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Does Sex Sell in promotional videos?

by abednego
36 replies
Anyone outsource video creation to someone who is attractive to promote IM products?

I know it sounds kinda stupid, but... I will probably be forced to watch the new Twilight film - and it has the worst story, acting, etc. Because the actors are all "good looking", it makes tons... without needing anything of substance within the content.
#promotional #sell #videos
  • Profile picture of the author David Jackson
    Originally Posted by abednego View Post

    Anyone outsource video creation to someone who is attractive to promote IM products?
    You can use a pretty face to sell virtually anything. It's been that way, since the beginning of time. However, a pretty face will only get the prospects attention. The rest of your marketing message has to be compelling enough to stand up under its own merits.

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    • Profile picture of the author RentItNow
      Originally Posted by David Jackson View Post

      You can use a pretty face to sell virtually anything. It's been that way, since the beginning of time. However, a pretty face will only get the prospects attention. The rest of your marketing message has to be compelling enough to stand up under its own merits.
      David Jackson
      This is why at trade shows companies hire hot women to guide the guys into the booth where a used car salesman type then markets to them.

      I dont think this is necessary in IM. People are looking for honesty. New saying is "Honesty Sells!"
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      I have no agenda but to help those in the same situation. This I feel will pay the bills.
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      • Profile picture of the author abednego
        Originally Posted by RentItNow View Post

        This is why at trade shows companies hire hot women to guide the guys into the booth where a used car salesman type then markets to them.

        I dont think this is necessary in IM. People are looking for honesty. New saying is "Honesty Sells!"
        As much as I would love to believe that, I hardly do. Look around in the WSO forums, I don't feel like honesty is genuinely reeking off people's income statements...
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  • Profile picture of the author Colin Theriot
    If you want to KILL it, you need to follow in Joss Whedon's footsteps and hire someone attractive who has no idea how attractive they are. This will lead to an earnestness in delivery that will read as REAL instead of someone feeling like they are applying their sexy "brand" to your BS product.

    If you're in the business of selling info online, cute, but NOT HOT nerdy looking girls will take you very, very far.

    NOTE: I am fully aware that I'm probably about to be eviscerated as a sexist for being so specific, but hey, he asked, and I happen to know.

    I wish I could cite all kinds of studies where putting hot dudes on stuff sold more stuff to ladies, but it just doesn't work that way. Sexism exists BECAUSE of the disproportionate response of each sex towards non-contextual stimulus.

    But I digress. Sex sells to men automatically. Sex sells to women when you can connect it correctly. Sex sells, period.

    It's the only one left on the Mazlow chart that's not just handed to us as a human right. We're still on our own and up to our own devices and means when it comes to getting laid. So for the percentage of the population who aren't getting ENOUGH stimulation there, opportunities arise.

    NOTE also, whether an individual deems any given amount of stimulation "enough" is entirely subjective, but I argue that if it's the kind of dude that will buy X beer over Y beer due to the amount of flesh in the commercial, there are some audiences for which there is NEVER enough sexual stimulation.

    But technically, it's just ONE of MANY triggers that work on us evolved monkey folk.
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    • Profile picture of the author Halffull
      Absolutely, you also get the benefits the Halo effect, and people will trust the content more.

      The trade off is that you're branding someone else instead of yourself. If you see this stuff as a career instead of an individual business, having a personal brand can be incredibly powerful.
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      • Profile picture of the author cnrimgr1
        Originally Posted by Halffull View Post

        Absolutely, you also get the benefits the Halo effect, and people will trust the content more.

        The trade off is that you're branding someone else instead of yourself. If you see this stuff as a career instead of an individual business, having a personal brand can be incredibly powerful.
        Completely agree.

        And yes sex sells! Sex is a multi billion dollar business. There is a reason that huge companies hire women to promote their products from singing and dancing to just being "earnest" women have a easier time selling to mass market if they are attractive. How many times have you wavered and then bought something because the sales agent was so pretty you just went with it. If it had been a man you would have been a little harder and maybe would not have bought it.
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    • Profile picture of the author abednego
      Originally Posted by Colin Theriot View Post

      If you want to KILL it, you need to follow in Joss Whedon's footsteps and hire someone attractive who has no idea how attractive they are. This will lead to an earnestness in delivery that will read as REAL instead of someone feeling like they are applying their sexy "brand" to your BS product.
      ...
      Is there a post at what exactly Joss Whedon did, and the results?

