Some words work better than others. Words have their own inherent power. When you are trying to extol a product and persuade a consumer, the right word can make a major difference. For decades, the word, “Free,” has worn the crown as the king of advertising expression. Put FREE fries and a drink in that ad for your burger and watch sales skyrocket! Amazon has shown us FREE shipping is a prime example. FREE consultations. FREE Wi-Fi. FREE actually sounds better than complimentary, or on the house, even though they mean the same thing. Gift is a good word, but in the world of marketing it’s usually written as FREE Gift, despite the redundancy. That’s because nothing beats FREE! FREE is as clear as can be, while GIFT can have a caveat. GIFT (with purchase). So, FREE remains the undisputed heavyweight champion of advertising words, right? Wrong.
What happened to FREE?
Free isn’t exactly in free fall. It’s still a very compelling word in headlines or ad copy, it can still be a powerhouse, but it’s no longer on a pedestal. Many consumers now associate free with an asterisk; there’s a catch. If the offer is Buy-One, Get-One FREE, then the company can charge half the price and still make a profit. FREE beer sounds like compelling signage but many of today’s customers would see it as a sign of poor quality. FREE used to be unencumbered by second guessing, but today there’s a tendency to take it with a grain of salt.
Easy does it.
Life is abundantly complicated. Easy is abundantly clear. It says simple, not difficult, nearly effortless. Make it good, make it fast, make it easy. And tell the consumer it’s simple without ever implying it’s simpleminded. Unless you are Geico Insurance and you make things so easy even a caveman can do it.
Results you can see!
Results are another way of saying, “Success.” It’s one of those words that help you rationalize a purchase. If a product delivers, it was — generally speaking — worth the purchase. Guarantee results, and you’ve upped the ante.
You deserve the best!
Best can work when it’s in that kind of context, and telling someone they deserve the best is, in a sense, a compliment. When you connect best to something concrete, that’s even better. “Car & Driver’s BEST New SUV!” “Forbes Picks the BEST Vacations!” That approach connects your “BEST” claim to the source’s credibility.
We saved the best for last.
YOU!
YOU is considered the most powerful word in advertising. It’s personal. Let’s talk about YOU. YOU are interesting and when we frame things around YOU, you are all ears. Think about these two headlines-
WE MAKE PEOPLE RICH.
WE CAN MAKE YOU RICH.
Both headlines get your attention but the second one has that personal touch. It’s the old Uncle Sam poster with him pointing and the headline, “Uncle Sam Wants YOU!”
He doesn’t want Joe down the street, he wants YOU! It’s Smokey Bear saying, “Only YOU can prevent wildfires.” You may be second person but it’s first among advertising words.
Finding the right words isn’t easy, but it will garner results. And, while working with us isn’t free, you do deserve the best. You see what we did there.