People are always getting stuck on the names and adjectives and ways they come up with to describe their business, when it comes to marketing. And it’s a problem.
On the one hand, you want to brand yourself. You know – like I’m Aberrant Crochet. Ain’t no other. I put my stamp on whatever I can. When I use this personality. Pixie Worx goes on other stuff. And I developed the catch phrase for my marketing of “Shop Outside The Flock!”
OK, cool.
But if I’m going to pay money for an advertising banner that barely has room for 10 words, or ad in a newspaper or even an Etsy listing title – while I might make sure that my logo or name or something is there somewhere, I’m going to be marketing key words that people understand. Not spending all my money on my ego.
Do you know how many people ask me what the word ABERRANT means? When I talk about being heretical, people ask me what that means too.
Those aren’t good key marketing words for me to use in a stripped down graphic box on the internet. Not because they’re emotionally charged, as someone tried to tell me once, but because people aren’t Googling them and they don’t know what they’ll get on the other side of that click. People aren’t out there searching for my brand of aberrant heretics outside the average flock. And I’m not famous yet. So what the heck does it mean to someone coming across a graphic ad on a website somewhere if I’m not blunt about what I want to sell people? (Seriously, someone tried to tell me once that it was unlikely that I’d ever make acceptable friends or customers with my chosen brand name. Really…. Rock on then.)
I’m going to worry less about my name and I’m going to focus my keyword marketing on “crochet” or “articles” or “graphic work” or whatever else I’m hocking at the time depending on the room I have. Because that’s 1) What most people understand and 2) What most people are looking for.
Sure it’s good for people to see your logo. “Ooo! Recognize me!” But if you want sales on the other side of that click, you need to be more specific as to what you’re offering.
Which would make sense to you? “Get Your Certifiably Aberrant Patterns Here!” or “Unique Crochet Patterns” or better yet “Largest Spider Web Crochet Pattern – Available Here.” Can you tell what I’m selling? (Well, OK – I did use the word “pattern” in each example, but stick with me here.) Which would you more likely click? Which would you more likely trust?
Illustrating A Point
Sometimes we’re too attached to our pet phrases and chosen identities when we think of marketing. We want to cram too much information in there. Or we just have to use our “official” certification program on the ad, instead of making it simple on the consumer. “Experience Certified Wompamized® Technological Advances Here!” or “Click here to improve your WordPress skills!” Which one are you more likely to be interested in?
Just be honest with your consumer. Stop trying to over-dress things to make them seem more impressive. If you have a good product, then you don’t need to create vague descriptions. It’s OK to have an amazing brand name. But when all you have is 10 words to grab someone’s attention, make them count.
It all comes down to this.
Dude – make your marketing messages clearer. Just like nebulous questions – nebulous marketing messages get nebulous results.
Clarity is King.
It’s a satire on marketing (think Spinal Tap style) that leaves you wondering if you were really supposed to see that. At 18 minutes long, it’s well worth the time suck if you’re in marketing or even marketing-adjacent.
“Fruitionizing” is Timothée’s word. I won’t spoil the reveal, but it’s introduced early in the video. It’s a strong contender for my 2026 “Word of the Year.” May marinate on it a bit.
Crochet Liberation Front:
Aberrant Crochet (TM) 