Does "brag-and-boast" copy serve you well?
Are you sick and tired of the endless bragging and boasting by copywriters and info marketers online today?
?
Some of these blowhards have egos bigger than the huge Chinese balloon, said to be taller than the statue of liberty, shot down off the coast of South Carolina.
?
These smug blowhards love nothing more than to crow endlessly about:
?
…how smart they are.
…how successful they are.
…how great they are.
…how much money they make.
?
Almost everything they say is couched in the most braggadocious terms possible.
?
Back in the day, we would say our copy “outperformed” the control—or maybe “beat” the control.
?
Today, egomaniacal marketers puff up their chests as they endlessly tell us they are “crushing it.”
?
So, you may ask…what’s wrong with brag-and-boast?
?
Well…several things.
?
To begin with, bragging is unseemly.
?
In everyday life, bragging builds the braggart up and makes him feel superior.
?
While simultaneously making the person you are bragging to feel inferior and bad about themselves.
?
Second: bragging lacks credibility, because the braggart praising himself is not objective.
?
For instance, if you say you are a genius, it’s a pretty sure bet that you almost certainly are not.
?
But if other people say you are a genius, that makes the claim more credible.
?
Third, braggarts are prone to exaggeration.
?
领英推荐
People make outrageous claims on the internet; e.g., “My Program Made Me $2.7 Million in 12 Hours.”
?
Yet they either offer no proof—or else no proof that is believable or the reader can possibly verify.
?
I sometimes—sarcastically--email these braggarts and warn them not to break their arm while patting themselves on the back.
?
When I got started in copywriting in the late 1970s, it was perhaps a bit more difficult to make outrageous claims of success, because our marketing was more visible.
?
Example: If you claimed your latest ad was a “killer,” but it only ran once, then the smart marketers would know that in fact it did not work—because if the ad had been profitable, you would have run it multiple times.?
?
Though sales made online are less visible than TV commercials or newspapers, they are not invisible.
?
So when a regulatory agency calls B.S. on you, the proof of your malfeasance can be found in your e-commerce software logs and on your servers.
?
Fourth, braggarts have selective blindness: they shout the good stuff from the highest rooftops. But when the news is not so good, they can turn awfully quiet.
Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Orbit satellite launch company, once boasted about how great Virgin Orbit is, saying it could connect 3 billion people who are not yet connected.
But last month, according to an article in Industrial Equipment News (3/31/23), Virgin Orbit’s star seemed to be shining less brightly, as they laid off about 85% of their workforce--and put all projects on hold.
What’s the lesson here for you as a consumer evaluating high-falutin statements and claims from big shots who think perhaps their feces is odorless?
?
Well, one good rule of thumb for you to follow is: “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”
?
Another problem with making outrageous claims on the internet, such as “My Program Made Me $2.7 Million in 12 Hours,” is that if it isn’t true, you are lying.
?
Lying in your advertising is both unethical and illegal. Not a very honorable way for you to make a living, right?
?
About the author:
?
Robert W. Bly is a freelance copywriter with 4 decades of experience in direct response and business-to-business marketing. He has written copy for dozens of clients including IBM, Forbes, AT&T, Harvard Business Review, and AARP.
?
Bob is the author of 100 books including?The Copywriter’s Handbook?(St. Martin’s Griffin). He can be reached by email [email protected] or phone 973-263-0562.
?
Want to gain more of Bob Bly’s marketing knowledge at no cost? Sign up for a free subscription to his e-newsletter … and claim 4 FREE Bonus Gifts worth over $100 -- here: www.bly.com/reports
No headline.
1 年Cheers Bob.? I landed in "Money Twitter" about 2 months ago. It's a group of young men, mostly, showing screenshots of Stripe payments & exposing client results like it's okay. And they boast about results like they're the only ones on the team.? Humility is key to longevity in business.?
I help companies that serve accountants create marketing communications to increase sales and build relationships.
1 年I don't think this is so "new". Advertisers have always used hype and puffery to try to drum up interest. The response of viewers/readers is to not believe anyone. Dan Kennedy analogizes the Peanuts comic strips where Lucy repeated withdraws the football when holding it for Charlie Brown, who misses the kick, flies through the air and crashes on his back. Viewers/readers see Lucy! It's essential to include a lot of proof elements in an ad or sales letter.
Franchise Growth Strategist | Co-Producer of Franchise Chat & Franchise Connect | Empowering Brands on LinkedIn
1 年I like this observation: "Example: If you claimed your latest ad was a “killer,” but it only ran once, then the smart marketers would know that in fact it did not work—because if the ad had been profitable, you would have run it multiple times.?"
Increase conversions for sustainable Shopify brands with automated abandoned cart email campaigns
1 年Bob Bly This is an interesting perspective on the prevalence of brag-and-boast copy in online marketing. The article raises some valid concerns about the lack of credibility and ethics in making outrageous claims and reminds us to be skeptical of high-falutin statements that seem too good to be true.
Freelance copywriter and ghostwriter (not the un-dead variety) by day. Author by night.
1 年Here, here. Glad someone else has noticed this and is talking about it. When did self-serving become a virtue? There is nothing wrong with using a bit of hustle to make a living and get your name out there, but lying to do it? That's just unethical.