10 Words to Drop from your Advertising Copy

Is your advertising copy plagued by toxic advertising words? Entrepreneur.com has compiled 10 commonly used words to avoid when writing advertising copy in their article “10 Advertising Words to Avoid in 2009.” So dig through your word bank and delete these words from your advertising lexicon.

1. Free – While consumers love free stuff (especially during down economic times) email spam filters often trash emails with the word “free” in the subject line automatically. Why waste your time developing a free promotion and creating a marketing email if it will never reach your intended audience? Instead of “free” entrepreneur.com suggests using “complimentary” or “gratis” to sneak by spam filters.

2. Guarantee – The word “guarantee” often leaves consumers skeptical of your message. Unless you have substantial proof, try a different angle with your copy.

3. Really – Among the many filler words on this list, “really” does nothing to support your message. Review your copy and take this word out in all instances.

4. Very – Yet another filler word, “very” should be left out of your copy. Be sure not to lose your audience in useless copy.

5. That – Take a look at various advertising copy from the past year and highlight each use of the word “that”. According to entrepreneur.com, you can delete 90% of “thats” appearing in your copy.

6. A Lot – Don’t shy away from using real numbers in your advertising copy. If you offer 50 types of flowers in your shop say so! “50 flower varieties” is more compelling than “a lot of flowers”.

7. Opportunity – Consumers are looking for solid results, not opportunities. Don’t leave a consumer questioning whether you will deliver on your service promises, make sure they know you will!

8. To Be – Forms of “to be” are passive. Be sure all copy is written in an active voice as it commands action.

9. Synergy – A popular buzz word of the past decade, “synergy” should be left out of all copy in 2009. (And, please, don’t go looking for a new word to replace it!)

10. Drinkability – Entreprenuer.com chose this word to illustrate the fact you shouldn’t copy your competition. (Budweiser has made this word famous, don’t think Coors is looking to capitalize on it, too!) Find your own message (your unique selling point) which will separate you from your competition.

To read Entreprenuer.com's article, “10 Advertising Words to Avoid in 2009,” check out www.entrepreneur.com/advertising/article199152.html.

Need help customizing your advertising copy to get your message to your audience in an effective and unique way? Contact ProMoter Inc. for all of your advertising needs! 502-562-1969 or promoter@promoterinc.com

Client Testimonials - The Ultimate Sales Tool

Let's think about how you made your last personal buying decision. What factors contributed to your purchase of product X over product Y? Why did you see movie A instead of movie B? What lead you to eat at restaurant G as opposed to restaurant H? In more cases than not, your decision was swayed by a third party’s recommendation, endorsement or testimonial. Did your friend suggest you eat at restaurant G because they had an excellent dining experience there last week? Perhaps you bought product X because your favorite celebrity said it made her hair silky smooth. Or maybe you chose movie A because the critic gave it two thumbs up and movie B was panned.

Promoting your business shouldn't be any different. Potential clients want to hear how your products or services helped similar businesses and qualities that make you stand out as the best in an often crowded industry. In his book, Influence: Science and Practice, Robert Cialdini speculates that "we determine what's correct by finding out what other people think is correct." In other words, clients will feel more comfortable with their purchasing decision if they believe others have made the same choice.

Here are some important things to consider when requesting testimonials from clients:

• Use real clients and list their full names.
• Use testimonials as a sales tool – not just to inflate your company’s ego! Be sure each testimonial highlights one or two key traits of your business. One may push a specific and unique service your business offers like free consultations while another may give an example of how an employee helped out in a pinch.
• Spread your testimonials out on your web page instead of designating one page on the site for client feedback.
• Be sure your testimonials match your target market. If 60% of your client base is local businesses, ensure that 6 out of 10 of your testimonials come from local clients.
• Don’t wait six months to ask for a testimonial – get it immediately after the project is complete. If you know you’ve done an exceptional job for a client, ask for a testimonial. A satisfied client should be happy to give a glowing testimonial on your behalf.

Check out our website to see how we used client testimonials to showcase our services. www.promoterinc.com Wondering what questions to ask clients to optimize the effectiveness of their testimonial? Contact ProMoter Inc. for help! 502-562-1969 or promoterinc@promoterinc.com.

