The answer is simple: to build trust. 

You see, the supplement space is a saturated market. And with over 29,000 different dietary supplements available to consumers and an average of 1,000 new products being introduced annually according to the FDA, using credibility in your supplement copy matters. 

However, not all credibility is equally important. 

According to the FDA, advertisements and promotions should use clinical trials to substantiate the main claims. 

So what are clinical trials?

Clinical trials, also called double-blind placebo-controlled studies, use people as volunteers to test new treatments to detect, prevent, detect or manage diseases and other medical conditions. 

For example: 

Scientists followed 1,501 adults for 10 years to check their lung health. 

Scientists worked with 10 test subjects. The first half used ashwagandha, while the second half was given the placebo. 

On the other hand, animal trials use rodents and in vitro studies use enzymes or cells. 

Among these studies, clinical trials are the gold standard of scientific research. In other words, clinical studies are the most reliable and recommended thing to use in your supplement promotions. 

Here are three reasons why you need to substantiate your claims with clinical trials. 

People Are Naturally Skeptics

 

Seventy-seven percent (77%) of U.S. adults take dietary supplements. No wonder the supplement industry is considered a booming market.

This is also the reason why supplement buyers are more sophisticated than ever. 

They no longer easily jump on the bandwagon.

Moreover, with so many brands being banned and shut down by the FDA due to unscrupulousness, buyers now trust no one, especially if they’ve never heard of your particular brand. 

Worse still, if a supplement buyer knows or has ever used your supplement product, one wrong move, no matter how small, can put your entire business in jeopardy. So always be cautious. 

Similarly, your promotion should be ethical, too. Although you’ve done great to catch your customer’s attention on your promotion, your work doesn’t end there. 

It’s critical to keep your prospects immersed in your copy until they decide that they want to buy your supplement. 

As a supplement business, you need to make your reader believe whatever you’ve promised in the copy. And of course, you have to be ethical. 

Whatever you’ve promised on the copy should be true. Otherwise, your business will surely not last in the industry. 

The question is…

How can you boost believability and trust in your copy? Of course, through the use of credibility. Here, I’m talking about using clinical studies specifically. 

Just put yourself in your customers’ shoes. Which would you buy between these two choices?

A supplement business that’s really good at telling stories and promises?

Or, a supplement business that’s likewise good at storytelling and offers irresistible promises, but also has a pile of proof and uses names like Harvard, Stanford and John Hopkins to substantiate their claims?

Of course, the second one!

While the first business can get people to buy, the second business can bring in more moolah. Trust me. 

Your market needs proof. They need more information aside from all the benefits you promise in your supplement promo. 

The FDA Has Its Eye On You

 

FDA advises the use of clinical trials on supplement advertisements. 

This is because all results from animal and in vitro studies may be different in humans, potentially putting people’s health at risk. 

This doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to use animal and in vitro studies to support your claims. You can still use them. 

However, keep in mind that the main substantiation for your claims should use human trials. 

Otherwise, the FDA may hunt you down and request your advertisement to be removed or shut down immediately. 

Bring In More Sales To Your Business

 

And of course, the most important point of all. 

With a good amount of clinical trials used in the right places in your copy,  the greater the chance of generating more sales for your supplement business.

Remember: people are skeptical. They need proof. They need assurance. 

They want to know if it’s worth investing in your product more than another. 

So, to make your offer more credible,  it’s vitally important to include studies, especially clinical trials, in all of your supplement promotions. 

The result? 

More ka-ching for your business. 

Make sure you use clinical trials in your copy. 

Aside from keeping your business safe from FDA scrutiny, it also helps generate more sales for your supplement business.