When you have something to sell, and when that sale is motivated in your financial stability, you’re liable to say anything. This is why new businesses can often bite off more than they can chew, trying to make hay while the sun shines by taking on too many clients, or perhaps overestimating the volume they can deliver. Both mistakes are quite common, in all industries.
Marketing, as well, seems simple on the service. You show what you have, make some strong and positive claims about it, and invite people to try. Yet any plucky marketer, perhaps one aided by an overenthusiastic LLM, can easily fall into “false promises” territory.
To avoid that, you have to be shrewd, and continually review the claims you’re actually making. That means being extremely strict with yourself, and also knowing how not to deliver messages without very clear meaning. With that in mind, please consider this:
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Don’t Manufacture Testimonials
Everyone knows fake testimonials when they see them, such as generic quotes from “Sarah M.” or “John D.” with stock photo headshots fooling absolutely nobody. That’s because real testimonials have personality, and usually mention specific details about your service, and they also have caveats because everything can be improved no matter what.
If you’re just starting out and don’t have testimonials yet, be honest about it. Say you’re new, mention your background or experience that qualifies you for the job, and ask early customers if they’d mind sharing their thoughts after you deliver. The temptation to create fake ones is strong fo some businesses and new marketers, because testimonials work so well, but getting caught with manufactured reviews will destroy your credibility with limited room to fix it.
Don’t Make False Health Claims
Health claims are where businesses get into serious legal trouble, not just credibility issues. Saying your product “cures” anything or makes definitive medical statements without proper backing is asking for problems. This goes tenfold for industries like supplements or wellness products where regulations are strict.
You have to be very careful even saying something “supports” health or “may help with” certain conditions can land you in hot water if you can’t back it up with real science. The regulatory bodies of any country will rarely mess around with this, and neither do customers who feel misled about health benefits. For example, if you’re in a regulated industry that needs specialized vape payment processing, don’t say that it’ll fix someone smoking. It’s best to say nothing than put yourself in danger.
Don’t Declare You’re The Best, Highlight Strengths
Calling yourself “the best” or “number one” sounds desperate and unprovable, because you’re the best according to who? Based on what criteria? That might sound confrontational, but many businesses do it, and it makes people roll their eyes because everyone says the same thing.
To gain better attention, talk about what makes you different or what you do well that others might not have focused on, so maybe you respond faster than competitors, maybe you have specialized experience in certain areas, or maybe your approach is more custom and you have an awesome modular service. Be certain to direct all attention to that, it will make you more confident in selling your services.
With this advice, you’re sure to avoid the most difficult pitfalls of novice marketing.
