The words you use in your ad, and the way you use them, make a big difference to your results. Two sentences may have the exact same meaning, but one is guaranteed to outsell the other.
Is your ad looking a little iffy?
The word “if” has the power to rob a sentence of its persuasive power. It does this when it appears after a beneficial statement. For example…
You will earn $7,500 per week, if you can refer five people!
The sentence leads with a positive, stating a specific amount of money that will be earned. This positive, of interest to any MLMer, is then weakened by the qualifier that follows. It weakens the ad, because the qualifier (a negative) casts doubt on the benefit.
Take a look at the same sentence when we lead with the negative…
If you can refer five people, you will earn $7,500 per week!
This version of the sentence ends with the positive. The reader is left with the thought of earning $7,500 (benefit), instead of having to recruit 5 people (chore).
Remove every last trace
Of course, the sentence can be made more powerful by leaving out the word “if” altogether…
Refer five people, and you will earn $7,500 per week!
Removing the word “if” helps to disguise the qualifier. As soon as “if” appears in a sentence, it automatically implies a qualification. And in the context of advertising, we run the risk of the reader automatically assuming the qualification is there specifically to exclude him or her from the benefit.
Why take the risk that the reader will leap to this conclusion?
Further masking the qualification
Our sentence can be further strengthened by including language that minimizes the qualifier in the mind of the reader. For example…
Only 5 people. That’s all you need to bank $7,500 a week!
This version uses the word “only” to imply a small quantity. To reinforce this effect, I’ve substituted the numeric 5 for the longer (and so larger) word five. I’ve also removed the word “refer,” which implies work. I split the sentence in two as this further separates the work (referring) from the benefit (money). And finally, I’ve replaced the word “earn” with “bank.” The word “earn” implies doing work. The word “bank” implies something far more beneficial and solid.
This two-sentence approach carries a certain reckless disregard for the usual rules of grammar. This may upset one or two people. Ignore them, and instead focus on the impact on the majority of your readers.
You may also notice that I’ve replaced “per week” with “a week”. The meaning is unchanged, but the sentence is easier to read. This gets the reader to the end of the sentence faster, and is generally less demanding on the reader.
It does make a difference
The way you use words and phrases in advertising does matter. The way you construct a sentence, and your use of grammar will help or harm your results.
It pays to study the art of writing advertising copy. You will make more money by learning more about it.
Stay tuned for more in-depth articles like this one right here in The Online Marketing Blog.
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It’s good to see the point that you have made, you could have added a few more things, but this was cool nonetheless.
I’ve been working in the field of internet/affiliate marketing for some years now (not as long as the so called “gurus”), and I’ve found it to be enjoyable as well as challenging with a hint of fickleness, but I’d certainly vouch for it, for those who are in between minds about marketing online. Anyway, excellent post, I picked up a few things as a result of it, cheers.