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When it comes to creating successful marketing, the word ‘new’ is overrated. Moreover, it can seriously damage the effectiveness of your marketing, losing you sales or client enquiries in the process.

There are 2 main reasons why this happens.

1. A new product or service is thought of as risky. Untested. Less robust. At best, it’s a bigger gamble than the existing solution. At worst, the customer feels like a paying guinea pig. Ouch!
2. A new product or service is seldom, if ever, the best. It lacks the improvements that come from years of customer feedback.

Yes, when you have an announcement to make, like moving to new premises, people expect to see ‘new’ and they understand the context.

The challenge comes when a key part of your marketing message is that you offer a new way to do something. Even some big brands struggle to sell new to people, despite multi-million dollar marketing campaigns. Who remembers ‘New Coke”?

Thankfully you can totally avoid this problem.

Here are some far better alternatives

Instead of relying on new, offer your marketplace something more compelling. More secure. More attractive. More motivating. And a great deal more appealing.

For example, rather than offering your prospects a new way to (whatever), look at the core benefit of your product or service. Then market that benefit to them instead.

Here are 12 alternatives that I have used very successfully over the years. All of which offer the prospect a more attractive benefit.

1. A faster way.
2. An enjoyable way.
3. A secure way.
4. A greener way.
5. A stylish way.
6. A stress-free way.
7. An original way.
8. A premium quality way.
9. A proven way.
10. An ethical way.
11. A guaranteed way.
12. A cost effective way.

The key is to intentionally use words that paint better mental pictures. Pictures that build trust and inspire people to take action. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen this simple adjustment lead to radically better marketing results.

What next? Do a review of your current marketing and look for opportunities to replace the word new, with a better alternative.

This word can ruin your results. Here are 12 better alternatives was written by Jim Connolly and originally published on Jim’s Marketing Blog