Bad Phrases in Popular Places
If you watch late night television, you are probably familiar with a segment on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon called “Bad Signs”.
In the segment, Jimmy highlights humorous user-submitted photos of so-called bad signs. Some of the signs are clearly meant to elicit a laugh; like the veterinarian whose marquee read, “Now watch me snip, watch me spay spay”, a clever take on the popular song “Watch me whip, watch me nae nae”, that encourages prospective clients to help control the pet population.
Yet with some of the signs Jimmy shares, the employee charged with creating the sign seemed to have missed the mark.
Take for example the sign outside a restaurant that reads, “Open seven days a week, Mondays too.” It’s redundant and only funny because the error was unintentional.
Perhaps you have experienced this in your own life. Would you want to patronize a business that had an unintentional error in their signage or marketing materials?
Why Verbiage Matters
Spelling/grammar mistakes, unnecessary repetition, and accidental vague innuendos can all be a turn-off to prospective and current clients.
Just as there are words and phrases you should avoid, there are also words and terms that can help bring your marketing to the next level. For example, words like “new,” “free”, and “guaranteed” are sure to grab your customers’ attention.
In addition to specific words, the way you phrase your written advertisements can also affect sales. Using second person “you” phrases, rather than the more generic sounding third person he/she phrases, can help bring a personal touch to your campaigns.
Your customers will feel more connected to your brand and that can help bring added trust – which translates into repeat visits and increased profits.
How Webaholics Can Help
These verbiage issues can also be applied to online marketing and websites. Remember, your website is essentially a digital billboard. If you portray the wrong message, you can be dealt a huge loss in brand awareness and ultimately profits.
At Webaholics, our marketing specialists can help review your current signage and materials or we can help you create new marketing materials to capture your brand image in the right manner.
If you are ready to take your business to the next level, give Webaholics a call at (801) 432-0676 or shoot us an email at info@webaholics.co.
Recent Comments