A Guide To The Language Of Successful Advertising
Category: Business English Skills, Language Training | 2018-11-22
Advertising and marketing have become an enormous part of our everyday lives. From billboards to pop-up ads to previews at the movie theater, advertising and advertisements are everywhere.
If you work in advertising, then your job is to sell your company’s product in a way that will make people want to buy it over your competitor’s product. That’s no easy task! However, there are a few ways that you can help your ads rise to the top, setting them above the competition.
Advertising is all about marketing things as newer and better, and one of the best ways to do that is through language.
Advertising in English: The Language of Advertising
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Consider your audience
The most important step when deciding what language to use when advertising something is to look at your target audience. Are you advertising to young people or older people, men or women, businessmen or students? Knowing your audience will help you to pick the correct way of speaking about whatever you’re selling.
Using the wrong language for the wrong audience can be detrimental to your sales. You want to make sure your ads connect with the right people, so make sure to know who you’re talking to!
Choose the right words
New, good, and better can definitely help to sell a product, but are they the most descriptive words you can find? How you describe something is what really helps sell it, so choose your words carefully.
Think about the meanings behind certain words and if they can help paint a different picture of your product.
For example, let’s say that you’re selling chairs. The word “chair” itself is quite neutral, so what kind of chair is it exactly? An armchair, for example, may conjure feelings of comfort, coziness, and hominess. A wingback chair may encourage people to think of executives, CEOs, and power. A desk chair may make people think of efficiency.
Think about the exact product you’re selling and the feelings it conjures to help you sell it. Because at the end of the day, wouldn’t you rather sit in a comfortable, cozy armchair than just a chair?
Use compound words
Compound words are an advertisers dream. They’re perfect to describe things that we may not have the words for in English.
When we talk about compound words, we mean terms like top-quality, economy-size, and feather-light. These terms all help to paint a very specific picture in your head, and this is exactly what an advertiser wants when coming up with an advertisement.
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Putting it All Together
Don’t be afraid to play around with wording when coming up with an advertisement. Just make sure to know your audience, pick your words carefully, and make use of compound words. They’ll all really help to sell your product!
Do you work in advertising? What tips do you have when it comes to the language of advertising? Share them with the community in the comments below!
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About the Author
Erin Duffin
Erin Duffin is a writer, teacher, and yoga instructor. Her love of languages inspired her to move to Germany and to share language with others. You can find her work on the MacPherson Language Institute, Bespeaking, and erinduffinyoga.com.