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.