Well-known brands can easily sell the latest iPhone or Air Jordan sneakers. These products are trendy and in high demand.
It’s more challenging to sell products or services that aren’t sexy, especially if you’re just start your business Or not an established brand.
Most products don’t sell themselves.
If you run a cleaning service, run a community cafe, or sell T-shirts, standing out in a noisy marketplace can be daunting.
Yet millions of small businesses and startups sell unsexy products and services. Many of them are successful.
What is their secret?
Successful small businesses and startups selling unsexy products or services often spice up their marketing to help the product and service stand out.
Here are 6 ways your small business or startup can market products and services that aren’t sexy.
1. Split test content format
Traditional media and advertising are expensive, inflexible, have limited reach, and can intimidate small business owners.
social media marketing Offers a compelling option, especially for small businesses and startups.
Social platforms disrupt how people consume content and the types of content people love. As a business owner or marketer, you can try short videos, Graphic Design and Illustrationdynamic layout, podcasts, and text-to-speech audio/video content.
Don’t assume one type of content is better for your business than another. While you’ll read many stories of success and failure, every business is unique and what works for one company may not work for yours.
Start with some split testing of the content format and observe the results for a set amount of time. And choose the content format that resonates best with your target audience.
Choose the content that will most appeal to your audience. Some people respond better to short written texts (eg on Twitter). Others prefer visual content (Instagram, E.g). Others like short videos (Tik TokE.g).
Regardless of the format and platform you choose, you must be able to create content quickly and cheaply.Otherwise, you will not be able to develop sustainable marketing activities.
Fortunately, many content tools provide templates for different types of visual content.These templates can be used for your The visual style and identity of the brand. If you really want your brand to stand out, Find a Professional Graphic Designer Create the perfect custom design for your business brand at crowdspring.
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2. Storytelling
But not all stories are memorable. Personal and emotional stories resonate more with consumers. Paul Zucker explain:
Stories are an effective way to convey important information and values from one person or community to another. Stories with personal emotion and emotional appeal engage the brain more and are therefore easier to remember than simply stating a set of facts.
According to Zak, a compelling story has two components:
The first is the “hook” – the part of the story that grabs and grabs the audience’s attention. Hooks vary. This could be a question asked directly to the viewer, or it could be a pause in the video.
But stories are powerful not just because they have a hook.The best stories also inspire empathy and help you build Brand Equity.
Savvy marketers and business owners can use human psychology to improve storytelling. When we hear or see emotional stories, our brains release oxytocin, the neurochemical responsible for feelings of empathy and attachment. This is why some marketing messages and advertisements resonate more than others.
Marketing Psychology A typical marketing strategy can be turned into a winner. When creating content, don’t just sell products; tell a compelling story.Storytelling should be a big part of you Brand strategy. What problem does your product or service solve, who needs it, and how does it improve their lives?
3. Don’t be afraid to be funny
Emotional Marketing Can also work through comedy. After all, humor is relevant in most cultures and languages.
That doesn’t mean you have to joke around. Humor shows that you are willing to laugh with the audience without taking things too seriously.
A personable voice will attract natural engagement from your listeners and allow you to “relax” once in a while.
Content that evokes positivity, entertainment and laughter Share 46% more than posts without humor. Funny or witty posts can go viral because that’s what humans do: We share our experiences with our social circles.
Even if you’re not naturally funny, you can take advantage of this strategy. Look for opportunities to create humor based on observations.
View trends in your industry or reflect general trends prevalent in the world today. And create short content that capitalizes on these trends.
For example, people are talking about two popular Netflix shows: “Inventing Anna” and “Tinder Hustlers.” These shows are about the way people create sophisticated hoaxes and hoaxes.
People and brands have been creating interesting content related to these trends. Check out this popular meme posted by TrungTPhan on Twitter. Its title is unobtrusive: “How much will [this] Start a raise? “ And asked four notorious scammers if they could raise a lot of money from investors for a new startup. The article spawned more memes related to the same topic.

