The Green Sheet Online Edition
November 11, 2023 • 23:11:02
Street SmartsSM
Making white-label marketing work for you
It is impossible to look into any industry without hearing the term "white label," particularly in relation to small businesses. For ages, companies have used white-label solutions to give their customers more options on a shelf—but white-label products and services are evolving. In this article, I will discuss what you need to know about white labeling in the modern world.
A white label approach to business involves partnering with a manufacturer, distributor or agency to use their services for your business. A white-label partner will offer a product or service that is then sold under the name of your business. This allows new business owners to immediately gain access to high-quality products and services with established systems and tools. The white-label market is growing substantially, with year-over-year growth reaching 10.7 percent in 2022 (see tinyurl.com/ym3srpb8).
Under a white-label agreement the manufacturer or white-label partner removes their branding from the product. This allows companies to sell those same products or services with their own branding. While white-label solutions used to account for a small percentage of products, they now account for more than 50 percent of U.S. manufacturers' products (see tinyurl.com/3ujuce5e).
What is white-label marketing?
White-label marketing is the act of using a third-party branding agency to manage your marketing for you. It is an approach that outsources marketing services, allowing you to get top-tier branding without having to hire your own staff. Your white-label marketing partner will create branding features for you, allowing your company to claim them as your own.
For some, white-label arrangements sound too good to be true. Can you really just work with a company and sell their products and services under your own brand? The answer is yes—and the process is fairly simple. Let’s take a closer look at how this works.
- White-label products and services: White-label products and services are established products and services that are ready to be sold. These could be shirts or art that a company allows ecommerce stores to sell as their own, for example, or a client portal customized with your branding. With white-labeling, your company can share a variety of products and services without worrying about creating them or manufacturing them.
- Custom branding: After you have selected your white-label product or service, it is time to start branding. White-label partners will allow you to place your company’s branding over their products and services, making it seem like you are creating all of them yourself. Colors, logos and even artwork can be applied to white-label products and services. Your customers will never know that the materials are coming from a third-party group.
- Third-party distribution: Though every white-label service is different, most white-label partners are also happy to handle distribution. They will make the products, brand the products and deliver them right to your customers. While the white-label brand manages all of this, you can focus on creating a more positive experience for your customers and running your business.
Popular white-label business solutions
The white-label world is growing, and numerous types of businesses are benefiting. White-label business solutions are available in every industry, making it easy for business owners to get started and focus on growth immediately.
Some of the more prominent white-label business solutions include:
- Products: Standard white-label products are what have made the white-label industry so prominent. Across industries, from wellness to fashion merchandising, white-label products are a popular choice. T-shirts are considered to be the top white-label product to offer in 2023 (see tinyurl.com/2ux9bu9u). Common product options include candles, hoodies, snacks, supplements and lotions.
- Services: White-label services present another opportunity that can help business owners succeed. Like white-label products, white-label services allow companies to offer their customers more with every purchase. Common services include branding and marketing, apps, software, sales teams and help desk teams.
- Website design and SEO: One of the more modern white-label solutions is search engine optimization (SEO), which allows you to work with a white-label partner to grow your website or even sell SEO services to a client. These services can manage the content and design of your website for you, allowing you to offer web solutions that customers love. Common solutions include web design and management, keyword strategies, optimized website performance, and search advertising.
- Marketing content: A prominent part of SEO services involves content. Every company, no matter how small, needs content to rank online. With white-label marketing services, you can provide content for clients or use content to grow your own website with messages written to accurately present your brand online.
With digital advertising reaching $616 billion in 2022 (see tinyurl.com/mvamyetm), it is clear that businesses find digital SEO solutions and other popular options to be highly valuable. Common content types include blog posts, web pages and newsletters.
- Social media: Today’s modern brands don’t just need blog posts; they also need social media. Social media is a crucial component in almost any modern marketing strategy. With white-label services, you can create captivating posts that catch the attention of your audience. Ideal for Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter), these solutions make it easy to grow your brand online.
- Public relations: Spreading the word about your company is about more than just posting something online. The real power comes from public relations (PR) content, which is commonly reviewed and referenced by journalists around the world. A white-label PR firm can help to spread the right message through a variety of news sources. By 2025, experts believe PR services will reach $129 billion in value (see tinyurl.com/ynbmhmdp).
- Payment gateways: Accepting digital payments is crucial for any business, and white-label payment solutions make it easy. With a white-label payment gateway, you can bring fast and secure payments under your own brand. Using white-label solutions, you can lead your customers and agents through a fully branded payment process using top-tier technology.
While larger companies have the luxury of handling everything in-house, white-label solutions make it easy to level the playing field. Smaller companies can gain access to high-quality products and dedicated distribution channels, all while improving their business offerings. With a trusted white-label partner, business owners can focus on what matters: reaching more customers and providing exceptional customer service. 
Nicholas Cucci is the co-founder and COO of Fluid Pay LLC. Cucci is also a graduate of Benedictine University and a member of the Advisory Board and Anti-Fraud Technology Committee for the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, as a CFE himself. Fluid Pay is the ONLY 100 percent cloud-based Level 1 PCI Payment Gateway processing transactions anywhere in the world. Contact Nick at Nick@FluidPay.com. Benefits of crypto for the underbanked.
Whether you want to upgrade your POS offerings, find a payment gateway partner, bone up on fintech regs or PCI requirements, find an upcoming trade show, read about faster payments, or discover the latest innovations in merchant acquiring, The Green Sheet is the resource for you. Since 1983, we've helped empower and connect payments professionals, starting with the merchant level salespeople who bring tailored payment acceptance and digital commerce tools, along with a host of other business services to merchants across the globe. The Green Sheet Inc. is also a proud affiliate of Bankcard Life, a premier community that provides industry-leading training and resources for payment professionals.
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