Matt Laddin
Having a serious product in a serious marketplace does not mean you need to have dull and droning marketing.
Years back I did a lot of marketing for intensely no-nonsense markets. Particle physicists. Astrophysicists. Heart surgeons. Doctors who specialize in cardiovascular electrophysiology. Scientists who study fluid mechanics. Yes, that’s fluid mechanics. Psychologists who deal with violence and abuse. And I can keep going.
I’ve met many of these professionals, some of whom are leaders in their field. And I was struck by something definitive about these very bright folks. Despite the occasional quirky hairdo and at times unique clothing choices, they were very much like you and me.
And like you and me, we don’t want to be talked at. We want to be talked to. We don’t want to hear another pitch. We want to know that our needs are understood and can be met. And we don’t want to be bored.
Regardless of what you market, and regardless of the form your marketing takes, you communicate with people, not companies. So…
Put some personality in your message. Being dignified does not have to mean being dull and boring. You can communicate in a way that’s both personable and respectful. Nothing outlandish, but you don’t want to come across as bland and flat. Boring = no interest = no sale.
No Joking. Even if you’re creating copy for a fun, consumer brand, be fun but don’t make jokes. Your humor might appeal to an audience of one: you. And it might be in bad taste to others.
RAA. Pull out jargon. In particular, RAA (Remove All Acryonyms). You think everyone knows them, but they can be a barrier to what you’re trying to communicate. Take out the seven syllable words too. You’re not proving how intelligent you are in copy. The objective is to communicate clearly.
Blah Blah Blah. We fall into trouble when we define products and services at the expense of a dialogue around customer need. Sure, we need to know what the product is. But give just enough for clarity and launch into what the product does. The fact that a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser gets ink off my wall is infinitely more important than the chemical blend or magic spell that makes that happen.
Read It Aloud. The written word is much different than the spoken word. But read your copy aloud and see how it sounds. If you have difficultly reading it, or get lost in a jumble of syllables, odds are it needs to be simplified and could use an infusion of personality.
Photo: Einstein
Photo: Dead Language
This article was written for Business 2 Community by Matt Laddin.
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This is a very estute observation of marketing dynamics. Particularly with respect to your referece to elegance in articulation. In other words you right reel purdee. Somewere between those two sentenses is the perfect balance we must strike when selling to customers. Too much and you come off as aloof and unapproachable or worse a know it all. Too simple, familiar, or sanitized and it falls flat. Another issue is ones level of enthusiasm. Too much and you might come off as “salesie” or unrealistic. Too little and you might as well not pick up the phone or write the letter. The best sales and marketing positioning strike a balance. What you seek young Skywalker is marketing harmony.