What Is Semantic Marketing?

Semantic marketing is a strategy that places paramount importance on the wording of every ad and marketing phrase. The precise selection of words and terms that convey an exact message is the key to the strategy. Small businesses that cater to niche markets and very targeted segments of the population often make use of semantic marketing as part of their overall strategy.

Semantic marketing strategies embrace the power of the spoken and written word. They rely on the consumer to interpret the marketing message, and they center around careful crafting of words and their meanings, both implied and actual. Some semantic campaigns use puns or other word games to get the point across. This can cause the consumer to spend more time looking at the ad to decipher the message. If the joke works, the consumer may get a laugh out of the effort, and, in turn, think of the brand positively for the cleverness demonstrated. In other cases the effects of a semantic ad may be more direct with the consumer realizing that the brand is speaking his language and thus forming a bond.

The words you use in marketing campaigns can sometimes have as much impact as the promotion or the product itself. The words you use can quickly inform the consumer about who it is you are addressing, what your goals are, and why. For example, a campaign that uses trigger words like "luxury, elegance and haute couture" is clearly after high-end consumers. It ignores the mass market and will likely result in a lack of interest amongst that segment. Whatever the product you sell, it is immediately impacted by the words used to describe it, and it will take on a certain personality in the eyes of the consumer as a result.

Marketing campaigns sometimes choose the language they use with Internet searches in mind. Popular phrases and words that are used within the industry are often incorporated into advertisements and branding phrases to ensure that consumers are led to the company website, where the rest of the marketing message, including discount and product information, is found. For example, a small business that manufactures plumbing supplies may do some research and find that ""toilet repair," "clogged drain," and "DIY plumbing" are the top three phrases used by consumers looking for help with plumbing at home. In response, the company may create a semantic marketing phrase that reads "X Plumbing: your headquarters for toilet repair, clogged drains and DIY plumbing supplies." Customers will be more likely to find the site and the small business as a result.

Semantic marketing can be judged as finely as it is crafted. For example, there may be some campaigns that parse language to the point that it loses its meaning and becomes a mockery of itself. A small electronics business might decide to use technical language in its ad to make it clear to the consumer that the company knows its product and can provide expert advice. Instead of its intended goal, such an approach can end up alienating a consumer with unfamiliar jargon, causing him to move on to a company with a message he understands.