Have you ever been misquoted? Sometimes my wife claims I say something that I know I have not said. Often it is because I am in another room and she only hears bits and pieces of what I say. Other times I have been betrayed by my own misguided fingers. I often text the wrong word in a message and have to correct myself. Typically, it is when my autocorrect is trying to guess what I really meant to say and I didn’t take a close look before I hit the send key.
– We are on a waiting list for the restaurant, so we went around the corner to kill Tim. (supposed to be kill time)
– Donuts change the figure until I get older hair. (Don’t change the filter until I get over there.)
– Water your parents dueling tonight (What are your parents doing tonight?)
– You can pickle some sweet dills (You can pick up some sweet deals)
There is a fine art to communicating well. When it comes to your marketing, it is imperative that you communicate so that consumers understand exactly what you mean. Some of the confusion comes in the way we phrase things in marketing. Many years ago, I worked for a restaurant marketing firm. Our local elocution specialist was always reminding us of the difference between the words Complimentary and Complementary. They are homophones – they sound alike but have different meanings. Complimentary means something is given away for free, whereas Complementary means something pairs well with something else. (You could see how the spelling could impact the bottom line of a restaurant when the menu offered shrimp with your steak as a complimentary food item instead of a complementary food item.)

However, good communication is not just about spelling words correctly, but the words you choose to use in marketing your brand. Here is the truth about your marketing: the words you use matter. Marketing language should do three things for the consumer.
• Catch their attention
• Help them understand your brand
• Let them know how the brand will help them
To do this effectively, the words you use to communicate need to be short, catchy and to the point. Too often, marketing campaigns get saddled with long lists of what everyone around a conference table thinks are important. This is counterproductive for marketing. If your marketing reads like a legal brief, you need to re-examine the words and number of points you are using to sell the customer your brand. Pick out the points that matter most to your customers and focus on them.

You also have to be careful with the words you use in marketing so you don’t wade into a problem that is over your head. Claiming you can do something you cannot is a lie and consumers are quick to call out marketing liars. On the flip side of things, calling out your competition for poor service or products when they are better than you can also come back to bite you. In the end, your marketing words need to be backed up by your actions.

Pay attention to the words you are using in marketing. Make sure you are communicating well to your target market. Use words to help them understand your brand and the benefits of buying it from you.