As a young, naïve editor in NYC, I had a mentor who taught me a lot of about the magazine business. And every month, when we were deciding which cover lines to grace the front of our issue, she would undoubtedly say, “But is it sexy?” when one of us timidly offered our suggestions. It seemed odd, especially because the magazine was geared toward teenage and young adult women, so she clearly wasn’t referring to a Maxim-style approach. And while it took a few tries to wrap my head around what she did mean, I finally got it.
Sexy content can intrigue those passing by the newsstand on the busy corner of West 57th Street and Broadway to pick your magazine out of the hundreds being offered. And sexy content can certainly attract Internet users to your content and actually read it, too. We are not saying you need to offer up big bucks to get a Victoria’s Secret model to do your marketing like Kia and Teleflora did, but a little spice never hurt a good marketing campaign. Here, we take a look at what makes content marketing sexy.
By evoking a little curiosity, content can certainly capture more than a few interested leads. How do you evoke curiosity? Offer something buyers have never seen before. This can be a fresh perspective, information based on personal experience or a behind-the-scenes look at an event. What you are offering should be unique to you or your company. This needs to come across in your headline. Need some help writing a great headline? Click here.
A colleague just shared with me how she attended a conference where all the speakers boasted their success but never shared how they got there. It was completely frustrating. Why would you want to be frustrating when you can be sexy instead? Spend some time gathering the data and share your secrets of success. While some may “steal” your ideas, others will be impressed and hire you to do the same for them. As for the content, you need to draw them in first. Want to find out how Kuno Creative helped one manufacturer increase sales qualified leads by 631 percent? Download our free case study! (Numbers have never been so sexy!)
Even if your topic of choice isn’t as intriguing as celebrity gossip, you can still tell a good story. Instead of focusing on the ins and outs of your product or service, dig deeper to the “why" of your product. For example, dental equipment may not be all that interesting, but they help build better smiles and better confidence—that “why” can make all the difference. Your “why” is there, and its story is waiting to be told. If you are successful in this marketing element, your story will lure your buyers in for you. (Check out a favorite storytelling example here.)
There have been numerous occasions when I read an article only to reach the end feeling deflated because there was absolutely no takeaway—and deflated is not sexy! Imagine you are on a first date, and the person sitting across from you rambles on and on about him or herself without even trying to get to know you. Not sexy. Your content, similarly, should not ramble, but rather offer educational or entertaining information for your buyers. It should offer something that will solve a problem in the readers’ personal or professional lives. And that information should be easy to find and apply. Don’t skimp on this or that second date is unlikely to occur.
It is important not to cross that line where classy becomes trashy…you are still marketing for a business after all. And because you want to intrigue, seduce and lure buyers in, you certainly don’t want them running the other direction because you were too vulgar. Push the envelope, but set up checks and balances with those in leadership roles at your company.
Sexy content can help get you attention, but you will want to ensure that attention is from the right kind of suitor—namely a qualified buyer. Remember, measuring the results of your content can be sexy, too, because, in the end, it will only help you produce more sophisticated, more seductive content for the people you want as customers. Do you have advice for creating sexy content? Share your tips in the comment section below.
photo credit: lucyfrench123
