When you make a claim as a marketer trying to sell something, people tend to doubt you. When you contradict yourself or make meaningless statements, they immediately discount just about everything else you say no matter how true it may really be. This makes your job significantly more difficult, so why not avoid it to begin with.

We’ve all seen “New and Improved” emblazoned on a variety of products from breakfast cereal to personal care products to auto accessories and more, but what does it really mean? Nothing. In fact, the message it conveys is that you didn’t even take the time to think about why someone should use your product. Why? Because “new” means it has never existed before. How is it possible to improve on something that never existed before?

 Another classic example is “Under New Management,” usually displayed on a gigantic sign outside retail establishments and restaurants. What’s the problem here? The people who are no longer patrons because they were dissatisfied with the previous management don’t pay any attention to that establishment anymore and those that were happy with the previous management most likely don’t want to see someone new running the establishment. At best, they will be indifferent, at worst, they will move on to another establishment. The statement does nothing to inspire new customers to visit.

Think not just about what you’re trying to tell your customers, but exactly why you’re trying to tell them that and what it would actually mean to them.

It looks obnoxious and reduces legibility, diminishing the effectiveness of your marketing so stop doing it! If your message isn’t compelling, trying to be louder won’t make it more compelling.

While we’re on the subject, the same goes for bold and italicized text. The point of either is to emphasize a point. You can’t make every other sentence bold and expect it to have any effect other than annoying your readers.

Does it matter that your all-natural home cleaning product eliminates 5% more germs and bacteria than your competitors’ products with out any harsh chemicals? No, parents simply want to know that it will work just as well if not better without endangering their family. Home buyers don’t care if you’ve won the Real estate agent of the year award for your city seven years in a row, what matters to them is whether you’ll be able to sell their home quickly so that they can move into the dream home they found last week in a hot market. How important is it to auto enthusiasts that your company’s spark plugs produce a spark that is 30% larger than the standard spark plug? It’s not. The fact that they make their engine more efficient and reliable is important to them though.

You should still provide the features of your product or service for those prospects that are looking for that sort of information, but the benefits that they will enjoy by using your products or services are what will motivate them. Focus on that and your marketing will become significantly more effective.

So, I ask again, what matters most in YOUR marketing?

Whether your products or services are complex enough to confuse a nuclear physicist, or simple enough for a child to easily comprehend, you will need effectively crafted copy to persuade your prospects to make a buying decision. This decision, as much as we would like to claim otherwise, is not based on logic ? it?s based on emotion. Logic does play a role, but more often than not, the logic comes into play after a decision has already been made and is used to validate our decision.

The most effective way to trigger powerful emotions in your prospects is to focus on the benefits, rather than the features of your offer. No one ever wanted an?aspirin, they simply wanted to get rid of their headache. Similarly, no one really wants a suit. Instead, they want to present a particular image or feel a certain way. Write your copy to appeal most to the end result that your prospect is after instead of focusing on what it does or has.

I recently saw a sign that said “Free Quotes” and I had to wonder if anyone has ever actually charged (or paid for) a quote. I doubt it, but then it got me thinking about some of the things I’ve seen on signage, ads and packaging over the years. The phrase “New and Improved” is a perfect example. It’s improved? Really? How is that possible if it’s new? If you’re going to make a statement, make sure it’s relevant, but more importantly, that it’s necessary.

If something goes without saying, let it.

It could be any number of things, but quite often it’s the fact that most people fail to use powerful headlines. So what’s the secret to a powerful headline? Well, shock value can obviously play a part in it (proven by the fact that you are here reading this), but if you want to be a little more subtle with your message, you could simply tailor it to be unexpected rather than shocking. Another technique is to phrase your headline as a question instead of a statement. Leave the cute and funny headlines to other people, since it usually doesn’t work.

Since we’ve been discussing blogs a lot recently, it’s probably a good idea to dispel many of the myths regarding copyright and copyright infringement. Because of these myths, many bloggers have accidentally (and sometimes intentionally) put themselves or their company in violation of copyright laws. This should help you avoid ending up in that situation.

Myth 1: I can use anything that doesn’t have a copyright notice ? That is incorrect. Anything from writing, to art to music is protected upon creation and the creator does not have to file for copyright protection, or even put a notice up.

Myth 2: Since it’s online it’s public domain and I can use it ? That is incorrect also. The internet is just another medium, like television or radio, for people to transmit their message. Content on the internet is protected just the same as anywhere else.

Myth 3: I can use anything as long as I’m not profiting from it ? Regardless of how you intend to use something that someone else created, you still need their express written consent. Besides, profit is a matter of perception. You may not be making any money from it, but you may be using it to promote an idea or belief which would be considered a benefit to you.

Myth 4: I can use anything as long as I give credit to the original creator or include the original creator’s copyright notice ? Same as above.

Myth 5: I can use anything as long as I take it down when the copyright holder objects ? While you can try, we certainly don’t advise it. You may get away with it in some cases but it is more likely that you will face hefty fines enforced by the court and be ordered to cease using it.

Someone worked hard to develop their content, whether it is writing, art, music or something else, and it’s not fair to them for you to use it with out their permission. Think of how you would feel as a clothing retailer if someone came into your store, took your inventory and then sold it or even gave it away ? would you think it was ok as long as they told everyone where it came from or if they didn’t make any money?

If you’re planning on growing your business, you know that you’re going to have to market it in some way. This will almost always require something that people will look at, whether in print, on the Internet, on television or some other medium. With that in mind, it’s important that you know the role that the two key aspects of any visual marketing tool play.

Graphic Design is best used to get your prospect’s attention. A professional designer knows how best to utilize layout and color to evoke a certain feeling or emotion as well as directing attention to particular information.

Copywriting is best used to clearly communicate your message and provide details. A professional copywriter will tailor your text to effectively communicate with your target audience while creating a powerful call to action.

It’s important to keep in mind that in most cases, effective graphic design will not compensate for weak copy nor will effective copy compensate for weak graphic design. A person’s impression of the professionalism of you company hinges vitally on the quality of the material you present to them. One way to get the most from your visual marketing materials is to ensure that you, the graphic designer and the copywriter all have open communications throughout the process. This ensures that everyone is on the same page and also speeds up the development process.