We may speak the same language though we both interpret the world differently. The human language is a complex concept that all people grasp during their young years. Due to the need to communicate, every toddler begins imitating different words.
Even though they might not understand the words, the undeveloped minds associate words with meaning, same as adults. Nevertheless, words are the most powerful tools of human communication, and without them, nothing we see and do today would be possible.
In a marketing environment, successful branding is nothing more than associating your business name with powerful and positive thoughts, feelings, and meanings.
For example, Dove uses powerful words and advertisements to inspire and grow the confidentiality of women who doubt themselves. Some of their message’s sound like “Real beauty is cruelty-free” or “#MyBeautyMySay”.
Dove has managed to capture the attention of women who are not as confident and positive about their physical look but who want to express themselves freely and without being judged. Dove took their word game to the next level and began whispering powerful words to disempowered women from all around the world.
Before we get to the main topic of today’s post, which is 5 ways words can build a consistent brand, let’s have a quick peek at several aspects that will help you acknowledge the huge power of words.
Table of Contents
Words Equal Communication
Imagine living a day without understanding the language that your family and work colleagues speak. You wouldn’t know how to react, what to do, and how to explain what you mean unless you use gestures or mimics.
Words equal communication, while communication equals understanding. When it comes to your business and branding, every client and customer expects effortless communication with the brand.
If the language, for example, is too complicated, your blog readers won’t be triggered to click your CTA. If your words aren’t powerful enough, your prospects will never feel an urge to buy your products. And if your direct interaction with your customers doesn’t fix their problem, your communication issues will severely damage your brand reputation.
Simply put, mastering words help you improve the quality of communication, thus enhancing your business performance.
Words Deliver Meaning
There are two types of meaning. The first is the simple meaning, in the sense that you understand the words I type. The second is the deeper meaning, which is a meaning that resonates with our deepest selves, with our principles, beliefs, and associations. For example, stories deliver a lot of meaning.
If you think of it, you can’t use the same words for different types of audiences. If you want to make an impression, you have to touch their hearts. The topic of your story is important, too. Different research paper topics will focus on different things and hence, trigger diverse emotions.
To some people, the sad story of a young boy and a young girl who is forbidden to love each other is nothing more than a story. To others, who have experienced this dramatic feeling themselves, the story will spark flames into their hearts and minds, changing their mood, thoughts, feelings, and behaviour.
So, if you know your audience well, you may use words that’ll trigger powerful memories, beliefs, and principles, which in turn will generate emotions that’ll be associated with your brand.
Words Can Help or Hurt
Words can hurt, and they can help. If your communication is right, you’ll only help people fix their problems and satisfy their needs. If your words are too bold, unfounded, and thrown away without too much care, your brand’s reputation will have to suffer because people will notice it and react to it.
For example, a religious comment, a bold statement, or a biased opinion that’s displayed as fact are some of the things that may put your brand’s reputation in jeopardy.
Words Create Thoughts
Elephant. Did you think of an elephant now? Thick, black, and stinky dog poop. How about that thought?
Every word immediately triggers a thought. Some words will make people visualize something (e.g., blue sky), others will make them hear something (e.g., loud screaming), while others will make them feel something (e.g., tasty Nutella).
Creating positive associations, whether they’re visual, auditory, or kinaesthetic, and linking them to your brand’s name, logo design or mission will bring many loyal fans along.
Words Trigger Feelings and Actions
Lastly, as words can instantly trigger thoughts, you should be very well aware that thoughts will often trigger feelings and then actions.
That’s how we work. A thought pops up, then a feeling immediately is associated with it. Sometimes, the emotion is so subtle that we don’t even become aware of it, but it surely exists. If the feeling is positive, action will often be triggered. Otherwise, procrastination will take over as a result of the disharmony between thoughts, emotions, and actions.
So, if your goal is to make people sign-up to your newsletter (which involves a certain trust and interest), use words that’ll spark positive emotions, which in turn will generate action.
For example, many brands are displaying the end-result benefits rather than the features of their products. This way, prospects will immediately associate great feelings with the brand’s value proposition and will be very eager to spend their bucks on it.
