How to Market Boring Products on Social Media

We can’t all sell shiny diamond necklaces and skateboards. But what about homeowner’s insurance? Tampons? Allergy Meds? And everything else that has always been considered a boring product?

Comparing your product to necklaces and skateboards may make you feel a bit of FOMO. Keep in mind – most companies are selling boring products that are not considered cool or sexy by our audience. That doesn’t stop the creative marketing teams from having fun with their social strategy.  

In a competitive economy, you still have to do what it takes to set yourself apart from the other options in your industry.  

How do the most creative companies do that? By creating a brand, content, and promotions that add some spice to an otherwise flavorless industry. 

Why social?

Those boring products like insurance, mattresses, and vitamins – guess who is just now starting their purchase journeys for those? You guessed it – millennials and Gen Z-ers. Where do you find them (us)? On social.  Among 16-24-year-olds, social media has already surpassed search engines as the leading product research channel. When you’re trying to find a younger audience looking for a cool spin on a traditional product, you’ll find them on social.

If all of your marketing tactics are geared towards the individuals that have been buying for 20+ years, you’re missing some great opportunities to grow that new audience. 

Take a little time to evaluate your social presence. Would you want to spend 15-20 minutes scrolling through your content? If the answer is no, then consider a few updates to amp up your social game.

Step outside of your comfy little content-box 

Lemonade Inc. 

Renter’s insurance: if your product is too hard to make directly interesting, step outside of the box like Lemonade Inc. 

Lemonade based its entire Instagram presence on the #satisfyme craze. Yes -this means 100 percent of their Instagram content is dipping random items in fluorescent pink paint.

Surface level, this doesn’t seem like that much of a content strategy. But lo and behold – people actively watch their content! This strategy isn’t coming from the left field: the paint is always their branded hot pink, and the symbolism is on point. This insurance company ‘covers’ everything. (Heyyy insurance puns we’re here for it!) 

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If your product is boring, partner with one that isn’t 

Casper Mattresses 

Mattresses are a necessary purchase that most young individuals historically chose on price alone. Casper Mattresses changed that game and created a trendy mattress brand that is now a brag-able purchase.  They did this through many strategies, from finding cool celebrity influencers to promote the product, to offering trendy and high-tech UVPs like a rollable, shippable mattress.

Their most recent campaign is partnering with a CBD company (an objectively un-boring product) that is producing CVB melatonin sleep gummies.  Their past few social posts have been promoting this new partnership because who doesn’t love a mix of trendy blackberry tea flavors, gummy candy, and getting a little high? Nothing boring about that. 

#Aesthetics 

Method Home 

Cleaning supplies used to be considered a boring product, but there are a few companies that flipped the industry on its head and gave a makeover to the idea of cleaning. Method is one of those companies that lead the charge. How are they doing it? Making soap and cleaning products look trendier than a Coachella girl. In fact – Method is a Coachella girl. They went to Coachella to promote their product to and record interviews from the individuals who appreciate aesthetics the most. 

Cleaning supplies have the benefit of being naturally colorful – so Method uses that to their advantage. Each image is eye-candy and Instagram goals. They started such a movement around a hand soap and cleaner brand that fans send in their images of the soap in aesthetic places. 

There’s nothing wrong with getting a little playful 

Ritual Vitamins 

There is a reason that most people are on social all the time… you can say it’s to ‘connect with friends’ or to ‘learn more about products’ but let’s face it – it’s memes. So let’s give the people what they want. Offer your social content in the context and format people crave. 

Ritual Vitamins makes surfing their profile fun through wholesome memes surrounding how you feel when taking vitamins. Mixing pop culture with the UVPs of the product is the perfect intersection between promotion and entertaining your followers.

There’s nothing wrong with getting a little edgy either 

Billie  

Billie made social media waves by taking a different angle to hair removal of which the world has never seen – visually acknowledging the female body hair their product gets rid of. Such a seemingly small strategy shook the hair removal industry to its core. It also caused a stir surrounding the appropriateness of Billie’s content.  

This was exactly what the new company hoped to do. Open people’s eyes to how everyday women regard their body hair, whether it is welcomed or not. Billie changed a boring, daily grooming product into a body positivity movement with a few pictures of hairy armpits. 

Billie does not shame women for their hair or even tell them they need to get rid of it. They celebrate the choice to keep it or not – and offer up their product for people who choose the ladder. Their social content reflects this message with every hair follicle highlighted.  

Their content started a conversation on the taboo of female body hair. sparked their growth and resulted in them being one of the most talked-about startups out there. 

We promise – your product may be a little boring, but you don’t have to be. If you are ready to spice up your brand, reach out to the Dowitcher team!