Let’s talk superlatives

Shiny words may draw people in initially, but a lack of substance will send them running. Superlatives will do just that and they are bound to slow down progress with your marketing and the growth of your brand.

If you’re wondering what a superlative is, you’re not on your own, and it is basically a word that is the highest form of comparison and the highest quality of something. Examples of superlatives are words like ‘best’, ‘most’, and ‘biggest’. Now, while those words absolutely have their place, they are all too often misused in marketing and copy. Here’s why…

They are lazy 

More often than not, if you are using a superlative, it looks like you were struggling for brain power and thought you would plonk one in there. There are so many descriptive and exciting words that you can use to describe your business or your offering, and if you nail down your tone of voice and your messaging, these will flow much more easily to you.

They cheapen your offering 

Words are powerful and, to be honest, they are more than words. Using superlatives in your marketing and copy, being the best or the biggest, the most of something or the fastest, doesn’t really set a great tone for your audience. This is even true of those wanting to offer the ‘cheapest’ of something; without a story and reasoning, it will have your customers and audience questioning the quality and the integrity of your offerings. 

They need to be substantiated 

The good people over at the ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) are not firm fans of superlatives. This is because for you to claim to be the best at something, or indeed the cheapest, you need to have the evidence, research and information to back that up. We are talking competitor analysis, documentation, all the proof you need to substantiate the claim. The ASA oversee all forms of advertising and marketing, including organic socials and even your own website. If you are found to be non-compliant, there are various penalties, but in the more severe instances, your site and channels can be disabled and you can land a hefty fine, not to mention bad PR*

*No, not all PR is good PR… Trust me. 

They don’t sell what you offer

What does being the best tell somebody? Nothing, really. Superlatives don’t do a wonderful job of describing things and they don’t draw people and customers into the story or the journey. Make your words count, whether that is web copy, product descriptions, a mission statement or a social post.

People are wise to them

Ever get a Facebook ad for the best of something, with no reviews, and a website that looks more than questionable? People, especially your customers, are wise to fluffy claims with nothing to back them up, so whether they know it to be superlative or not, it is the kind of language that just won’t land with them.

If you’re stuck on your superlatives and are feeling a little lost in the dark, drop me an email and we can chat.

Your brand deserves more; I can promise you that.