Several years ago I had a friend tell me my press releases were “sexy.” It was her observation that led me to name my marketing and social media service Sexy Networking.
Since then, I’ve written copy and designed campaigns for a small town pharmacy, and dozens of big town professional dominatrix. But the fundamentals for what makes a subject sexy are always the same.
Honesty Is Sexy
Good marketing is never about disguising your flaws, or portraying yourself, or your brand, as something you’re not. Being honest is fundamental to being sexy.
McDonald’s adjusted their menu and their advertising to tell you that their food was healthy. It was a disaster for sales in their restaurants. No one goes to McDonald’s to eat healthy. It was a gross mismatch for their customer base, and it wasn’t honest.
McDonald’s recovered when they started offering their breakfast menu all day. Yes, sometimes we want to eat a McGriddle at 7pm! That’s honest, and honesty is sexy.
Take the time to figure out who you are, and what you do better than anyone else, and broadcast that to the world. If you just tell it like it is, then people will respond to you.
Knowledge Is Sexy
I shouldn’t have to tell you that someone who knows what they are doing is infinitely sexier than someone who doesn’t. In fact, it’s patently unsexy to flail around with ignorance.
You should know who your target audience is, what they are looking for, and how to talk to them better than anyone else. If you’ve done your research (both internal and external) then your communication will be expertly-crafted for your audience.
Keep in mind that there’s a big difference between what you want, and what your partner wants. If the focus is on you, then you’re doing it wrong. If you’re focused on them then that’s sexy.
Looks Are Sexy
Some of us are born with good looks, and some of us have to work a little harder, but in either case grooming, what you wear, and how you present yourself, make a difference in how sexy you are.
You can’t change what you’re born with, but you can concentrate on everything else. What does that mean to you?
Recently, I had to write copy for a small storage facility website. That’s probably one of the least sexy things I can think of!
Here’s what I did to make that storage facility sexier:
- I created a great-looking, modern, responsive, and interactive website.
- I made sure that the copy was clean, concise, grammatically-correct, and spoke directly to potential clients.
- I interviewed the owners and found out what they considered to be their unique qualities and made sure to relay that on the site.
- I researched what clients said about the company, and reflected that on the site too.
- I took a bunch of professional, high-quality photos and used those everywhere. The upgrade from shots taken on a cell-phone, versus professional photography was stunning.
Not everyone is a Victoria’s Secret supermodel, and that’s okay. If you work on your presentation it will make you sexy too.
Passion Is Sexy
There is absolutely nothing that is as sexy as passion. If you’re not passionate about what you do then no amount of honesty, knowledge, or good looks, are going to make you sexy.
You’ve got to channel that passion you have for who you are and what you do into everything that send out to the world.
We ignore poor marketing every day. It’s everywhere! It’s irritating. And it’s boring.
If you want to grab people’s attention, then you must bleed passion when you do marketing. Tell people what makes you get up in the morning. What is it that you love doing? What drives you? That’s the secret sauce you must share to rise above the clutter out there.
Is Your Marketing Sexy?
Sexy marketing is honest, it’s full of knowledge, it looks great, and it’s packed with passion. Basically, it’s about taking a frank assessment of who you are, and who your target audience is, and doing your best to tell your story with heart.
If you don’t believe what you’re saying, then no one else will. But if you’re in love with what you do, then the world will fall in love too.
