"Boring" Companies. How To Make Social Media Work for You

I got a new vacuum cleaner about a week ago. I've never been one to love cleaning very much, but let me tell you, that new vacuum has changed my life. My roommates and I have never had one that actually sucks (in the right way), so this was a big step for us. I've never vacuumed our house as much as I have in the last week.

This new love of my vacuum cleaner got me thinking about how a company like Shark uses social media as a marketing platform considering there's not much to talk about when it comes to vacuums. They clean your floors and carpets, maybe your drapes or couch, but for the most part, vacuums are boring. I looked up Shark's twitter account to see what they're doing on social media to get people talking about their brand, and they're doing a good job at sharing relevant content. They tweet helpful cleaning tips, new products they have coming out, and have giveaways each week. They even used Shark Week on the Discovery Channel to their advantage. It's very clear that they know what market they are targeting.

I think the key to using social media to your advantage if you're a "boring" company is to not let people know that you think you're boring. Establish who you are as a brand and make sure you identify your target market. Know who you're talking to. If you're a vacuum cleaner company, don't try to talk to the teens (they don't care). Talk to moms or dads or self-proclaimed neat freaks. Another good way to help your "boring" company utilize social media is to do giveaways (if possible) or trivia. Everyone likes games or contests. Including this in your social media strategy is a good way to increase engagement. Also, make sure that the content you're sharing is adding value to your brand identity. Stay on topic. If you're a soap company, don't tweet random pictures of cute cats (unless, of course, the cats are using your soap in the picture...then I guess it's okay?). Just make sure what you're sharing is relevant to your brand.

So, if you find that you're in charge of using social media to market what some might think is a "boring" company or "boring" product, just remember that there are ways to make it more exciting. You just might have to be more creative.