Thinking of starting a supplement brand?
The supplement industry is huge — and it’s getting bigger.
Right now, 75% of Americans report regularly using dietary supplements. Combine that with steady market growth and you’ve got the recipe for a successful supplement brand.
Well, almost.
If you’re not considering the basics of starting a supplement brand from a business standpoint, you’re setting yourself up to fail.
Whether that be understanding FDA guidelines and dietary supplement labelling requirements or simply accepting a payment processing account… There’s more to running a supplement brand than what goes into the bottle.
Let’s take a closer look at:
- Why The Supplement Market Is Booming
- FDA Compliance & Supplement Labeling Considerations
- Nutraceutical Payment Processing 101
- Creating a Standout Brand
- How to Market Your Supplement Business (The Right Way)
Why The Supplement Market is Booming
Here’s the thing about the supplement industry…
It’s big — and it’s only going to continue growing.
The dietary supplements market is expected to reach $219.33 billion by 2034, according to Fortune Business Insights. This is a compound annual growth rate of 9.11% from 2026 to 2034.
What does that mean for new supplement brands?
The opportunity is there for brands that offer real value. Today’s consumers are turning to supplements for immunity support, energy, sleep and overall wellness. If you’ve got the products to back up your claims, you can find your place in the market.
But before you even think about what goes in the bottle… You need to make sure your business can operate at the most basic levels.
We’re talking anything from finding the Best Nutraceutical Merchant Account provider for your brand, to figuring out who’s going to handle your payment processing. These topics are covered below, but for now just know that there are fundamentals every supplement brand needs to pay attention to.
Shipping your first bottle of supplements doesn’t mean you can forget about them.
FDA Compliance & Supplement Labeling Considerations
Selling your first bottle of supplements is exciting.
BUT. Before you even consider that… There’s some housekeeping you need to do.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers supplements as “foods”, not drugs. That means manufacturers don’t have to get FDA approval before releasing their products to market.
That being said…
The FDA still requires brands to adhere to guidelines when it comes to manufacturing practices and supplement label design.
Under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA), brands must comply with FDA’s Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). This verifies the identity, purity, strength and composition of every batch of supplements a brand produces.
Failing to comply with DSHEA and GMP guidelines can lead to unnecessary product recalls and legal trouble.
Beyond manufacturing best practices, you also need to have your supplement labeling dialed in.
False advertising claims are illegal. You can make structure and function claims about what your supplement does. (ie. “Supports Immune Health”) But you can’t claim to “treat” or “prevent” a disease.
As always… When in doubt, consult a professional. Supplement marketing and labelling has plenty of gray areas that can come back to bite you if you’re not careful.
Nutraceutical Payment Processing 101
Nutraceutical payment processing is often the number one thing new supplement brands struggle with.
You see, most industries are considered “retail” and “low risk” by banks and payment processors.
The supplement industry is not one of them.
Since supplements fall under the category of “food”, most big payment processors struggle to provide consistent service to supplement brands. You’ll notice this the second you apply for a business account with platforms like PayPal and Stripe.
Your account will either be denied… Or it will get shut down after a few months without warning.
High risk merchant accounts, like those in the nutraceutical space, are flagged for numerous reasons:
- Supplement brands tend to have higher chargeback rates due to subscriptions and disputes.
- Nutraceutical companies fall under regulations from the FDA as well as Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
- Aggressive supplement marketing techniques were commonly used in the past (and some brands still operate this way).
Long story short… Getting a payment processor that works with nutraceutical brands isn’t as easy as installing PayPal buttons on your website.
Doing your research ahead of time will save you from a world of hurt.
Creating A Standout Brand
You have a product. Big whoop. Does your brand look like a cereal company that’s repackaging their products and calling it a supplement?
To truly stand out in the supplement market your brand needs to scream “pick me!”
Aside from having a great product formula… There are a few key factors that consumers look for in brands they trust.
If you want your supplement brand to stand the test of time, take notes.
Quality products:
Once upon a time consumers didn’t have brands like NSF or USP to verify the quality of the supplements they put in their body. These days… Consumers can smell a cheaply made product from a mile away.
Use third party testing to back up your quality claims. Don’t use “proprietary blends” to hide filler ingredients.
Transparent label ingredients:
Ever tried to decipher the ingredients in most supplement bottles? Most people haven’t. Should consumers have to?
Listing every ingredient included in your supplements promotes transparency. Nobody wants to ingest “natural flavors” or “artificial fruit colours”.
Authentic brand story:
Humans are drawn to stories. The more relatable and purpose driven your brand is, the better your chances of connecting with your audience.
A great example of brand authenticity is Heart Foundation Gold.
Every bottle of Heart Foundation Gold donates towards funding for childhood heart disease research.
Imagine taking your supplements knowing that with every bottle you’re literally helping kids live.
Not every supplement brand can give back to the community like Heart Foundation Gold. But connecting with your consumers doesn’t have to be difficult. Focus on your brand story when developing “who you are” as a company.
How To Market Your Supplement Brand (The Right Way)
Running ads that blatantly lie about what your supplement does is not an effective long-term strategy.
Unlike what you may think, simply throwing ads on Facebook isn’t the way to build a profitable supplement brand.
Today’s supplement brands are focusing on content marketing more than ever. By consistently producing and distributing quality content you’ll establish your brand as a source of authority.
Blog posts, how-to guides and educational videos are great ways to get started. As long as you’re creating content your audience finds valuable you’ll start to see organic traffic to your website.
That being said… There are rules around what you can and cannot say in regards to marketing supplements.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) enforces strict guidelines around advertising. Some you may be familiar with, and some you may not:
- Don’t make “unverified health claims” about what your supplement does.
- Claims must be truthful and able to be backed up with evidence.
- You can’t make “disease claims” about supplements. (ie. “treats” or “prevents” cancer)
These are just a few supplement marketing guidelines you need to keep in mind.
Bottom line:
Don’t try and fool your audience. Create helpful content they find value in and you’ll win the supplement marketing game.
Conclusion
Entering the supplement space can be very rewarding. Just make sure you’re approaching your supplement business from all angles.
This article has covered everything from nutraceutical payment processing to FDA compliance and supplement branding. While this isn’t an all-encompassing list of starting a supplement brand, it’s a great place to start.
Running a supplement business is like any other. There will be obstacles you didn’t even know existed. And considerations you don’t think apply to your brand.
As long as you tackle each segment of your business with care, you’ll set yourself up for success. Good luck!