How to Add Sex Appeal to Your Marketing in 5 Easy Steps
What do we mean to ‘add sex appeal to your marketing‘?
If you add sex appeal to your marketing does it mean you should use x-rated images to entice people to click on your content or ads?
Not at all. That’s not what I mean. When we talk about adding sex appeal to your marketing it’s about adding some zing, getting creative and making your marketing and brand memorable.
Even the most boring industries can add sex appeal to their marketing by approaching it from a different angle and creating brand appeal. I think the best example would have to be Apple who took an initially unexciting industry and turned it on its head. So much so that they even have people queuing over night outside their stores for their latest-release products. They not only create beautifully designed, simple products that all sync together, but also appeal to their target market with gorgeous, minimal ads like the one below.
So what can you do to add sex appeal to your marketing?
I’m sure you are saying, ‘yes but I don’t have the budget that Apple has’. With a bit of creativity though, you don’t need to.
1. Eye Catching Images
Images are a perfect way to add sex appeal to your marketing. Everything online is now very much image-based like websites, blogs and social media platforms. Some social media platforms like Instagram and Pinterest are predominantly about images. If you have the budget, invest in some ‘different to your competitors’ images or get some photography done. Use your phone if that’s all you have available. The camera on your phone will do the trick beautifully. The images will help you to stand out and will be well worth the effort.
2. Tell a Story
Marketing is no longer about the stuff you make … it’s about the story you tell.
Seth Godin
Effective marketing doesn’t mean more marketing. Define your point of difference simply and succinctly. Tell a story around your product or service and the benefits rather than just listing the features. This is where your brand comes into play as well – which includes the ‘voice’ of your business, your personality, position in the market and tagline. Video is also a great way to include story telling. If you need more information about creating an irresistible brand, click here or if you need to learn how to create a brand strategy, click here.
I was checking out a real estate agent’s website recently and I looked at his team page. He had included photos of his kids under the images of his staff. His very cute young blonde son of about 2 years had the title Master of Mayhem, and the 2 little girls Hugs and Cuddles. This agent was weaving a story into his site without saying a word or spending any more money. I could conclude that he had a sense of humour, he adores his family (gives a feeling of trust) and he was showing his vulnerability on his website. Is he adding sex appeal to his marketing? Yes, most definitely.
3. Keep Your Message Simple
If you want to add sex appeal to your marketing, then keep it simple. And by that I mean everything! Your messaging, your content, your tagline and your ads. There is nothing worse than over-complication because your message will be lost.
I have a client who has a fairly left-of-centre sense of humour. We were doing his newsletter for him to send out and were uploading his text and images for him. When I read his title, I had not a clue what it meant. I called him straight away and explained that if I didn’t get his point (or play on words), then perhaps neither would his audience. Then sending the newsletter would be a waste of his marketing dollars. The lesson was keep it simple and get your message across easily and quickly.
4. Embrace White Space
White space in design can be very soothing on the eye. Whether it’s your website or an ad. It allows your customer to take in everything easily. Adding sex appeal to your marketing definitely includes your design and white space should be incorporated as a part of this. Less is more when it comes to design particularly online where it can all get so overwhelming. White space creates balance but helps to direct your customer to your images and sections of text. White space also implies sophistication.
5. Stay Current
Whether it’s your website, your social media or personal branding, you must be current or on-trend. Your website is part of your marketing. It is, or should be, the basis of all your online marketing. Your design should be today – you can’t add sex appeal to an out-of-date website, let’s face it! It should also be responsive which means easily viewable on any mobile device. The same goes for social media marketing. If your customers are hanging out on Instagram, then you need to be there too. You can’t be a dinosaur and add sex appeal to your marketing at the same time!
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If you want to add sex appeal to your marketing you will need to stand out from all the other non-creatives in your industry. Don’t follow the sheep. Remember too that’s its ok sometimes to share personal updates because that makes you more human and approachable. Whether you’re selling a product or a service, most of your customers will buy based on emotion. So remove the cold, hard facts and concentrate on communicating a ‘feeling’. You need to appeal to the human, not the buyer. This is how you will add sex appeal into your marketing and shine.
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Judith Shuttleworth
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