What are you seeing when you log on to social media right now? How about when you turn on the tv, or go out with friends? Popular culture can be used in so many ways to grow your business and, if you’re not keeping up with what’s happening around you, you could be missing out.
A product or service is much more likely to sell if related to something that a consumer already has an interest in. That’s a fact. Last summer, sales of water bottles with names printed on sky-rocketed, all because of Love Island. After Wimbledon, thousands of people take up tennis; the London Marathon inspires people to start running.
So how can you profit from popular culture?
First things first.. do your research.
Put aside some time to find topics that are trending on social media. Read through entertainment and sports news and take note of which television shows are the most popular right now. When you’ve done this, you’ll be able to create a list of the things that we’re currently crazy about and, more importantly, the topics your network are interested in right now.
“But how will this list grow my business?” I hear you ask.
While you might not be able to target fans of everything on your list, you should be able to pick out a handful that you can relate your products to. You can create targeted ads, special discounts and product packages.
Let’s take a look at the World Cup – and not just because England just won their first ever penalty shootout in a World Cup game.
There are two major groups of people that you can target during an event like this: the hardcore football fans and the poor people who are left out because they couldn’t care less. In particular, I see a lot of football fans’ partners complaining on social media that they’ve temporarily lost their other half to the game.
What can you offer to take their minds off of it?
Think about the products you sell and how they might be used to cheer people up. Perhaps you sell beauty products and could market a pamper package for the football widows. Or maybe you promote wine that could be used for a football-free gathering. Get creative and tailor your marketing efforts to the right crowd.
During sports tournaments and events, fitness related products are more likely to sell. Do you offer supplements, health and fitness products or anything similar?
Now let’s move onto another thing that we can’t escape right now: Love Island.
Personally, I don’t watch the show but, what I can gather from social media posts is that it’s all about looking good while sitting around in the sun. (And some other stuff that it would be inappropriate to go into detail about.)
My current package aimed at Love Island fans, consists of fake tan, a weight-loss or energy boosting system and a face mask. While this mostly appeals to women, there are a large number of men who also take an interest.
When it comes to popular culture, it’s not what you’re selling, it’s the way you’re doing it. If you can appeal to the right people, and show them how and why they will benefit from your product, you’re onto a winner. Make sure you take the time to really plan out your target audience, what they’re looking for in a product and how you can show the benefits of buying from you.
If you’ve had any experiences with selling in this way, I’d love to hear how it went.
