Boring doesn’t have to be a bad thing.
How to market a “boring” brand is a question that stumps businesses all over the world.
When it comes to social media, there are some brands that we expect to be entertaining. More often than not, this is by virtue of the products they create. There are simply some things that will always be fun and exciting and things and things that will be, well, more boring.
If you think of a brand like Red Bull, you probably think of things like extreme sports, action, and adrenaline. Red Bull has something that less exciting brands don’t. That’s OK. A company that makes nasal decongestants is never going to be as cool as Red Bull.
Just because you sell “boring” products, it doesn’t mean you should steer clear of social media. Yes, there are certainly some platforms that might not be for you, but the benefits of being active on some social media platforms far outweigh the cons.
You might consider your brand to be boring on the surface, but have you taken the time to think about the elements of your business that might be exciting or interesting?
Let’s take a look at a few different ways you can market a “boring” brand on social media.
Find a point of difference
Let’s do a little exercise. Try and think of the most boring, ordinary, everyday product you can. If you’re anything like us, you’re probably thinking about household items like cleaning products, right? But what about toilet paper?
Check out Who Gives a Crap? on Facebook. They’ve done a remarkable job of making toilet paper cool. Who Gives a Crap? found their point of difference in a few different ways: they’re 100% recycled, and they donate 50% of their profits to making toilets for charity. Most importantly, however, take a look at their design language. It’s bright, colourful, and everything that toilet paper usually isn’t.
Have a think about your point of difference. Just because you don’t make the most glamorous product in the world, it doesn’t mean you have to stick to the status quo.
Be an educator
Depending on who you are, you may or may not expect to learn anything while scrolling through social media. For brands, however, education is a potent marketing tool.
Dollar Shave Club has done a great job of taking shaving, a relatively annoying chore, and making it interesting. But not only that, they’ve managed to do so by educating people in the process.
Taking the educational route to social media is an excellent way to position your brand as a thought leader. Remember: the answer to not being boring doesn’t always have to mean fun. There are plenty of brands making informative and educational content that isn’t funny or action-packed.
Go behind the scenes
Many businesses, on the surface, could be considered “boring”. It’s not until you take a look behind the curtain that things start to get really interesting.
Behind-the-scenes videos and tours are a fantastic way to show your customers what makes your business unique.
Remember the paint mixing guy on TikTok? He was producing incredibly engaging behind-the-scenes content. What did he get for it? Well, he got fired. Clearly, that was a huge mistake from a company that failed to see the power of social media and digital marketing. However, it just goes to show how engaging behind-the-scenes content can be. If mixing paint can capture the attention of millions, so can you.
Be authentic
Social media can often be a place of great deceit. When it comes to social media, what you see isn’t very rarely what you get. But it doesn’t have to be that way. People are yearning for brands to be more transparent, down to earth, and not take themselves too seriously. Authenticity is indeed a powerful thing.
Remember the backlash Pepsi received in 2017? Yeah …
A great way to show your human side on social media is to share your failures. We’re all guilty of making our social media pages look like a highlight reel, and that’s why it can be so refreshing to see when things don’t quite go to plan.
Embrace your boring side
Here’s the thing about “boring” businesses: it’s actually perfectly fine to be that way. Social media is a noisy place. Not everyone expects all the business they interact with to be constantly cracking jokes, posting memes, and creating super entertaining content.
It’s important to remember that what may be considered boring to one person might be really interesting to another. If you’re a “boring” brand, there’s probably a good chance that the people following you are doing so because they use your products, want accurate information, and value what you do.
Putting pressure on yourself to entertain is a recipe for disaster, especially when entertainment might not be what your followers are looking for from your social media pages.
Sometimes you just have to stay in your lane, play a straight bat, and give the people what they want.
Add value and have fun
If you’re familiar with our other blogs, you’re probably used to us talking about adding value on social media. It truly is the cornerstone of just about everything you do online. Whether it’s monetary or otherwise, you should be adding value. But here’s the kicker: value can be boring. Frequently asked questions are super boring, but they’re incredibly valuable.
Why not try taking FAQs to the next level by running a poll or hosting a live Q&A on social media?
Don’t let the fact that your brand might not produce the most glamorous products in the world stop you from taking to social media. Social media and digital marketing are powerful tools that you should be using to reach new customers and make stronger connections with your existing ones.