How to Weather the Storm of a Slowing Economy

With uncertainties about when the market will bounce back, many companies – small and large – are looking to tighten their budgets and lay low in order to weather this storm. However, there is no time like the present to launch back-to-basics marketing tactics to strengthen your sails.

Developing new business requires creativity, relationship building and an understanding of your market. Here are some tips to help you get back in the game and ahead of your competition during a slowing economy.

• Know Your Message: Put forth a clear, consistent message of yourself and your business. Don’t muddle the message with heavy industry jargon or mixed messages. It is also imperative to understand the tone of your market. Will your clients respond to messages of hope – “spend now to get ahead” or a restrained message – “do more with less?” This is the first step towards reaching out to new clients, which translates into success.


• Don’t Ignore Past Clients: Maintaining contact with previous clients is as important as attracting new ones. Clients need constant reminders of how great your services are or they will soon forget it. That could mean losing potential business in the future with that client or referrals that client may give. Therefore, it is important to stay in touch with those clients through monthly emails, holiday cards or phone calls.


• Obtain Referrals: Don’t hesitate to ask for a referral if you know you’ve done a good job for a client. And the best time to ask is during the transaction – six months later is too late.

Looking to increase your sales in this slowing economy? ProMoter Inc. can help. Contact us at 502.562.1969.

Social Networking: The New Frontier in Making Business Connections

Whether you are ready or not, social networking has quickly emerged as the new frontier in making business connections with the number of “connections” or “friends” being just as important as the number of business cards in your rolodex.

“Through social networking sites I have facilitated introductions and cultivated relationships through mutual friends. Those new relationships generated business opportunities for me and for my contacts,” said Michael Gabhart, sales consultant for U.S. Voice & Data.

Social networking sites offer the user a variety of beneficial applications including the ability to connect with prospective employees. With personal profiles available on most social networking sites, you as the employer have the ability to examine prospective employees’ sites and weed out any that do not seem to fit your company’s mission or agenda. Social networking sites are also great vehicles for users to develop stronger relationships with prospects and customers, and often remove geographic barriers from business.

Because social networking is relatively new to those in the business world, it is important to avoid many of the unfavorable applications so be wary of which social networks you join and how you utilize those that you do. It is important that you maintain a professional profile when using a social network for business purposes. Ensure that you have a clear agenda and purpose for utilizing a social network.

• ClassMates.com began as a resource for users to connect and keep in touch with friends from kindergarten through college. The site is free, but offers more advanced applications and services to members for a minimal fee.

• LinkedIn is a professional, business networking site aimed at building connections with like-minded business people who may otherwise be out of reach. LinkedIn allows the user to post their career details within their profile. Contacts can be made with members who are potential or current clients, future employees or employers or act as liaisons or “connections” to such members. The site is free, but offers premium services to power users for a fee.

• Facebook allows individuals to connect with friends and colleagues as well as meet new people with similar interests or friends in common. Facebook is a social networking site with an immense variety of applications and a large community of active users. While this site is very popular among individuals of all ages, its business functions are limited.

• MySpace was established early on and continues to be popular among users of all ages, cultures and socio-economic status. While it has proven to be a launching pad for the careers of many successful musicians, it is also home to viruses, spam and questionable content including a large underbelly contingent.

• Second Life operates as a virtual world for computer users with more advanced skills (although with tutorials a beginner is said to be able to use this program with some ease). Individuals can create an avatar or “resident” and live within a virtual society steeped with commercialism. Opportunities are available to sell advertising space or “property” and purchase “islands” in which your company can virtually operate. In its ideal form, Second Life can be used as a means of business-to-business communications and a way for businesses to connect with their customers. However, some security concerns exist within this system including how to guarantee confidentiality.

Looking to make social networking work for you and your business? ProMoter Inc. can help. Contact us at 502.562.1969.

Welcome!

Welcome to ProMoter Inc.’s Smart Marketing Blog! No matter how you fell upon our blog – whether through our newly refreshed website, a Google keyword search or through a friend – we are happy to have you! We aim to frequently update this blog with the latest industry trends, valuable tips for small businesses and happenings at ProMoter Inc. Feel free to leave comments or questions. We hope to create a dialogue with this online community and welcome any and all feedback. Or email us at promoterinc@promoterinc.com. Enjoy!