Choose your words wisely for stronger brand connections.

Have you ever watched or read an ad only to immediately forget the advertised product or brand? I know I have.

As marketers, we’re tasked with making memorable brand connections. So, how do we improve our chances of creating content that sticks? In part, it requires using the right words.

         Click here to access a list of the 15 most powerful words in marketing and SEO.

There are also guidelines that can help frame marketing word choices. Below is information summarized from a SalesForce article that details the types of words you can use to drive your brand’s message home and evoke desired emotions from your audience:

Words That Resonate with Consumers. Put things in terms of “you” instead of “I” or “we.” In other words, speak directly to your customers about what they can gain (Value) from doing business with you, rather than explaining what your business does.

Words That Grab Readers’ Attention. Words like “free” and “discount” naturally resonate with customers because they automatically make a purchase look more attractive.

Words That Create a Sense of Fear or Urgency. Some words may convey your message to customers, but don’t really do much to convince them to act. That’s where phrases like “limited time” or “don’t miss out” or “now” come in, tapping into the fear of missing out.

Example: Spotify offers weekly playlists for its active listeners based on their specific tastes and listening habits. The company could create one personalized playlist and update it every so often. But instead, each playlist is only accessible for one week. Then it’s gone. Spotify encourages users to access their weekly playlists based on that fear that they’ll miss out on something great if they don’t.

Words That Promote Exclusivity. If you’re offering a deal specifically to your best customers or to a select number of people, you can use words like “exclusive,” “select,” and “limited” to make an opportunity seem more special. When customers feel like they are valued enough to be granted special access to products and services, they may be more likely to purchase.

American Express is an example of one company that successfully uses this tactic. “Membership has its privileges” and “Are you a Card Member?” are some of its popular taglines. These words create a sense of exclusivity that makes people want to join.

Words That Position Your Brand. Carefully select words that make your brand stand out, either against the competition or to a specific type of consumer (proven, dependable. Depending on the way you’d like to appeal to customers, you can use creative wording to position your brand.

Example: Coca-Cola used to call itself the “Official Soft Drink of Summer.” Is there an official governing body that decides which soda gets to represent summer? No. But by using these words, Coca-Cola paints itself as the only real choice for families who want to enjoy some fun in the sun.

Are there other word rules you’d add to the list? Join the conversation on Shamrock’s Facebook page.

Ellen Moriarty

Words Are Powerful. Choose Them Carefully.

Last week I was watching a video from author and personal development coach Mel Robbins and was struck by a very simple lesson: The words we use make an impact on the people around us. They also have the power to change outcomes, influence moods, alter perspectives—the list goes on.

In her video Robbins shares that she recently became aware of the number of times she says, “I’m sorry” in situations in which she doesn’t really need to apologize for her actions. She gives an example that most of us can relate to: You walk into a meeting 30 seconds late and instead of saying, “I’m sorry I’m running late” she suggests saying, “Thank you for your patience.”

Robbins explains that when we say “I’m sorry” we are affirming that we are wrong; and by leading with “Thank you…” we acknowledge the people around us—and change the trajectory of the interaction or discussion.

In this video, she also discusses the qualifying language that we often use in our everyday conversations—words such as “actually” and “I think.” Robbins says these words take away from the power and command of our language and we should make the effort to be more direct and assertive in our speech by leaving these “fluff” words out of the conversation.

These lessons on clean, concise language can be applied to marketing, too. Think about it: What do the words you use say about your brand?

At Shamrock, we’re in the marketing business—and we understand that it’s not only important what you say, but also how you say it. It’s our job to choose the words that perfectly paint a brand picture, define services, amplify benefits, etc.

In many instances lately, I’m seeing the less-is-more approach is working. Maybe that’s because in today’s digital age, we all want a quick overview? A concise pitch? Brevity, combined with intentional language, are parameters we can all apply.

What do the words you use, say about you? And how about your brand writing: Does it paint the picture you want your customers to see?

Let’s continue the discussion on LinkedIn.

Tim Connor

Honoring Powerful Women.

In 2012, Shamrock celebrated women throughout the entire month of May. Digging through our archives, we found this oldie but goodie: A blog by Bob Troop about the influence of powerful women. So, before this month comes to a close we’d like to share this post from May 2012…its message still resonates with us today.

MAY BRINGS FLOWERS, MOTHER'S DAY AND POWERFUL WOMEN. This week Bob provides some interesting facts about women in powerful places.
May, moms and flowers. Since this is the month of Mother's Day and there's an abundance of blooming flowers, these three naturally go together. As kids, we always scrounged enough money together to buy a card and flowers for mom. My kids always remember their mom on Mother's Day, and I hope this tradition continues in every household.

But today Mother's Day is different in many homes, from single moms, to two moms, to CEO moms. Many working mothers today hold powerful and significant positions in government, business and the media. While the glass ceiling may still be visible, it's filled with cracks and holes and appears to be weakening year by year.

One thing is clear as a bell: more and more, successful women in business are not forsaking motherhood for business success. For example, one astounding statistic that was brought to my attention is that 88% of women on the 2011 Forbes' List of The World's Most Powerful Women are mothers with an average of 2.5 children!

While many women aspire to have it all: Mom, Wife, CEO of Big Business, some women choose to start their own business so they can manage a career and motherhood to meet their personal needs. If their choice is to own and manage their own business, I say, "Go for it."

However, I like to think that moms who work at Shamrock can have it all! At Shamrock we value and respect the needs of all parents who may require time away from work to be with their children or other family members. But the truth is that many large corporations are not so understanding. Susan Spencer, former general manager of the Philadelphia Eagles, raised an interesting point when she was interviewed on CBS (CBS News interview with Susan Spencer). Spencer, the first woman to manage a major sports team, said, "... It's all in the numbers – women are more likely to be discriminated against, passed over for raises and just passed over even when they're not asking for flextime and a maternity leave so they can raise a family. I think women who are raising a family are better off starting their own company than working for someone else..."

ONE LAST THING... The bottom line is, each of us must decide how to balance work and family life. Regardless of whether we're moms, dads, single or married, our success comes not just from our job away from home, but from the joy and pleasure we achieve in our time away from our job.