The two vocabularies (because there are two audiences)

Early adopters want to buy a different experience than people who identify as the mass market do.

Innovators want something fresh, exciting, new and interesting.

The mass market doesn't. They want something that works.

It's worth noting here that you're only an early adopter sometimes, when you want to be. And you're only in the mass market by choice as well. It's an attitude.

The people bringing new ideas to the public are early adopters themselves (because it's often more thrilling than working in a field that does what it did yesterday), and often default to using words that appeal to people like themselves, as opposed to the group in question.

More rarely, there are a few people with a mass market mindset that are charged with launching something for the early adopters, and they make the opposite mistake, dressing up their innovation as something that's supposed to feel safe.

When you bring a product or service or innovation to people who like to go first, consider words/images like:

• New
• Innovative
• Pioneer
• First
• Now
• Limited
• Breakthrough
• Controversial
• Technology
• Brave
• Few
• Hot
• Untested
• Slice/Dominate/Win
• Private
• Dangerous
• Change
• Secret

On the other hand, people who aren't seeking disruption are more likely to respond to:

• Tested
• Established
• Proven
• Industry-leading
• Secure
• Widespread
• Accepted
• Easy
• Discounted
• Everyone
• Experienced
• Certified
• Highest-rated
• Efficient
• Simple
• Guaranteed
• Accredited
• Public

Of course, it's important that these words be true, that your product, your service and its place in the world match the story you're telling about it.

Once you see this distinction, it seems so obvious, yet our desire to speak to everyone gets in the way of our words.

       

from Seth Godin's Blog on marketing, tribes and respect http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/269976836/0/sethsblog~The-two-vocabularies-because-there-are-two-audiences.html