Words matter
How to use language to target your customers
Hello! Welcome to your weekly dose of INSPO ✨
I spotted an ad yesterday (the first example below) and it got me thinking.
As growth marketers and creative strategists we know how important it is to know our audience, so why do we often forget to show them how well we understand them?
Today’s email is a reminder to speak to your customers in a way that makes them feel seen, and a guide on how to use language to do so.
Ad breakdown
The language you choose can make or break an ad.
Just one word can be the difference between a win and a lose.
So how do you make sure you get it right?
You can’t always get it right, that’s why testing is so important.
But that doesn’t mean just throw anything at the wall and see what sticks.
It means…
Choose language based on customer truths.
This Nackt ad for barefoot shoes is a great example.
The writer knows that young people don’t want to wear the same trainer brand as their parents.
So they’ve called it out.
By telling us what these are not, it tells us exactly what they are.
This line speaks directly to anyone who wants barefoot shoes but doesn’t want to buy the same ones their dad’s got.
Another great example is this Curology ad.
They could have just said: all you need for clear skin.
But by referencing a ‘clear skin semester’ they immediately direct their message at a particular audience who now feels like this product was designed for them.
Subconsciously they’re hearing, this product is affordable for students, it’s designed for young skin and it’s all you need for the whole semester.
By using specific language that calls out a particular audience, your far more likely to grab attention and drive curiosity in your product.
How to make this format work for your brand
Writing ads that speak to people in a way that makes them feel seen isn’t easy. I’m constantly rewriting copy to make sure it’s super focused and not generic. It’s hard sometimes! But there are ways you can get better at it.
If you want to make sure you’re choosing the right language, start with getting to know your customers really, really well. And I don’t just mean in relation to your product, I mean as humans with lives outside of your product and a language of their own.
🪩 Run customer interviews and note down the language they use to describe moments in their lives as well as your product and why they bought it
🪩 Dig through reviews and pull out words that feel specific to a particular type of person, then see if you can use them in an ad
🪩 Each time you sit down to write an ad, make sure you’re 100% clear on what it is you’re trying to say and who you’re saying it to. If your copy sounds like it was written for everyone or speaks about your product with generic language, you’re not there, go back and figure out the who and the what.
Give this a go and let me know how you get on 💪🏼
Thanks for reading,
Katherine 🪩
Oh and if you liked this email, I’d be grateful if you could pass it on to your team…
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