Refine Your Advertising Language With These 5 Strategies Even if your product really is new and improved, there is a more memorable way to say so in your advertising.
By Katherine Halek Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Even ads that provoke negative attention are better than ads that viewers don't retain. Whether your audience is a narrow niche or wide, thousands of competitors reach out for that group's attention. Most use similar catch phrases and calls to action that all begin to blend as one. Exciting guarantees and yes, even the magical "Free!" can fail to sound riveting to potential customers.
While the visual aspects of a marketing campaign play an enormous role in its effectiveness, establishing the tone of your advertising content is critical to showcasing your business and what it uniquely offers.
Related: Dumb Advertising Moves to Avoid
The persona of your business cannot be distinct if your advertising content is a customized version of familiar slogans. Ads that strike an emotional chord or bring about an immediate response don't do so by recycling generic material, even if that material was effective in a previous age of advertising.
Playing it safe with language isn't the way to inspire action from your audience. Here are five tips for standing out in a slush pile of puns and promises
1. Don't get too technical. Over-informing busy consumers is one of the primary mistakes people make while writing advertising content. The reason it is viewed as effective is that it "proves" expertise and knowledge.
However, providing too much data often causes the audience to miss the core message. Apple product descriptions could give endless information about pixels and processors. But what appeals to the buyer is what they can do with the product, such as manipulate photos, record songs and work on projects longer without depleting battery life.
2. But show you know your stuff. Moving too far away from technical gibberish can put content in danger of being too vague. Someone hoping to buy a car will not trust a description boasting "Best vehicle ever built!" However, he or she will respond to concise statements about its features and capabilities, even if a bit of further research is necessary.
3. Bend the rules. While there are rules for clear communication, language is a tool artists and advertisers use to expand the parameters of self-expression. Don't be afraid to defy grammar or spelling rules if it means putting together a slogan that rolls off the tongue or draws the eye.
Related: How to Hire a Great Ad Writer
Tread carefully when tampering with these rules, however, in case your choices are misconstrued as a mistake that reflects poorly on your business.
4. Consider your products and services to determine what tone of voice works. Certain businesses benefit from using formal and elegant language in advertising. But customers often look for the message of competence and sophistication wrapped up in a relatable box.
Experiment with understated elegance or a warm-yet-informative tone to see what best reflects what you have to offer. Once you decide on a tone, keep it consistent through all methods of advertising, from informational product descriptions to brief catch phrases.
5. Create your own jargon. Ads can do more than attempt to insert a business and its products into a consumer's world. They can invite the consumer to become part of the business's world.
Developing your own consistent vocabulary for your products and services can hint at a more immersive experience than simply making a purchase and moving along. Coldstone Creamery, for example, has a unique take on sizes: small, medium, and large become "Like It," "Love It," and "Gotta Have It."
Creative terminology like this demonstrates that your business has its own strong sense of identity, which helps the audience get a feel for it as well.
Related: Ad Writing Made Easy
