Why beginners get cooked selling supplements
The speaker warns beginners against entering the supplements market, calling it one of the most competitive niches in e-commerce. Even major supplement brands struggle to scale profitably in the US, and success requires an elite-level direct response marketing skill set.
Summary
The speaker expresses frustration with beginners who jump straight into selling supplements, describing it as a poor strategic choice for those new to e-commerce or marketing. He characterizes the supplements space as one of the most competitive markets in the world, particularly within the United States.
He points out that even the largest, most established supplement brands are not scaling profitably, suggesting that profitability in this niche is extremely difficult to achieve regardless of company size. For anyone whose primary goal is to turn a profit, he recommends pursuing a different product category altogether.
The only exception he acknowledges is for individuals who possess a highly advanced, 'lethal' skill set in direct response marketing. He notes that some of the best direct response marketers in the world operate in this space, meaning newcomers are effectively competing against industry veterans. Finally, he explains the mechanical challenge this creates: in high-competition markets, CPMs are elevated, so advertisers must compensate with superior ad creatives and metrics — specifically by driving up click-through rates (CTR) to bring cost-per-click (CPC) down to a manageable level.
Key Insights
- The speaker argues that beginners commonly make the mistake of entering supplements, one of the most competitive niches in e-commerce, without understanding what they are up against.
- The speaker claims that even the biggest supplement brands scaling in the US are not doing so profitably, suggesting systemic unprofitability in the niche at scale.
- The speaker contends that the only viable path to success in supplements is possessing an 'absolutely strapped lethal skill set' in direct response marketing — not just basic competency.
- The speaker states that some of the best direct response marketers in the world operate in the supplements space, meaning entrants are competing against elite-level talent.
- The speaker explains that higher competition drives up CPMs, and the mechanical solution is to produce superior ad creatives that raise CTR in order to bring CPC down to a normal level.
Topics
Transcript
[0:00] I don't know why people go directly to supplements. People that are relatively new to e-commerce especially marketing in general, they go directly to one of the most competitive markets in the most competitive countries in the entire world. Supplements are not easy. I mean the biggest supplement brands out there that are scaling in the US, they're not doing so profitably. If your goal is to be profitable, then I would probably go a different direction. Unless you're coming in with just like an absolutely strapped lethal skill set of direct response marketing. Because the best direct response marketers, a lot of them are [0:30] So you're quite literally competing against some of the best of the best…
Full transcript available for MurmurCast members
Sign Up to AccessMore from Mark Builds Brands
how to make AI animations ads that print (full workflow + skill)
Mark provides a complete 6-step workflow for creating profitable AI animation ads, from research and swiping competitor ads to scripting, storyboarding with Claude AI, and generating assets using image-to-video models. He emphasizes that the goal is creating enough contrast to drive conversions rather than photorealism, and identifies three common failure points: weak funnels, poor ad concepts, and inability to read performance data.
Stop Getting Emotionally Attached to Your Ads
The speaker emphasizes separating controllable from uncontrollable factors in business (particularly ad performance) to avoid emotional decision-making. By acknowledging frustration about uncontrollable outcomes while focusing execution on controllable elements, entrepreneurs can prevent impulsive mistakes that undermine their results.
the ad styles that actually print
The speaker discusses which ad formats perform well across markets, highlighting native statics, AI animation, and UGC as generally effective options. However, success ultimately depends on testing and understanding your specific target demographic's native content consumption patterns.
how to make ads that actually print
The speaker identifies two critical mistakes in native static ad campaigns: treating ads like content and overestimating creative importance. For native statics, copy is the primary persuasion tool, and most advertisers fail by not testing enough variations and using poor funnel architecture.
How to structure your post purchase upsell
Effective post-purchase upsell (OTO) pages require connecting the main product to complementary products by addressing customer needs strategically. Two proven frameworks are offering more of the same product at a discount, or creating an OTO 1 that solves a new problem created by the front-end product.