Is your advertising as effective as it could be? One of the most important aspects of effective retail signage is design – the visual elements that make your signage stand out and attract attention.

While design is important for successful signage, it’s not the only factor that makes your signage effective. The words you choose to use in your signage have a massive impact on its response rate and profitability.

From action verbs to simple changes in wording, small changes to the words used in your signs, brochures and other marketing materials can have a significant effect on how many leads, sales and responses your campaign produces.

Would you like to improve your signage’s effectiveness? Try using these five action words in your signage to increase your response rate, generate more leads and get more sales.

Free

Everyone loves to get something for free. If you’re giving away something – either as a completely free giveaway or with an additional purchase – make sure you mention it in your signage.

Have you ever stopped and walked into a store in exchange for a free sample or free bonus? Receiving something for free can be a powerful motivating force that could result in you – or your target audience – taking action.

If you’d like to generate massive attention with your signage, “free” is a great word to use.

You

“You” is one of the most powerful words for marketers. The reason is simple: when you use “you” in your signage, the people reading it immediately associate your offer with themselves.

Compare “Losing weight is possible” with “you can lose weight.” The second example is barely different from the first, but the image it creates in the reader’s mind is very different – it’s all about them, rather than all about the product.

People naturally respond to offers that allow them to visualize themselves in better situations. Use “you” to make your advertising more personal and more effective.

Try

Have you ever wanted to try something before you bought it? Being able to try out a product or service before committing to a purchase is a powerful motivator that can have a huge positive effect on your response rate.

Do you offer a free trial of your product or service? If so, using “try” in your signage can inspire customers to try your product that would otherwise walk right on by to somewhere else.

By trying your product or service, you gain a powerful opportunity to sell directly to prospects within your retail store or sales office.

Now

Given the choice, would you rather wait to receive something or have it now? Most people, with select few exceptions, would choose to receive something right now than have to wait for it.

This makes instant delivery a selling point – a potentially powerful one that you can use to enhance your signage. Make “now” a major word in your signage and you will attract customers that are interested in trying your product or service right then.

“Now” is especially powerful in markets where instant delivery isn’t usually offered, making it a great way to differentiate your business from competitors.

Get

Everyone likes to get something. The word “get” might seem simple, but it can have a powerful effect on the way people respond to your marketing and view the task of purchasing your product.

For example, compare the word “get” with the word “buy.” The first implies that you will receive something, while the second implies that there is a transaction that has a cost – not a picture that many customers want to think about.

Instead of using “buy” in your advertising, use “get” to create an image of receiving something in your target audience’s mind.