This is the story of how, despite the fact that I just wrote a post on Your Marketing Secret Weapon – Boobs and Babes, how once again I’ve learned that sex – or rather sexy bodies are indeed your marketing secret weapon.
It began quite innocently – I was trying to come up with a “word picture” to help describe the growing phenomenon of social media on the web. Why? Well – because an easy to understand metaphor will help me to communicate the importance of the new “web 2.0” to the average business owner.
I’m familiar with the concept of coming up with an easy to understand word picture to describe the esoteric or obscure. See, I’m the owner of a Field Spaniel, the 2nd rarest breed of spaniel recognized by the AKC. When people hear that I own a Field Spaniel, they’ll ask what it is. Instead of launching into a recitation of the breed standard, I’ll answer with, “It’s a Cocker Spaniel on steroids.”
Most people know what a Cocker Spaniel is thanks to the Disney movie Lady and the Tramp – and thanks to professional baseball, most people are WELL aware of the effects of steroids. Thus a powerful, easy to understand word picture describing exactly what a Field Spaniel is.
So, I attempt to make this transition into social media – and come up with, “Social Media is Communication on Steroids”. As I mention in the post, that word picture doesn’t work NEARLY as well because most people are interested in how social media will help them to build their business. In MY mind it’s a short leap – because I know that marketing is simply a business communicating what they have to offer. Since marketing = Communication – social media is communication on steroids.
Like an inside joke, it loses something when I have to explain it.
So I asked the question which absolutely MUST be addressed if social media marketing is to go “mainstream” – what easy to understand “word picture” describes social media and the impact it’s having on the web.
Since my contribution to the “brainstorming” was “Social media is communication on steroids,” I chose the picture above to illustrate my point.
A few days later, I was doing a cursory check of my analytics and happened to see something quite amazing – the daily traffic views on my flagship blog have increased DRAMATICALLY since Mr. Hunky began appearing on my front page.
I’m not getting more comments on the blog post – but MAN am I getting pageviews!!!
I have to admit, when I wrote the post about the SI Swimsuit issue, I definitely had a “men are pigs” kind of vibe going on as I wrote it.
“Silly Neanderthals! Maslow was SO wrong – men’s heirarchy of needs begins and ends with sex.”
Um – it appears we ladies aren’t any better “evolved” than the men.
So it’s official. Sex sells – and more importantly, putting a SEXY body on your ads will increase what ever metric you’re measuring. I used to think that meant boobs and babes – but it turns out a hunky, muscular stud sans face will do nicely as well.
Ok Kathy, I found Mr. Hunky over here too. WOW!.
Anyhow, I’m getting ready to push the button up there and order your book. This old girl wants to start a business so it’s time to do some research.
Valeries last blog post..Paying It Forward to Fellow Caregivers
You weren’t the only one! I’m really going to be sorry to see him go – and not just because he looks SO darned good at the top of a blog post!!! Darn – he’s definitely a traffic magnet!
Very interesting and provocative stuff. Sex does sell because it appeals to our evolutionary instincts. I was reading an interesting book called Buyology and it was discussing how men attract women by buying expensive sports cars just as birds attract mates with bright plumage.