Not all companies can be Apple, Nike, and Louis Vuitton. We can’t all make sexy products that sell on social media like pancakes. Not all companies can produce visually appealing products that people will go gaga for. Apple products are designed to go directly to the hands of the consumers. But the reality is that many companies produce unsexy products such as accounting software, vacuum cleaners, warehouse pallets, and many more.
And not only that. Businesses and professionals also sell services that are hard to sell because they’re taboo and unsexy. Waste management is an example of an unsexy service, but every household and establishment badly needs it. Handling biological waste is a highly specialized service, but it’s not something you hear on social media.
Growing Unsexy Businesses
So, does it mean these businesses can’t expand anymore? Can’t they grow their businesses globally? Most unsexy products and services are the ones industries cannot live without. A business can survive without using Apple products or supplying their employees with a Louis Vuitton bag. These are Instagram-worthy products. But can a hospital or dental clinic survive without a waste management company to take care of the waste they produce every day?
Target the Right Audience
Businesses are only unsexy if the audience thinks they are. Targeting the right market will turn an unsexy business into a necessary one. Your products don’t need to be as sellable as the iPhone, but it needs to be necessary for the industries you are targeting. If you want to bring your business to Europe, you have to understand the nuances of the market there. Who are you going to target? What businesses can you partner with?
For instance, businesses, especially in Europe, are open to providing mental health assessments to their employees. With the spotlight turned to mental health by British Princes William and Harry, more companies started investing in a psychologist to help them address mental health issues in the office. While offering mental health services is often a taboo and unsexy, it’s easy enough to sell it if you know who to target.
Make It Easy to Understand
Some products and services are taboo because their owners allow them to be. Business-to-business marketing is different from business-to-consumer marketing. With B2B marketing, you can develop a more professional strategy. Businesses will want to know the technical specifications of a product or the scientific reasons why they might need your services.
But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t make an effort to make things easier to understand for your target market. Make your marketing strategy simple and helpful for your audience. They will understand your offers better if you make an effort to simplify concepts and ideas.
Create a Brand
No matter how unsexy you think your business is, create a brand for it. Your accounting software business is only unsexy because it doesn’t have a brand. It is not different from all the other companies that offer almost the same software. What kind of branding do you want your products to be known for? An accounting software, for example, can be popular for cutting costs and taxes. You can market an inventory management program, for example, as Cher Horowitz’s super-advanced (back then) closet.
Time It Right
The success of a business is all about timing. The challenge for every business is to identify the right time when its target audience might need the service and product it offers. When Princes William and Harry talked about their struggles with mental health, that was the right time to reach out to companies that might want to offer mental health support to their employees.
Use Influencer Marketing
Turn an unsexy business into a sexy one by using influencer marketing. Partnering with personalities who believe in the necessity of your products or services will make your business more mainstream. Travel insurance isn’t sexy, but if you ask a popular social media star to endorse it, you might just receive the attention you need.
Build Your Brand Locally
To attract the attention of your global market, turn your business into a local star. It is easier to present your business to your target audience if they can find good things about you on the internet. Build up your brand, so it becomes a household name. One of the many ways you can do that is to humanize your business by sharing authentic stories that show your brand’s personality.
Sexy or not, nothing should hinder your business from growth. With the right tools and knowledge, you can expand your business to anywhere you want to. Yes, even in Europe and far-flung cities of Southeast Asia. The right product, unsexy as they may seem to some, will sell using the right marketing strategy.