      I would like to know if anyone around here has tried to outsource video creation to someone who is attractive...
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      • Profile picture of the author Colin Theriot
        Originally Posted by abednego View Post

        Is there a post at what exactly Joss Whedon did, and the results?

        I would like to know if anyone around here has tried to outsource video creation to someone who is attractive...
        Joss Whedon is a TV writer/producer/director famous for Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, and Dollhouse. All his TV shows get cancelled, but he's great at casting girls who are conventionally attractive but capture his coveted "geek" audience through authenticity.

        In the same way Hugh Hefner made a business model on packaging the "girl next door" for a certain male personality type, Whedon does it for a completely different kind of guy.

        Namely, the kind of guy who is probably on the computer all damn day long. That's why I say following his lead might be a good idea. Quirky smart chicks who are knowledgeable, but deferential.

        Girls who will get Monty Python jokes, but will let you be the one to make the obvious ones. You get that G4 channel? Any of the girls on there are a good example of what I mean. They tried having hot girls who couldn't talk the geek talk and it flopped.
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        • Profile picture of the author PandoraHarper
          Originally Posted by Colin Theriot View Post

          Joss Whedon is a TV writer/producer/director famous for Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, and Dollhouse. All his TV shows get cancelled, but he's great at casting girls who are conventionally attractive but capture his coveted "geek" audience through authenticity.


          Girls who will get Monty Python jokes, but will let you be the one to make the obvious ones. You get that G4 channel? Any of the girls on there are a good example of what I mean. They tried having hot girls who couldn't talk the geek talk and it flopped.
          Colin, I have to ask. Are you a fan of Joss Whedon? Just curious. Not to highjack this thread. Whendon understands the laws of attraction (I mean sex) better then a lot of other people who are producing prime material.

          In all, I think this depends on a number of factors. Product, group your selling said product to, country buyer lives in, and a host of other factors.

          Like Colin says, authenticity is half the battle. A buyer is going to feel a lot more inclined to buy if the promoter is cute AND interested in what they are selling.
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          • Profile picture of the author Colin Theriot
            Originally Posted by PandoraHarper View Post

            Colin, I have to ask. Are you a fan of Joss Whedon? Just curious. Not to highjack this thread. Whendon understands the laws of attraction (I mean sex) better then a lot of other people who are producing prime material.
            I find most of his stuff sort of trite and he adheres to his own formulas. They might not be as visible if he didn't have the same kinds of stories and situational elements across 4 or 5 different shows. I loved Firefly, but my wife is a bigger fan of his other shows.

            But that doesn't mean I don't still admire how well he's in touch with who his audience is, male and female. He creates a refined product that his core audience seems to always love. He never hits the kind of numbers that make networks happy though.

            Fortunately, online, we have all the time we need to build our audience. We can't get cancelled unless we decide to quit. We have the luxury of cultivating an actual fan base without the immediate commercial concern.

            In the long run, that's much, much more valuable than an only semi-interested audience who found you looking for something "different". You don't want those - you want the people who are "I LIKE this - give me MORE of THIS."

            His casting of that type of female cast is an example that he wants to cultivate that audience for himself. Anyway, I digress! Hope that answered your question (I could have just said "more or less" I guess.)
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  • Profile picture of the author excoder01
    No, it doesn't.

    It attracts attention initially, but doesn't sell unless you got the compelling offer.

    Okay it does in a way, but is this what you want your reputation on? Creating tons of ebooks/services/products all with a pretty women on it? LOL.

    Twilight works because of the demographics.

    Various products work if it geared towards certain demographics.

    It's all about the demographics and interests.
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  • Profile picture of the author Branlan17
    Woah. WOAH. Woah. WoAh. You come in here and try to say Twilight has no content or decent storyline?! NOT IN MY HOUSE.

