What Not To Say In Your Advertising

It’s important to know what to say in your advertising.

But it’s even more important to know what NOT to say.

Here are three easy steps to learn what not to say in your ads:

1. 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.
2. Compile a master list of your competition’s stale, unoriginal clichés.
3. Don’t use them.

You’ve heard of a copy bible? This is your anti-copy bible.

Last month, Tim and I listened to at least a dozen different radio ads from businesses in direct competition with one of our clients. Over and over, we heard the same old stuff: “Great selection,” “Lowest prices,” “Service after the sale,” “Prices so low we can’t mention them on the radio,” etc.

Can you guess what our client is never going to say?

Start today. Get your employees involved. Ask your team to pay close attention to what the other guys are saying in their ads. Create your catalog of the offending words and phrases. Post them. Learn to despise them. Pinky-swear that you’ll never, ever, EVER use them in your advertising.

Brainstorm ways to convey these trite, unimaginative ideas in a fresh unconventional way using your own unique voice.

Want your ads to stand out? Don’t say what everybody else is saying.

photo credit: KatovonKiwi via photopin cc