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Why you should cut out marketing cliches
By Matthew Ambrose of The Copywriters's Crucible
We’ve all seen it: marketing copy so bogged down in overused ‘power’ phrases and tired old clichés that it’s difficult to trust anything it has to say, and we’d rather do our filing than wade through it. These days, everything in marketing is so far outside the box, we don’t even know what the box is anymore. And you have to wonder how we all managed without a ‘synergy of bleeding edge solutions’ or ‘blue sky thinking’ to guide our way. To most people, these hackneyed clichés sound vacuous, self indulgent and meaningless. So why do copywriters use them? B2B copywriting is often seen as the biggest culprit when it comes to copywriting clichés. It could be because people in the business world have grown up with a certain style of writing. They think that’s how businesses should sound, with impressive words and phrases designed to dazzle customers into buying. But when copywriting is pitched purely for the client’s benefit, rather than the customer’s, you’re already fast tracking yourself towards failure. Let’s face it, it’s the customer who should be the focus of your marketing. So copywriting should aim to communicate, as clearly and concisely as possible, in a language your customer understands. Copywriting is often said to be at its best when it mirrors the conversations we have in the real world. Like a chat you’d have with a friend over a beer or how you’d talk to a neighbour over the fence about a great new product you’ve discovered. When talking to somebody in real life, would you describe a product as ‘bleeding edge’, ‘best of breed’ (unless you’re a candidate on The Apprentice) or ‘turnkey’? No? Then why would you say it in your marketing? Now, before you flood the comments, yes, it can be argued that clichés have their benefits. Familiar clichés can communicate an idea or concept in a way that the reader instantly recognises e.g. ‘one stop shop’ or ‘competitive advantage’. But they should only be used sparingly. Every copywriter wants people to read their copy from the headline to the last full stop. So it should be fresh, inspiring and interesting to read. Try and find new and perceptive ways of describing your product. Use real life stories to showcase its benefits. Talk directly to the customer about what they can expect to gain, rather than reel off one superlative after another on how wonderful your product is. Even in the B2B world, underneath the power suit and reassuringly thick business cards, is a living breathing person. So think about how you’d speak to them in the real world when writing your marketing copy, and try to avoid boring them with tired old clichés.
Matt Ambrose is a freelance copywriter who provides punchy, persuasive copywriting and marketing expertise to startups, SMEs and international brands.
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It's a common problem in most creative professions requiring expertise such as design, production, and even translation: the client does not know how to value or appreciate your work. In the end, you can either give the client what he expects - something average - or fight to convince the client of the value of your work, an unpleasant and undignified process.
 | | nick Aug 29, 2011 05:30 | |
Would you consider, "under promise, over deliver" a marketing cliche? It seems to still work for me.
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