Here’s a secret that isn’t commonly talked about in marketing circles: all products are boring if you’re looking at them wrong. A smartphone can be a rectangular communication device that exists wirelessly, or it can be a window to the total accumulation of human knowledge.
A box of facial tissue can be squares of tree pulp used to contain germs and nasal excretions, or soft and hygienic tissues that comfort you during allergy season.
If any product can be made boring, the following logic is that any product can be made interesting. You just need to know where to look.
Find a better angle
If you’re finding the product you’re trying to pitch or market boring, you are probably looking at it in the wrong way. Start by changing your angle. If you’ve been focused on technical details, step back and look at the complete picture. If you’ve been focused on production, refocus on the final product. If you’ve kept your eye on corporate culture, start looking at how this product is going to make a difference for people.
Switch up your view, and you will often find that the product in question is a lot more interesting than you thought.
Solve a problem
One way to make a potentially uninteresting product fascinating is to show how it solves your problems. Understanding that content marketing is your secret weapon can be a game-changer; it allows you to craft narratives that not only solve problems but also resonate emotionally with your target audience. One classic example is Febreeze; this product originally was difficult to sell, even though it had the amazing property of neutralizing even some pretty foul odors. However the product only became popular once the company started adding scents to the product so that customers knew it was working.
They had thought the problem they were solving was getting rid of unpleasant smells, but the problem that made the product interesting was the idea of both doing that and adding a positive smell to the home. Once that became the problem to solve, the rest of the marketing fell into place, and the product became quite well-known.
Address the niche
It’s an advertising misunderstanding that any product can be for every consumer. If you’re finding that it’s boring to write about the product in question, you may be trying to cast too wide of a net with your marketing. Instead, try to narrow down your focus to your niche. Who really needs your product? Why do they want it? What is going to be interesting to them?
Once you have that focus, making the product interesting is easier, because you know what facts and figures and details to highlight for that specific marketing segment.
Show the process
One marketing option is to show the product in use. Demonstrations, blogs about frequently asked questions and getting the most out of the service, videos of production, and many other possibilities can help users connect with the process of making or using an item, which is more interesting. We process information more quickly visually than audibly, so the message can also be condensed in many ways.
Signal boost users
If you’ve started gaining an audience, spend some time signal-boosting your users. Invite them to do guest blogs, real-life videos, or unboxing. Offer incentives to tweet about the product, offer giveaway items to influencers, and make sure that you use your platform to boost these users to other followers.
By doing this, you get to put a fresh spin on your marketing and see how users are actually experiencing the product. Showing their excitement and interest can help you remember what drew you to this project in the first place, or help you understand the potential for this product to create change within your niche.
Change your medium
If you’re painfully bored by the project in question, it may be that you’re talking about it in the wrong way. For example, trying to describe the back-end development of software can be excruciating to discuss, but showing what’s happening with graphics and visuals can be absolutely fascinating.
So if writing a blog post isn’t working for you, try creating a video, making a Pinterest board, or creating a multimedia presentation. Integrating a mix of online and local advertising can amplify your reach, allowing you to target both tech-savvy consumers and those who prefer traditional media. The best possible outcome means that you’ll end up with a new way to discuss the product in question; the worst option is that you’ll understand the product better. Not such a bad outcome in the end. Logos can serve as a visual shorthand, capturing the essence of your product and making it instantly recognizable, thereby elevating your brand’s position in the consumer’s mind.
In general, most products are very interesting to someone, and at some level. If you can find out who finds a product interesting, you’re halfway to finding it interesting yourself. Don’t let something boring be an excuse to let your marketing be slipshod.
What techniques do you recommend when you’re trying to get interested in a product that you don’t personally find interesting?