    Hehe, I'm being dragged to the Eclipse midnight premiere with my little sis tomorrow. And by being dragged I mean I've been recruited to drive... I'll pretend I don't enjoy it just to save face.
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  • Profile picture of the author ConnorMcCreesh
    Sex will sell, (from a mans point of view) don't tell me that you would be more interested in a glamour model trying to sell you a product then a pot bellied balding man (unless it had some good humor)?
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  • Profile picture of the author abednego
    OHHHHHH! i feel stupid. I know who that is. I absolutely LOVED Firefly... and even the followup movie Serenity. Never watched any of the other shows.

    I'd really like to experiment with this, though ... someone else HAD to have attempted this within the IM niche.
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    • Profile picture of the author butters
      This really comes down to specific markets I would of thought, lets be honest, if I am after a good razor blade, I don't want a woman shaving now do I . If they are advertising a beer then sure, it all depends on the market. While information markets such as IM can benefit from the sex appeal, will it help with sales, possibly but I would of thought the people looking for information would look for that and not a cute looking girl. Just my opinion of course .

      So yeah, it is completely based on the market you are in, IMO.
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      • Profile picture of the author Halffull
        Originally Posted by butters View Post

        This really comes down to specific markets I would of thought, lets be honest, if I am after a good razor blade, I don't want a woman shaving now do I . If they are advertising a beer then sure, it all depends on the market. While information markets such as IM can benefit from the sex appeal, will it help with sales, possibly but I would of thought the people looking for information would look for that and not a cute looking girl. Just my opinion of course .

        So yeah, it is completely based on the market you are in, IMO.

        Almost all shaving commercials I've seen have used sex to sell. A beautiful women touching a handsome mans face/kissing it.

        A good shave, it will make you handsome and get you beautiful women.
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  • Profile picture of the author KatyaSenina
    I don't know... maybe it works for the dating niche?
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  • Profile picture of the author Paleochora
    I guess what you are asking is 'does an attractive person attract more attention from more people?'

    You only need to check out Alexa's profile views to get an answer.

    Btw. - Not taking anything away from Alexa, here... many people visiting her profile page will be there because she is a very intellegent and articulate IM professional. But then, so is Steve Waggenheim ... here are the stats

    Steve: 15,000 or so posts, 17,000 profile page visits. Nice one.

    Alexa: 3,500 or so posts, 16,000 profile page visits. Hmmmm.

    Anyway...Respect to both of you...and, Steve, I am not suggesting you are unattractive in any way.
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  • Profile picture of the author excoder01
    From a big picture perspective, it's a form of subliminal stimulation.

    If you really want to expand your knowledge and how this "sex sells" effect is being taken to extreme, please watch "The Century of Self." The documentary displays much of of the current marketing/advertising techniques - everything from finding people needs and desires - and then marketing products to those demographics. Internet marketers can learn a lot from that documentary.

    A funny movie satire that parodies the "sex sells" effect is "Idiocracy" by Mike Judge. In the future, marketers/advertisers are literally using sex to sell! LOL. In fact, the more I watch the "Idiocracy" and "Century of Self" - the more I feel like the same thing is happening in the IM industry and entertainment media at large. The future of it. lol.

    The main message is -- as long as you know what people desire and inner pleasure are -- you can subtly control them.
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  • Profile picture of the author ContentArticleWriter
    If it is visually... OF COURSE sex sells. Just take the beer commercials as an example: No fat or ugly people in there. Just hot guys and beautiful women.

    When it comes down to IM, I am in a state of confusion... I want to say YES it kind of does, but then again, most people doing business online do not even show their face. Even those who create videos use graphics, photos, text and snapshots of their sites.
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    • Profile picture of the author abednego
      Originally Posted by ContentArticleWriter View Post

      If it is visually... OF COURSE sex sells. Just take the beer commercials as an example: No fat or ugly people in there. Just hot guys and beautiful women.

      When it comes down to IM, I am in a state of confusion... I want to say YES it kind of does, but then again, most people doing business online do not even show their face. Even those who create videos use graphics, photos, text and snapshots of their sites.
      I am in the same state of confusion; and wondering if I should start up a JV ...
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      • Profile picture of the author butters
        Abed and Content, if you are in a state of confusion, test it and see what happens. Until you test it for yourself, your never know if it will profit you or not. Sure you can let other people test it for themselves and assume it will/wont work in your business or you can just do it yourself and know it will/wont work.
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    • Profile picture of the author David Jackson
      Originally Posted by ContentArticleWriter View Post

      If it is visually... OF COURSE sex sells. Just take the beer commercials as an example: No fat or ugly people in there. Just hot guys and beautiful women.
      Actually, that's not a good example, because two of the most popular beer commercials on television feature both fat and ugly guys. The commercials are Captain Morgan beer and Samuel Adams. Actually, now that I think about it, there are quite a few beer commercials like that. Same thing with Mike's Hard Lemonade. No beautiful people.

