The dirty DON’Ts of advertising.
It’s time to clean up your ads.
Knowing what to write in your advertising is important but knowing what not to write is just as important.
You spend a lot of money on advertising trying to get noticed but if you use predictable or overused language, consumers will automatically tune you out.
If your message can be said by one of your competitors, you should avoid saying it. Try to make a claim that no one else can make.
“Analyze your competitor’s ads. Listen to them. Watch them. Read them. Record and transcribe them. Then, review each ad and look for consistently overused words, phrases, and themes. Compile a master list of your competition’s stale, unoriginal clichés. Don’t use them.” – Tim Miles, on “What Not to Say in your Advertising”
In order to help you with your advertising, I've created a list of DON'Ts.
The DON'Ts List
Don’t use predictable words of phrases. They will go unnoticed. Ask yourself, could your readers respond to your claims with “well, I sure hope so”.
Don’t be a follower. Standing out means advertising in a way that people have either never seen before or wouldn't expect. If your ads look like everyone else's, they'll simply blend in with the rest. Find out what your competitors are doing and then do something different.
Don’t just sell a product. Sell the emotional benefit that comes from buying the product. For example, consumers don’t buy a vacuum; they buy a clean house. Or consumers don't buy a mattress; they buy a restful night's sleep.
Don’t advertise once, twice or three times and expect to see a difference. It takes time to become firmly rooted in someone’s mind. Have you ever run an ad a few times only to conclude that “marketing doesn’t work”? Frequency and repetition is the key to being remembered.
Don’t advertise without a plan. Be clear on your purpose and identify your goals. You can’t get your customers to your destination without first knowing where you are headed. No matter what message your ad tells, it should always be part of a larger marketing strategy.
Don’t advertise to everyone. Know your target market. Seek out the right people - your people. You might think that the best and fastest way of acquiring new customers is to mass market your product. Well, its not. Marketing to everyone means you are trying to please everyone. The result? You might not rub anyone the wrong way but you also won’t be truly loved by anyone either.
Is your marketing due for a clean up?
Morty Silber, CEO
Mad Strategies Inc.
a Wizard of Ads Partner