Magic Words That Sell and What Words to Avoid
We all know words are powerful. Whether written or spoken, according to advertising legend David Ogilvy, some of the most persuasive words to use in marketing are:
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Try to incorporate these powerful words into your brochures, web content, and however else you communicate with customers.
Richard Taflinger, professor at the Edward R. Murrow School of Communication at Washington State University, says that a ploy often used in advertising is the use of logical fallacies. These fallacies are not recommended because they may alienate your audience. Taflinger suggest avoiding the following logical fallacies:
- Black/White: The black/white, or either/or, trick is making a statement that provides insufficient options to your argument. A common way this is used in advertising is by presenting two situations, one with the product and the other without. The one with the product shows circumstances that the advertiser presumes the target audience would like to be in, and vice versa for the situation without the product.
- Genetic Fallacy: This fallacy makes a prediction about something based on where it came from or its origins. Such statements may indeed by true, but they need evidence as proof.
- Begging the Question: This is making a statement that includes a premise that has not been proven, basically saying that something is simply because it is.
- Weasel Words: These are words that are tossed into a sentence that change the actual meaning of the sentence while leaving an impression that is different.
- Dangling Comparative: This is a statement that seems to be comparing one thing to another, but in actuality never actually states what the thing being compared is being compared to. What generally happens is that the comparison is left up to the audience to complete.
- Complex Question: A complex question is one that appears to be asking for a yes or no answer, but is in reality two yes-or-no questions that are usually contradictory. No matter how you answer, you can't win.
- Buzz Words: These are words that seem to say something, but don't. They are extremely popular in advertising.
- Guilt by Association: This is when you attribute characteristics to someone or something based merely on the society they keep.
- Self-Definition: This is using a word that you expect your audience to define one way, but you mean it another way when you use it.
By using Ogilvy's magic words and avoiding the use of fallacies, you'll be on your way to advertising that sells - without alienating your audience.
Herb and Monica Leibacher operate Web Builder Express. Create a professional web site for your business or non-profit organization with Web Builder Express. At
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