How do you market insurance, foreign exchange, or pesticide products on the internet? Some would say: “You can’t”. The answer is not without reason, though. In social media, people prefer a more ‘colorful’ brands with something that they can relate to. When people can relate to an industry, they will follow it. I mean, let’s accept the fact that the biggest brands in social media are food, fashion and gadget.
Why?
Because it’s relatable. People eat food, wear clothes, and use gadgets like it’s their second skin. So it’s only natural that people want to follow something that they can relate to. Now, the thing is, boring industries and products exist. So it’s inevitable that they will crawl their way into the bosom of the internet. The question is:
How can boring brands thrive on the internet?
The answer will be: proper audience.
The first thing to understand (and to accept) is that no matter what you may think, every industry is interesting in its own right. No matter if you farming cucumber, create a dishwashing gel, or sell insurance, somewhere, someone out there will be interested in, possibly even thrilled by, your brand.
For example, most people would probably consider minimarkets ‘boring’, yet brands like Seven Eleven and Tesco are absolutely killing it on social media, and have gained a very large following because of it.
Even if people aren’t talking about your business every second, there are plenty of ways to make your brand noteworthy.
Social media is essentially a public relations platform (or a very huge public place) that allows you to directly target and communicate with your audience, so why the hell wouldn’t you take advantage of this?
So now you know that every brand is (basically) not boring, but that doesn’t mean you’re not invisible. In order to be heard on social you’re going to need to be slightly different and creative from your competitors.
Invest in Viral Content
What is viral content?
Viral content is a content that’s very easy to share, find, source, and works incredibly all across social media platforms. For example, viral content is the things that people share on their social media newsfeed such as memes, cute animal pictures, funny videos, travel spots, etc.
If you want to invest in viral content, make sure that the content you share on your social media platforms could relate to your brand message, vision, or tone. You can’t just share cat pictures if you’re an insurance company. You need to be creative and find a way so that a viral content can leverage your brand.
To find viral content related to your niche, monitor Google Trends, relevant subreddits on Reddit, your competitor social profiles, niche groups, communities, and various popular website on the internet. Checking in on what’s trending on a daily basis will help you develop an innate understanding of what customers are likely to share. Your social media team needs to be ‘trendy’ and ‘hip’ so to speak.
Don’t Talk About Your Product. Talk about Something Interesting (and helpful) Instead.
Your followers and fans don’t really care about your brand or product. Sorry, I know it’s a hard pill to swallow. So instead of sharing content about your products all the time, post about what your users care about instead.
If you manufacture soaps, for example, you could start a blog about healthy living that help people live a better and healthier life through a sanitary life. If you have a graphic design company, you can start a conversation about actionable advice on how to help first time entrepreneurs design logos and products.
Write content that’s of interest and helpful to the community in your niche. It’s not a direct-sell technique, but it will help to engage users and foster a positive connection between them and your brand.
After you created a community based on an interest, then you can try to seep your way into selling your product or services.
Be Helpful
Who doesn’t love free advice or consultation?
You know about your industry like it’s the back of your hand. Customers might not always want or need to know about what you’re selling, but if you can find a way to become known as the source for the answers in your industry, customers will come to you when it’s time to buy.
So instead of talking about your products. Give free advice about your industry. Give the people information the right way to do things, or even the wrong way to do things. This way you can shape an image that you are a credible source of information.
Be proactive when welcoming questions from your followers on your social channels, and provide valuable, helpful replies. Start a forum on the internet about a particular problem, and then respond to every questions and responses. Over time, you will develop a more positive relation with your customer.
Find Your Unique Selling Points
Every brand has a competitor that sells the same products. What makes them different from one another? It’s their unique selling points and values. You may sell the same product, but you may give different values.
Find the value of your product and exploit these values to your advantage. Find an audience or a community that appreciate these values. This way, you can make your ‘boring’ brand more interesting in the eyes of your audience.
A great example is Fred Water. Fred Water is company that sells bottled water. I mean, if you can find a more boring product on the internet, then bottled water is probably the most crowded, tedious, and predictable product in the universe.
How can you sell a bottled water in the internet?
Be quirky and different.
What makes Fred Water different than its competitors is that Fred Water uses flask-like bottle. Fred Water market their product as an ‘environmentally safe’ water bottle. This is their unique selling points, and it literally make Fred Water different than their competitors.
Now, are you ready to make your own brand interesting? Please, share you thoughts with us.
