Speaking the Customer’s Language

I was browsing through a local magazine this weekend and stumbled across an ad for a local chiropractor. It was a half page ad with a series of bulleted, bold words at the top reading “Herniated Disks, Degenerated Discs, Sciatica, Spinal Stenosis, Failed Surgery”. In a different colored font and slightly bigger, “Spinal Decompression at Affordable Cost! Free Consultation!”. I don’t know about you, but I have no idea what Sciatica is. Sometimes my back hurts, but I never say, “Wow, I must be in need of some spinal decompression today”.

Effective marketing speaks the customer’s language. It identifies their problems and offers a solution. A chiropractor primarily treats pain and discomfort. Pain and discomfort is my language. If I’m feeling pain, chances are I don’t know that I have a herniated disk yet.

Don’t let familiar industry-driven terms leak into your advertising. Keep it simple. Seek to speak the language of your customer. Identify the problem as if you were the customer, then present a solution. An ad that sells your service doesn’t help me, but an ad that solves my problem does. Whether your creating a half page ad in a local magazine, a full page ad in a national publication or a pay-per-click campaign, it’s always most important to speak the customer’s language.

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