like some of the other brands featured here, Mission Statement buries its USP on the About page and when I found it, I kinda went ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.
It’s nice that Hilary Swank wants me to be stylish but how is this, you know, unique?
BEAUTY
Company: Dry Bar
USP: No Cuts. No Color. Just Blow Outs.
Dry Bar is not necessarily a health or wellness brand but wow do I like their USP. It’s so clear and great and just *chef’s kiss*
Here we can go ahead and note that a USP and a tagline are not USUALLY the same thing. But in this case, the totally unique Dry Bar offering didn’t need more than a tagline to convey why they’re so special.
Company: Herbivore
USP: Truly natural, cruelty free skincare that provides results you can see and feel.
I mean, first of all, what does sensorial mean? Weird choice in the headline. But beyond that, it’s clear that Herbivore wants us to know their products are NATURAL, like TRULY NATURAL. So I guess that’s...a benefit…?
Look, if someone comes to this site because their top concern is that their skincare is natural (whatever that means), then they'll find this USP compelling. But I would argue that the influx of natural products on the market means this isn't particularly unique.
Ok, natural has lost all meaning for me as word so I'm going to move on.
Company: Welleco
USP: Dietary supplements designed by leading nutritional doctors using carefully formulated ingredients derived from wholefoods. In easily absorbable powder form, they are designed to nourish the body’s 11 systems from the inside out.
I’m not going to pretend that I know what the body’s 11 systems are but I sure as hell can’t argue that this isn’t unique.
Company: Supergoop!
USP: SPF is the most important thing you can do for your skin. Every. Single. Day.™ That’s why we’re constantly creating new products that you’ll love, so wearing SPF isn’t a chore, but a ritual. Not to mention it should be fun too.
Tagline: The Best SPF Under the Sun
Supergoop! offers a good example of how a USP and tagline can work together. The USP, which is not particularly concise, offers that the Supergoop! difference is that wearing their sunscreen isn’t a chore and is even fun.
As someone who live in California and sunscreens every single day, this is an important and unique difference!
WELLNESS
Company: Care/Of
USP: Build a personalized daily vitamin pack with honest guidance and better ingredients.
What’s it about? Vitamins! How’s it different? Personalized! Guided! Ingredients! #greatjob
Company: Ritual
USP: The only daily vitamin you need -- delivered directly to your doorstep.
There are a few different aspects of the Ritual USP. A daily vitamin delivered to your doorstep is somewhat unique (although not if you asked Care/Of) but you really have to read through the whole site to get a grasp on how they are really different (essential, open-source ingredients, developed by and for women, obsessively researched).
If you take the time to go through the whole homepage, it is comprehensive and fairly persuasive, but they could be a bit more clear and bold in the statement of their USP right up front.
Company: Forward
USP: Personalized primary care, combining world-class doctors with advanced medical technology including genetics, cancer screening & wellness tracking.
While Forward may be able to go a little further into how their process works (e.g., isn’t all primary care personalized?) this is pretty compelling as far as USPs go.
Company: Sakara
USP: 100% plant-based, organic, ready-to-eat meals. Delivered to you.
It doesn’t get much clearer than this, to be honest. Do you want organic, plant-based meal delivery? Congrats, you found it.
The weird part of this is where it’s hidden -- in the page title. The USP appears in your browser tab, but not on the actual site itself. I'm sure this is useful for SEO, but I think it might also be useful for visitors to see in big, bold print.
Company: Sun Potion
USP: We are proud to offer the highest quality tonic herbs and superfoods, always organic or wildcrafted, consciously sourced from around the world.
Tagline: Transformational foods for a high vibration, holistic lifestyle.
This is another really good USP. It’s clear (maybe I should use the word “clear” one more time? What do you think?) on what the company is all about and how it’s different (consciously sourced, organic, wildcrafted). And it’s right there on the homepage thank god.
Company: Urban Remedy
USP: Fresh organic, ready-to-eat meals, juices and snacks delivered to your door
While Urban Remedy isn't the only company on this list offering meal delivery, organic and ready-to-eat plus the addition of snacks and juices is a compelling and unique selling point.
Company: LoveWellness
USP: We make wellness and personal care easy by providing natural, organic solutions for vaginal health, balancing your cycle, metabolism, #mood, and more.
I’m aching from the missed opportunity in that “All Products” headline but aside from that, a pretty decent USP.
Company: LoveYourselfFit
USP: My vision is to provide you a place of support and connection to reach your goals and get you loving yourself.
This is not a diet – LYF Plans are different from all the rest. I provide you with the support, knowledge and tools to Love your Body, Love your Mind and Love Yourself.
Despite reading every page of this site I can’t say with 100% confidence that I know what this company/coach does. I know it’s not a diet! I know it comes with support, knowledge and tools! Buuuut...what is it?
Company: Maria Marlowe
USP: I help busy women lose weight or clear up their acne by developing healthier eating habits, based on whole, unprocessed, mostly plant-based foods.
My main complaint with this USP is that it’s buried on the about page. It’s clear that real thought went into it and it tells me everything I need to know about who this coach is.
Company: Eating Bird Food
USP: An online destination for those who love simple, healthy eating and living a lifestyle that supports it.
Yeah, ok. I’m good with this one. It certainly lets people know where they've landed. And if these particular topics are interesting to them, they're likely to stick around.
So what did we learn from this exercise?
Your USP is important. It keeps people on your site and gets them to your next goal for them, whether that's signing up for your email list or downloading a piece of content.
USPs aren't a given, even for big brands. It's easy to get seduced by a headline that's cute, clever, funny, sexy, shiny new. But if you choose to have something in your headline that isn't your USP, you had better be sure that it's good enough to keep people reading until they get to your USP.
Also, please don't hide your USP on your About page. Just don't.
