If there is one thing that will guarantee your leaflet won’t survive the bin, it is an unclear message.
Each and every day we are all inundated with information and this results in a very small window of opportunity to grab any one person’s attention. If a leaflet is unclear, cluttered and confusing it will probably be discarded. However, if the leaflet has a very clear message from the word go, the customer will be engaged and there is a much higher chance of that person taking action.
There are two schools of thought when it comes to power words and marketing language. One school believes that there are certain words that catch the reader’s attention. The other school believes that the modern world is now savvy to this marketing language and it is therefore no longer effective. Both offer valid points. While marketing language might put certain customers off, it also might help create context for other customers. Through the use of this language they identify that the company wants to sell something to them, they look at the product and react accordingly.
This scenario demonstrates that both types of customer are looking for honesty. They will either see the power words as a clear marketing strategy, and not an advert pretending to be something else. Or, they will appreciate the lack of power words as the company tries to connect with the customer on a more personal and honest level. Both methods work, the trick is to know which customer type your target audience is.
Some of these marketing power words discussed are listed below to allow you to consider your approach. Not all of them will be suitable for your specific product or service, but as a collection they sum up the most effective power words in use today:
- You
- Results
- Save
- Proven
- New
- Money
- Safety
- Health
- Love
- Easy
- Discovery
- Guaranteed
Typically it tends to be the larger corporations who adopt the use of these words, as they are unable to connect with their customers on a more personal level due to their size. If possible, a personal connection is always the more desirable method as it makes the customer feel special and incites loyalty in them, but ultimately it depends what suits the company on an individual level. Marketing can never be a ‘one size fits all’ situation.
