You may have heard of the term “vegetarian,” but what’s the difference between a vegetarianand a vegan? Unlike vegetarians who do not eat meat or seafood but still consume dairy and eggs, vegans commit to eating no animal products or byproducts. That means no dairy, eggs, honey, insects, etc. Besides an animal-free diet, the vegan lifestyle also entails intentionally not consuming animal products or byproducts in other parts of our lives—clothing, accessories, personal or beauty products, household products, furniture—or contributing to animal cruelty, which could include going to zoos, aquaria, racing or rodeo events, and so on.
Being vegan might seem like an extreme lifestyle, but thanks to innovations happening in many industries, it’s becoming more accessible. I started my vegan journey at the end of 2007 when I saw the documentary Earthlings, but I didn’t start exclusively eating a vegan diet until the spring of 2018, then made more effort in other parts of my life.
After closing my first business, I had an aha moment at the end of 2019, realizing that I was living vegan and I could use my writing skills (which have been with me my entire life) to contribute to the vegan movement. I started a new business as The Content Doctor at the start of 2020, which was interestingly my most successful financial year.
Around the time of my birthday in 2021, I had an intuitive reading. The intuitive told me I would publish a book the following year, and that surprised me, as I had no ideas for a new book. I kept thinking about what I could write about and when I discovered there was no book in the world that talked about marketing from the lens of the vegan industry, I knew I had to publish it. There are many books about the vegan lifestyle or cooking, but there was only ONE business book about how to run a vegan business.
In late September 2021, I started collecting marketing stories for the book, hoping to get at least 50 from around the world, across industries, and of businesses owned by all genders and ethnicities. Below are excerpts about two female wellness/beauty business owners who contributed to the book.
Karina Inkster. Photo: John C. Watson
Head Fitness Nut Karina Inkster’s marketing strategy leads with SEO. I’ll let her explain how it drives her business goals.
In my business, we play the long game. We don’t use traditional marketing campaigns with a beginning and an end, and we rarely spend money on advertising of any kind. SEO is the name of the game for us: consistently putting out great content our audience wants to read, and showing up as the first Google search result when folks are actively looking for the services we offer. Our website is consistently the top result for search terms like “vegan personal trainer”, “vegan fitness coach”, etc. This way, all our leads are ready to purchase. No shady sales tactics required!
I don’t know about you, but I don’t have my credit card in hand while scrolling through Facebook or Instagram. Capturing ready-to-purchase leads doesn’t happen on social media. Things that help our SEO rankings: blog articles, regular podcast episodes with show notes on our website, and writing for well-known websites. I have link-backs from CNBC, Livestrong, alive Magazine, etc.
Sagal Jama is the Founder of Sagal Jama Ltd., which sells plant powder products to help consumers achieve their #skingoals without animal products or chemicals. “I have done paid ads on Instagram, Facebook and also Twitter, but the platform that has given me the most in sales, engagement, and following has to be TikTok from posting for free!” she said.
Besides being endorsed by Victoria Moran and Katrina Fox, the Vegan Choice Awards also honoured Vegan Marketing Success Stories in 2023. It’s available in ebook, paperback, and audio formats at sandranomoto.com/products.
By buying LaVigne Natural Skincare products which are vegan, you’re already being a part of the change. I urge you to consider going vegan in other parts of your life to save our planet and the animals we share this home with. You can read a blog post I wrote about why I’m vegan, and visit my vegan resources list on my List Love page at sandranomoto.com. Thank you!
About the author:
“The Content Doctor” Sandra Nomoto is an award-winning content writer and editor for cruelty-free businesses. She also offers a suite of services for authors. Launching her career in the public relations industry, she ran Conscious Public Relations Inc. for over a decade. Nomoto authored The Only Public Relations Guide You’ll Ever Need in 2019 and Vegan Marketing Success Stories in 2022. On the side of her desk, she co-hosts VEG Networking Canada, Canada’s only vegan networking group. She previously served on the boards of directors of the Vancouver Mural Festival and Vancouver Short Film Festival, and writes at SandraNomoto.com and for several outlets.
