Do you work in marketing in a “boring” industry? If so, I bet you dream about selling a more exciting, glamorous product, like sports cars, or the latest blockbuster movie. I know, the feeling. If only you were marketing one of those products, you’d be running a really successful marketing campaign.
If this sounds somewhat familiar, we think you may need to rethink your marketing strategy. You may have heard that inbound marketing is based on creating compelling content. If you think that’s impossible, because you’re in a dry, boring industry, we’re going to let you in on a little secret. Boring industries can actually be a marketer’s paradise.
Does that sound crazy to you? Who wants to read about machine parts, or technical services, for example? The answer is simple: your target audience. Never forget that boring is in the eye of the beholder. For every marketer who thinks an industry is boring, there are hundreds or thousands of people who actually find it fascinating.
This is where understanding your audience and developing proper buyer personas is really important. You’ve probably heard us talk about buyer personas, but in many cases, these are put together in a rush and aren’t as effective as they could be. There are buyers who need your product or service, regardless of how boring it seems to you, and they will be very interested to read informative content on the subject. Don’t just use sketchy or superficial data to create your buyer personas. Put in a little extra time, and do some more research, including interview experts if need be, to find out what people in your “boring” field are really interested in.
Here are some examples of “boring industries” which can really benefit from inbound marketing strategies.
Mortgage loans
It doesn’t matter how much you love homes or architecture, there’s nothing sexy about mortgages. And with so many outlets for home loans, how can one mortgage company stand out over the others? Worse yet, the mortgage process can be long and arduous, and the process is not always pleasant. Enter inbound marketing. As boring as mortgage loans can be, there is also a maze of information that is difficult for most people to parse. Well-written content clarifying some of the concerns of people who need mortgages can earn the trust of consumers and help establish you as an expert in your field.
Healthcare Professionals
While there may be some glamour in healthcare niches like cosmetic surgery, we can’t really say the same thing about, dentistry, for instance. Most of us tend to think of seeing the dentist as a necessary evil, and we certainly don’t get too excited by reading about it. But dentistry is something we all need, and most of us certainly have questions about our teeth and oral hygiene. If you’re running a dental practice, a well-written blog which can even include a touch of humor here and there, can help your inform your patients, and humanize you in their eyes.
Morticians
I honestly can’t think of a more boring industry than this. I wouldn’t have believed that inbound marketing could vitalize this field if I hadn’t seen Caitlin Doughty’s “Ask The Mortician” video series. She consistently discusses subject matter that many shy away from, but almost all of us have questions about, and does it in an informative manner, and with a bit of humor. It must be working, as her YouTube channel has over 65,000 subscribers. If it works for funeral services, your industry can’t really be too boring to effectively use inbound marketing strategies, can it?
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