For some reason I was suddenly struck, today, by the relatively meaningless adjectives that some marketers use in their emails and/or copy.
Here’s a couple of examples from some email messages I received today…
“I’ve done some killer videos revealing some cool traffic tactics”
“Here’s a sneak peak of what’s waiting for you if you decide to take a risk-free look inside this amazingly detailed system”
“Discover How YOU Can Have Instant Access To Your Very Own
Line Of Smoking Hot, In-Demand Software”
“It’s Shocking but true… At one time, I was incredibly broke.”
“the dudes at Stompernet are dying to give away this
stuff, but they have had one hell of a time with their
server being overloaded because of the crazy offer.”
OK, so I’ve highlighted some verbs as well as adjectives in that last one, but I included it because it wasn’t server ‘overload’ that stopped the latest Stompernet offer going out on time but a delay because not everything was quite ready for the launch.
But you see what I mean, I hope? Does Internet Marketing speak really need to be used to get the message across? Do we actually need to tell ‘white lies’ to provoke some action by the reader?
To be fair there are a lot of marketers who don’t use Internet Marketing ‘speak’. Their messages are straightforward, to the point and highly descriptive. Generally those are the ones that grab my attention because they seem more sincere. But I’d like your comments, please.
Do you respond to adjectives like the ones I’ve highlighted above in a positive way or a negative way? Do words like ‘killer’ and ‘cool’ make you sit up and take notice or just yawn and look away?
In other words do we really need to speak like this to get attention or make a sale – or is it all just hot air that’s wasted on everyone who reads it?
Wasn’t is someone that said…
“You can fool all of the people some of the time, and some of the people all of the time, but not all of the people all of the time”
If you’re in for a quick buck I guess it’s tempting to use phrases like “amazing secret”, “crazy deals” etc., but if you want a long-term relationship with your customers I believe it’s much better to use more sober ways to adress them.
The thing is that most of us are getting wise to all those “fantastic” offers.
Just my two cents worth…
And Jonathan: It’s always interesting to read your posts.
Cheers,
Jan
I sure agree with you Jonathan.
It’s patronising behaviuor, treating their readers as ‘suckers’ who have to be dazzled/impressed by these whizbang words.
I’ve actually read a report by a ‘guru’ describing all these ‘special’ words that should be used in sales pages/emails etc. to make them effective.
One you haven’t listed above is ‘secret’ – wow – how many ‘secret reports’ have we seen for sale !!
Like you, I too respond to the more sincere/genuine sales material.
The sad part is that the type of material you have written about must work – the ‘big dogs’ still tend to use it! What does that say about the customers in IM ?
But then you’re in UK and I’m in Australia – perhaps that has something to do with our reaction. ( -:)
G’day Jonathan,
As one of your new readers I agree that most people are becoming immune to all the over-the-top marketing speak.
Anyone who’s been around direct marketing or the internet for a short time recognises the hype for what it is… designed to push your “hot buttons”.
I’m a believer in providing a product or service that stands on its own merits… if it’s good enough, it will sell. What bothers me is that if a product needs to be marketed in such a way then maybe the product is inferior.
I get the same feeling when I see dozens of “bonuses” attached to a product. The current trend of “bonus wars” is bordering on the ridiculous.
Does that make sense?
To put it another way, if you’re providing a good product, it shouldn’t need any “hard sell” to convince people to buy. The removal of pressure allows the consumer to consider their options…
1. Do I need it?
2. Is it a fair price?
Pretty simple really.
John
Jan, thanks for the compliment. I would guess that Internet Marketing hype is destined to “fool some of the people all of the time”?
John, I, too, have read the ‘guru’ training on how to use ‘emotive’ words to sell. There’s nothing wrong with engaging the reader’s emotions – it’s the classic method of selling – but most of the ‘hype’ we see is actually, I believe, the misuse of inflammatory adjectives.
Basically I think the people who use these words are just bad writers!
John (the other one), ‘if you’re providing a good product, it shouldn’t need any “hard sell” to convince people to buy’. Oh dear, I wish that was really true.
Unfortunately the market is littered with really good products that don’t sell, not because they are not worth the money, but because they aren’t sold very well.
I’ve seen several products in our own niche which are actually great items which could benefit a lot of people but which, because of their unconvincing, straightly factual, salesletters just don’t sell.
On the other hand I see products appear in the Internet Marketing niche daily that have little useful content but sell like blockbusters because of their convincing sales letters. One of the outstanding ones is ‘The Retired Millionaire’ (to read my review click here). Go read the sales letter and you’ll see what I mean (but please don’t hit the Buy button).