So, that funny meme you saw on Twitter? Share its laughter, but remember to switch back to promoting your brand. How can memes help you tell your brand’s story? That’s why hashtags like #relate or #thestruggleisreal are still popular.
Research how popular brands like Wendy’s, Netflix and Taco Bell use humor to engage their audiences.
Keep your online marketing strategy a healthy mix of informative, fun, and sales-related. You are more likely to grow your audience by mixing content rather than talking 100% about your product.
4. Educate your followers
Most brands focus on selling products and services. Few educate their customers and prospects in a way that creates value. This is one way for your business to stand out.
Teaching or educating does not mean just sharing information about your products or services. You can also help people understand how to make better use of your product (or similar products).
For example, if you’re in the construction business, consider making instructional videos teaching people how to repair drywall holes or install electrical outlets. Don’t worry about this content cannibalizing your business. Most people don’t have the time, skills or energy to do these things on their own. But they will thank you for taking the time to help them learn.
When educating, add some “spice” to the way you present your content. Music, animated GIFs, or emojis can make your content more “fun,” more engaging, and more dynamic. Modern tools make it easy to add these elements to your content.
Even dull information can be interesting when presented in a unique and creative way.
5. Involve your audience
Don’t underestimate the power of a great online challenge. Gamification can be a powerful marketing tool.
Interactive content like challenges, polls, quizzes, contests, and trivia are great social media strategies that drive engagement.
Interactive content is successful because it requires your audience to react and engage.
Ask fun trivia questions using interactive content. People are often happy to answer “first” because they like to compete and like to win. You don’t always have to offer a prize.
Or, if you want to make the contest or challenge more formal and compelling, think about what drives people to participate. What’s in it for them? A small reward or recognition is usually enough.
Get your audience to work hard to get that award. Ask them to tag friends, share your posts, or follow you on social platforms.
However, make sure the contest or promotion serves your business growth. They can be fun, but unless they help you grow your business, they’re just a distraction.
6. Flirt with the absurd
Sometimes, your product is so unsexy that you have to develop an unconventional strategy.
Absurdity in social media can be genius when it works, but risky and even reputational if it doesn’t work out.
So how can this strategy be used more strategically?
You can use absurdity to appeal to your audience, but do so with caution and in a way that is also true to your brand.
Ogilvy & Mather Valentine’s Day UK-based relationship charity Relate is a good example.
The campaign’s visuals borrowed heavily from the aesthetics of adult magazines in the 1970s, inspiring “Gosh, did they really go there?” responses. A typical campaign visual shows an extreme close-up of a woman’s half-parted lips that read “This Valentine’s Day, use your tongue.”
This method can quickly get vulgar and rude.
However, creative genius is the strategic use of subtitles. For the campaign, the caption read: “Gifts don’t build relationships. Conversations do.”
As you can imagine, these visuals were noticed and widely shared.
This tactic even works for brands that sell obscure products.This Steak-umm’s Twitter account (Frozen Beef Slices) is notorious for the way it handles social media. The content posted by the account focuses on complex and controversial social issues, far removed from the product. Sometimes, they play word games, linking social issues to their products. The brand’s unconventional approach made the brand famous, increased engagement, and helped them grow their business.

So while trying to be funny, flirt with the provocative, crazy or ridiculous, but don’t go overboard and make your message offensive. You don’t want to lose your target audience by trying too hard to reach them.
If you’re not quite sure how to play absurd, you can opt for the easy version – trending memes and the latest viral video. Those who get high shares and likes are reasonable signs that they are popular with a mass audience. Use trends creatively to promote your product or service.
Most importantly, be patient. Develop a content strategy, especially for non-sexy products and services, takes time and experience. Check out other unsexy brands and learn from their successes and failures.
Remember, no matter what approach you take, make sure your social content strategy helps you grow your business.