How to Use Words to Solidify Your Brand
Building a solid and consistent brand isn’t going to happen overnight. It’s rather a long process that demands more types of consistency: publishing consistency, word consistency, value consistency, message consistency, and so on.
Here are five ways to leverage words to develop a consistent brand.
1. Understand Your Target Audience
The first and most important aspect of your entire branding process is your target audience. Out of all the people in the world, who are you targeting and why?
Regardless of your business type, you’ll still depend on customers. The better you understand your customer’s mindset, problems, and needs, the higher the odds of providing true value.
When you know who you’re speaking to, you can carefully use words that resonate with the reader. Get your reader’s attention by communicating the right way and you’ll be able to turn him into a customer faster than you’d ever expected.
2. Let Your Words Display Your Unique Value Proposition
What is unique about your brand? Are these the products you’re selling? The brands you’re associated with? The revolutionary solution that you’ve just discovered?
To stand out from the crowd, you must identify the quality that sets you apart. Your UVP (unique value proposition) is the “thing” that none of your competitors are offering, the thing that’ll make people stick with you rather than with any other brand.
Some brands allow their words, a.k.a. their communication, to serve as the highest trait of their offering. These brands generally focus on high-quality content that’s accessible and helpful to their specific target audience.
For example, if you own a motorcycle blog and want to stand out from the crowd, start writing 3000+ words articles that are both comprehensive and relevant, develop and maintain a unique brand voice, and help your visitors understand the value of your proposition by giving them the information that’ll improve the quality of their motorcycling lifestyle.
If you’re not as good with words as you’d like to think, you should definitely outsource talented individuals who can turn words into magic. Academic writers are the best option due to their great understanding of the language. Check out this argumentative essay writer service.
3. Use Power Words When You Have to Sell
There are some words that act as instant triggers, and they’re called “power words” or “marketing words”. Many brands use them regularly throughout their sales copy, especially in the late-funnel.
People are emotional beings, and if you know how to “play” with their emotions, you’ll highly influence their future decisions but also the immediate outcomes. Here are some powerful words that will persuade, influence, and determine your users to pay more attention and take more action:
- Guarantee, Risk-Free, Promise
- Immediately, Soon, Instantaneously
- Quick, Now, Expires
- Simple, Satisfaction, Easy
- Success, Safe, Money-Back
- Invite-only, Hand-Crafted, Brand-New
- Premium, Luxurious, Wealthy
- Secret, Rare, Edition
- Few, Exotic, Select
- Extraordinary, Magic, Amazing
- You, Improvement, Results
- Discover, Offer, Deal
- Soon, Release, Wanted
- Compelling, Ultra, Brilliant
- Bulletproof, Smashing, God-Speed
- Titanic, Killjoy, Cosmic
4. Use Words to Help Prospects Visualize Outcomes
As I’ve mentioned earlier, many of our thoughts turn into actions. Motivating a prospect to visualize the positive outcome that’ll arrive after purchasing your product is a brilliant way to spark desires of action.
Use a combination of powerful words and visual elements to take your readers on an imaginative journey that promises a bright future. For example: “By leveraging our affordable yet limited services, you can spend your daily afternoons enjoying your family, friends, and personal interests while being absolutely sure that your customers will never miss you.”
5. Leverage the Power of Words to Tell Great Stories
Does your brand have a story? If not, what are you waiting for?
Storytelling is a productive marketing strategy that’ll never cease to work. Storytelling exists since the first words have appeared. A story is a summary of events. It has a beginning and an end, and it is the easiest and most convenient communication tool that can help you generate powerful impressions and associations.
Great storytelling is an art that requires consistent practice. If you’ve never used storytelling for branding purposes before, here’s more info.
Takeaways
If it weren’t for words, our communication would be chaotic. Most people don’t consciously think about the meaning of words, yet they speak them without a problem. If words were persons, those individuals would be taken for granted by most of us.
Now, as marketers and entrepreneurs, we can choose to pay attention to the words that represent our brand. Be it the business name, a slogan, a blog post, a video, a live speech, it doesn’t matter. The better words you choose the higher your odds of developing a consistent and successful brand.
Author bio
Alexandra Reay is an editor and professional writer at australianwritings.net. Alexandra is fond of horse-riding, reading and rock music. Alexandra keeps her spirit in writing fluent articles as well.