Weight loss program advertisements

This means targeting people at the top of the marketing funnel. For increased awareness, the metric to focus on is reach, or how many people in a target audience see an advertisement. Note that reach is not the same as impressions. Reach counts the same user once. This means if one user sees an ad twice, that user will only be counted once.

Impressions, on the other hand, do not take individual users into account. Instead, it counts every view. If one user sees an ad twice, that will count as two impressions. Increasing interest is the next step in the marketing funnel. Once your prospects are aware of your weight loss program, you want them to become more interested in it. Hopefully, the more interested they are, the more they research your weight loss program and begin to seriously consider doing it.

There are several different kinds of interest-based ad objectives:. A conversion happens when a prospect takes a desired action. Examples of conversions include:. If you want to successfully meet your objective s , you need to know your audience.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that there is no significant difference in the prevalence of obesity between men and women for all age groups.

Simply put, men and women could both be worth targeting. However, men and women respond differently to weight loss ads. But if your weight loss program is based on a phone app or can be done remotely, you can target people in several locations.

The CDC has a map that shows where adult obesity is most prevalent in the United States; using that data, you could target users living in those particular states.

Interest-based targeting relies on pages a user has liked on Facebook, topics they post about regularly, or articles they share. The lookalike audience targeting option is one of our favorites. Facebook will target new people who are similar to your current clients in terms of shared interests and other similar traits. Content informs design, so once you have your audience in mind, you can start writing copy. Also, keep an eye on the character limit while you write the copy. Depending on the ad format you select, you can expect the following limits:.

Facebook will reject ads containing too much text in the image or video. Visuals, in this case, can be static images, GIFs, or videos.

Think carefully about the visuals you decide to use — they should be consistent with your brand and landing page for a seamless lead conversion. If you can work in colors that are in your logo, definitely do that. Images and videos also must be a certain size and uploaded in certain formats. Take a moment to review the file type and size requirements for what the ad you have in mind requires. Luckily, Facebook offers a wide array of options.

Keep in mind that not every single ad format is an option for weight loss program advertisements. For example, a collection advertisement works best for viewing physical products that are for sale. Also, not every single format works in every location. The following ad formats are ones that are most likely to benefit weight loss clinics and programs:.

You might have seen ads for electronic muscle stimulators claiming they will help you lose weight, or get rock-hard abs. Not all gym contracts are the same, so before you commit, read the contract and confirm that it includes everything the salesperson promised. Do you get a refund if you cancel? You also can look for reviews online from other clients to help you decide if you want to join that particular gym. Home exercise equipment can be a great way to shape up — but only if you use it regularly.

Some exercise equipment ads promise you can shape up and lose weight quickly and without much effort. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC cautions that, in order to achieve related health benefits, those seeking to lose weight should not do so rapidly.

Modest weight loss is recommended to decrease risk of developing obesity-related chronic diseases. The results of this study are of particular concern considering that weight loss products account for the highest proportion of fraud claims to the FTC. These guidelines highlight selected wording that should help consumers and media outlets better identify fraudulent weight loss products. This study is limited by its cross-sectional design and sample size. Naturally, lengthening the period of assessment would provide a more comprehensive overview regarding trends in content and products related to weight loss.

However, we purposefully selected a sample of health and fitness-focused magazines with a large, combined readership. This is the first study we are aware of that explores both the prevalence of weight loss-related articles and advertisements and assesses themes in both within this particular magazine genre.

These magazines are likely purchased with the intent of gathering health information and strategies related to weight loss and body shaping. They can, for instance, be more selective about advertising products and strategies that focus on healthful eating and exercise behaviors that are supported by the scientific literature.

In addition, advertised products and article themes should align with and promote weight loss goals that are obtainable and sustainable. Given their extensive reach, American health and fitness-focused magazines are in a position to 1 limit advertisements that may include misleading claims and 2 communicate accurate messaging about healthy, achievable, and sustainable weight loss. DE conceptualized the study, designed data collection methodology, and led manuscript development.

CB assisted in conceptualizing the study, designing data collection methodology, and manuscript development. GH conducted data analysis and assisted with manuscript development.

AB was responsible for data collection and assisted with manuscript development. Health Promot Perspect. National Center for Biotechnology Information , U. Journal List Health Promot Perspect v.

Published online Jun Corey H. Author information Article notes Copyright and License information Disclaimer. Tel: ; Fax: ; ude. Received Jun 12; Accepted Apr 8. This article has been cited by other articles in PMC. Abstract Background: Magazines are a commonly used source for health and fitness information. Keywords: Weight loss, Women's magazines, Advertisements, Articles.

Introduction Current statistics indicate that almost two-thirds of American women are overweight or obese. Open in a separate window. Competing interests The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. References 1. Overweight and obesity statistics.

Accessed 3 March Boston Medical Center website; Accessed 29 June Consumer Reports website; Accessed 1 July Volpe SL. Popular weight reduction diets. J Cardiovasc Nurs. Deception in weight-loss advertising workshop: seizing opportunities and building partnerships to stop weight-loss fraud. Federal Trade Commission website; Accessed 28 June Cutilli CC. Seeking health information: what sources do your patients use? Orthop Nurs. J Health Commun. Dutta-Bergman MJ.

Primary sources of health information: comparisons in the domain of health attitudes, health cognitions and health behaviors. Health Commun. Botta RA. For your health?