Six things we’ve learned about content marketing for health and beauty brands …

… that paid ads won’t tell you, but your bottom line will thank you for.

Want to know a marketing truth that not many marketers will admit? You can’t “ad spend” your way to customer loyalty. If you’re relying on paid ads alone to grow your wellness or beauty brand, you’re not building a business – you’re playing the world’s most expensive game of whack-a-mole.

Enter content marketing. This type of story-led, editorial marketing is a long-term strategy that builds something way more valuable than clicks: trust. Importantly, content marketing isn’t a fleeting trend. With the industry set to grow by over $417 billion between 2021 and 2025, it's fast becoming one of the most powerful marketing tools in a brand’s arsenal.

A word of warning: if you’re looking for a quick fix, this isn’t for you. Think of it as a strategic approach to creating long-lasting customer relationships.

Yet too many health and beauty brands still lean on paid ads as a shortcut. Sure, they might give you a quick traffic spike – but they don’t build the trust, loyalty or long-term visibility that great content delivers.

In a crowded marketplace full of greenwashed promises and AI-generated blah, people are desperate for connection. They want realness. They want to know the story behind the serum. The ethos behind the eucalyptus. The reason your brand exists beyond “scaling”.

That’s where editorial-quality content comes in.

When done well, content marketing turns your mission into magnetic storytelling, your insights into authority and your audience into loyal customers.

Here’s what we’ve learned about creating health and beauty content that actually works for brands like Bouclème, daysoft, Lighthouse, Grimoire and Being Well.

Health and beauty brands need smart, strategic content that informs, educates or entertains, building trust over time and making Google (and your customers) fall in love with you. Photo credit: Chelsea Shapouri

So… what is content marketing anyway?

Content marketing is creating useful, original and entertaining articles, videos, guides, infographics, podcasts, social media and books that attract the right people to your site and keep them coming back.

No hard sell. No BS. Just smart, strategic content that informs, educates or entertains, building trust over time and making Google (and your customers) fall in love with you.

For health and beauty brands, that means:

• Helping people understand ingredients and rituals

• Telling authentic brand stories

• Showcasing results with honesty

• Creating community, not just conversions

In other words? Less shouting, more showing. And more importantly: more serving.

Now that we’ve covered what content marketing is, let’s get into what actually makes it work – especially for health, beauty and wellness brands trying to stand out in a saturated space.

Here’s what we’ve learned from doing this day in, day out. 

1. SEO is a long game – but it pays off

We know, we know. You want results yesterday. But solid search rankings don’t happen overnight.

Here’s how to play the long game well:

Patience is a virtue

SEO takes 6–12 months to really show results. Set realistic timelines.

Build on rock, not sand

Nail your messaging, brand narratives and channel strategy before chasing keywords.

Play to your strengths

Focus on your strongest content types and channels first, then expand strategically.

When your blog is working hard in the background – quietly pulling in organic traffic and educating your audience – your paid ads don’t have to carry the whole weight.

2. Your blog is your brand’s curated wardrobe

A great blog strategy is like a perfectly curated closet — a mix of staple pieces, updated classics, and bold experiments:

• The little black dress: high-performing evergreen posts that always deliver. Keep them updated and polished.

• Old faves: solid posts that need a little love. Refresh the stats, update the visuals and optimise for juicy growth.

• Statement pieces: new formats, hot takes and timely trends. These keep things fresh and let you test what’s resonating.

Don’t let your blog become the digital version of that drawer full of tangled old tights. Organise it. Refresh it. Make it work.

3. Be the brand they trust – not just another pretty post

You don’t earn consumer trust by having perfect grammar or clever taglines. You earn it by consistently showing up with useful, honest and insightful content that proves you get them – their values, their struggles and their lifestyle.

You’re not just building brand awareness. You’re building authority. In the health, beauty, and wellness space, that means speaking directly to conscious consumers who care about what goes on (and in) their bodies. Whether they’re shopping for sustainable skincare, plant-based supplements or clean cosmetics, they’re doing their homework. And your content should help them feel smarter, safer and more seen.

Here’s how to lead with substance, not just style:

• Create content series that dive deep into what matters to your audience — from skin microbiome health to navigating wellness trends without the BS.

• Build narrative threads across your blogs, linking the themes to other content — this reinforces your values and keeps consumers coming back for more.

• Use internal linking to guide their journey – the more you help them discover, the more they'll trust your expertise.

• Be radically helpful — don’t just sell. Educate. Inspire. Empower. Real thought leadership makes people say: “This brand just gets me.” Like our work with leading daily disposable contact lens brand daysoft.

Thought leadership in wellness copy goes beyond flexing credentials – it’s about creating content that earns a place in your customer’s life. That’s how trust is built. That’s how authority grows.

4. Human connection is the new algorithm

In an era of AI overload, authenticity is a breath of fresh air. Your audience can smell robotic content a mile away – and they’ll bounce faster than you can say “chatbot”.

“Rather than pouring money into paid ads for instant results, investing in editorial blogs and emails means committing to creating engaging, valuable content that resonates with your audience. This approach not only attracts readers who appreciate insightful, ‘non-salesy’ information but also builds lasting organic traffic over time,” says Anna Giles, Head of Digital Content at leading Shopify agency Swanky

Translation: Real content. Real value. No hard sell. That’s what builds loyalty. Your audience wants to feel seen and understood. Whether it’s wellness copy that soothes, or healthy and beauty content writing that empowers, like our writing for curly hair brand Boucleme, it’s the emotional connection that keeps people coming back.

5. Content builds brand authority (and awareness)

Want people to trust your product? Show them you know your sh*t. High-quality wellness content positions your brand as a go-to expert — not just another me-too on the shelf.

• Got knowledge? Share it.

• Got a founder story? Tell it.

• Got a POV on sustainability, inclusivity, or transparency? Own it.

We recently worked with Being Well Pharmacy to create an editorial calendar that spotlighted the many ways private pharmacies deliver real value. The result? It’s becoming known as an industry leader – and their customers actually trust them. Which means more loyalty, more return visits, and a whole lot less shouting into the void. Win-win.

6. Great content increases CLTV and lowers acquisition costs

Customer long-term value (CLTV): that’s marketing-speak for more repeat purchases and less cash burned on ads.

When you serve your audience with genuinely helpful, thoughtful, entertaining content – the kind that supports their journey and solves their problems – they stick around. And when they trust you? They buy again. And again. And again.

“In the end, readers are more likely to be turned off by overtly sales-focused content; they prefer to learn why a product is beneficial without feeling pressured to buy. By focusing on informative, engaging editorial content, you set your brand up for sustained growth and long-term success,” says Giles.

TL;DR? Long-form content doesn’t mean long winded

When done right, even long-form content can become your brand’s most powerful asset. It doesn’t have to end up in the TL;DR bucket (too long, didn’t read). For health, beauty and wellness brands in particular, long-form content can educate, build trust, create loyalty and bring your mission to life. It turns curious clicks into committed customers. And yes, it can be long and wildly engaging.

Ready to elevate your brand with content that actually works?

We’re Salt & Sage: a team of seasoned editorial pros and wellness content writers who help health and beauty brands turn values into story, strategy into substance and content into genuine connection.

Whether you need a blog strategy that builds brand authority, or healthy and beauty content writing that converts browsers into lifelong customers – we’re here for it.

Let’s chat about how we can help your brand grow smarter, not louder. Drop us a line or call us: we’re always up for a natter.