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      • Profile picture of the author abednego
        Originally Posted by David Jackson View Post

        Actually, that's not a good example, because two of the most popular beer commercials on television feature both fat and ugly guys. The commercials are Captain Morgan beer and Samuel Adams. Actually, now that I think about it, there are quite a few beer commercials like that. Same thing with Mike's Hard Lemonade. No beautiful people.

        David Jackson
        Maybe that niche is just recovering from an over saturation of that marketing tactic.

        I doubt the current IM niche has that same problem ...
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  • Profile picture of the author Ryan D
    Banned
    Originally Posted by abednego View Post

    Anyone outsource video creation to someone who is attractive to promote IM products?

    I know it sounds kinda stupid, but... I will probably be forced to watch the new Twilight film - and it has the worst story, acting, etc. Because the actors are all "good looking", it makes tons... without needing anything of substance within the content.
    Not so sure about that. People liked the story enough to make it a top selling book for 3 years in a row, without all the actors. So in that case, they had a quality product to start off.
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    • Profile picture of the author abednego
      Originally Posted by Ryan D View Post

      Not so sure about that. People liked the story enough to make it a top selling book for 3 years in a row, without all the actors. So in that case, they had a quality product to start off.
      hehe I was being semi sarcastic!
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  • Profile picture of the author CharlesDenney
    SEX is by far the most potent word in advertising. If you want to confirm this, just look at the covers of the tabloids as well as magazines for men and women when you go through the checkout line at the grocery store. You'll see the word sex plastered all over the place, not to mention the tantalizing pictures. We're all driven by our "basic instincts" to some degree.
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  • Profile picture of the author Online Bliss
    most people doing business online do not even show their face
    It works with Go Daddy, But Geico is just clever and different.
    I put my money on clever!
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  • Profile picture of the author abednego
    I'm surprised that there have been no sexy videos to promote IM products ...
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  • Profile picture of the author fortress
    What people see when a particular product is advertised is its appearance. Images do attract most of the people. If they see an interesting part of the picture, mostly women, they will be attracted and spend some time visiting the advertisement. This is just one of the strategies of the wise businessmen.
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  • Profile picture of the author Orator
    Internet Marketing is business period. Every other business out there uses sex, and beauty to sell their products. Personally I'm surprised it's not be done on a more grand scale with some videos.

    There are always plenty of local good looking women who are would be models, if you can find one who can read your product... well it wouldn't hurt.
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  • Profile picture of the author birdfood
    Sex sells

    Squeeze pages make money

    Sex+squeeze page=lots of money

    Ok, I'm off to pimp my squeeze page
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    • Profile picture of the author abednego
      Originally Posted by birdfood View Post

      Sex sells

      Squeeze pages make money

      Sex+squeeze page=lots of money

      Ok, I'm off to pimp my squeeze page
      Goodluck, let me know how it goes!
      (assuming you're serious, that is... hehe)
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  • Profile picture of the author alniches
    Sex does sell.....and so does professionalism and pleasantness...
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  • Profile picture of the author ingeniousaffiliate
    Ok Ok, I'll be the nit picker. Sex in itself only sells sex. However the promise of sexy sells a boatload! People want sexy things and to be around sexy people and of course to be sexy. If you can convince people that your product can do one of those things in any kind of way. You just may have a winner!
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    • Profile picture of the author abednego
      Originally Posted by ingeniousaffiliate View Post

      Ok Ok, I'll be the nit picker. Sex in itself only sells sex. However the promise of sexy sells a boatload! People want sexy things and to be around sexy people and of course to be sexy. If you can convince people that your product can do one of those things in any kind of way. You just may have a winner!
      Connect that with IM-- whats sexier than money?
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