The Power of Words in Marketing

Words for Ad Copy and Marketing Collateral and Conversation

Below are some words that are recommended to be used in any industry and is designed to draw the right kind of attention to your business. Also there are words that your business should stay away from; words that could be used to hurt your business.

Negative or Non-Productive Words

• Never use vulgar language to color or emphasize anything or any product (vulgar language makes you look less intelligent and can be a turn off for a potential client). It also never serves any real purpose.

• Never say derogatory statements about a competitor or its product or services (you never know who it is that you are speaking with and people are generally more responsive to fair and positive comparisons then negative or derogatory statements).

• Never use words that are misleading or dishonest (it could come back to haunt you and can permanently damage your reputation)

General words to stay away from

• Expert – everyone says that they are the experts. It has been so over used that it may take away credibility rather then improve it.

• Solutions – Everyone has a solution, it doesn’t mean that it’s the right one

• Quality – Everything has quality whether it is good or bad. No one ever advertises that they have bad quality products or services but they exist.

• Difference – What is the difference anyway? The difference between what? Nobody really knows. Nobody cares.

• Superlative Adjectives – Words like best, superior, the greatest, strongest, lightest, optimized, fastest and most, don’t really tell the customer anything because your competitor says the same about their product or service.

• Buy – this word always means that they have to spend money. Alternatively you can use claim or invest.

• Tell – Nobody wants to be told anything; however they don’t mind having something being revealed.

• Learn – We all like to discover new things but as for having to take the time to learn anything, forget it.

• Things – It is too broad a word to be used for anything pertaining to your product or service. Instead, use words like tips, tricks or techniques.

• Stuff – There is way too much stuff out there already and your clients don’t want to know more stuff. They do, however, like to learn insider secrets.

Positive and Productive Words That create Interest

• Always use words that are related to the client and not yourself or your company (people like to hear about themselves and like the attention)

• Speak indirectly about your product or service applying it to how it could benefit the client. (i.e. You are a travel agent and you remind a potential client about how great their last vacation was) Plant seeds.

• Always use decisive times or dates when trying to “get together” with a client

• Always ask questions about the client and have them do all the talking (this lets the client know your interested in them and not just trying to sell them something)

General words that are useful in everything

• You – it’s always important that whatever you are pitching it should be about them not your pocketbook. Even better use their name whenever possible (a persons name is always the most attractive word in any conversation).

• Money – Everyone wants more of it. Whether they are saving it or making it, this word always draws attention.

• Save – Everybody you know is always trying to save time, money, etc. (save always implies an improvement in their lives somehow)

• Free – Everyone likes free stuff. Be careful that “free” doesn't diminish the perceived value of your product or service.

• New – People like new and they like to be the first to have it.

• Results – This is a tricky one because it is often over used. Make sure you are actually showing the results on paper and not just saying that you can.

• Easy – This is also a tricky word because most people know that nothing is really ever easy. That being said, if you can prove that your product is easy to use or will make their lives easier people still respond.

• Health & Safety – Who doesn’t want to feel healthier and safer? Our natural instinct is for self preservation and these two words trigger that mechanism in a potential client.

• Proven or Guaranteed – They still work but make sure you can back that up with testimonials and have it on paper. These are words that have been over-used and abused a lot so be sparing in your use.

• Discover – When was the last time you made a great discovery? How many people did you tell about it?

• Specialist – This is a strong word that must be backed up, however, if given a choice between two competitors, the one that says they specialize in the service that is needed will probably get the job.

All of these words are useful in sales copy and in conversation. It takes practice to hone these into your everyday communication but it will help you attract more clients and not turn them off to you or your company.

Ad Copy

Any words that are used in ad copy must be read from the perspective of the customer/client. No matter how great the text is for your ad or marketing materials, people will always perceive it differently than you will. When you read your own text for your marketing materials you should read it and ask yourself if it was a different company would it entice you to buy or discover more about that company? Often it may not have the same impact on you as it did when you first wrote the ad.

Ultimately, wordsmithing is an art that takes time and practice. By using the right words and utilizing them properly you will increase the over-all effectiveness of your advertising, marketing materials and sales conversations.