Why Simple Everyday Words Make a Brand Easy to Remember

Think about this. When you want to book a movie ticket, which app comes to your mind first? Most people will say BookMyShow. And for a flight or a hotel, many say MakeMyTrip. For insurance, PolicyBazaar.

Did you notice something? These names are not hard. They are not fancy English. They sound like the thing you want to do. Book my show. Make my trip. Policy bazaar.

This is marketing with simple words, and it is one of the most powerful things a brand can do. In this blog I will explain why it works and how you can use it for your own business in Kerala.

Our brain remembers easy words

Every day we see hundreds of ads, posts, and boards. Most of them are forgotten in one minute. The brain keeps only what is easy to remember.

A simple word is easy to read, easy to say, and easy to type on Google. A hard word is none of these. If a customer cannot say your brand name properly, how will they tell their friend about you?

I see this a lot in my work as a digital marketer in Kannur. Business owners choose a big, stylish name, and later they find that customers spell it wrong or forget it.

Let us look at the three examples

MakeMyTrip

“Make my trip” is a sentence we say in real life. When someone plans a holiday, they think “I have to make a trip”. The brand name is the same as the thought in the customer’s head. So there is no need to explain what they do.

BookMyShow

“Book my show” is the same. Look at the words: book, my, show. A small child can read them. The name also tells you the work, which is booking. Nobody needs a long ad to understand it.

PolicyBazaar

Policy is a word everyone knows. Bazaar means a market, and every Indian knows that word too. Put together, it feels like a market where you can see many policies and choose one. Insurance is a boring and confusing topic for most people, but the name makes it feel easy and familiar.

(These are brand names of their own companies. I am only sharing what I understand as a marketer, from how the names sound to a normal customer.)

What these names have in common

• They use words people say daily.
• They tell you what the brand does.
• They are easy to spell, so people can search them on Google.
• They sound friendly, not like a big company talking down to you.
• They use “my”, which makes the customer feel it is for them.

That last point is small but strong. When the name says “my”, the customer feels they are in control.

It is not only about the brand name

Marketing with simple words is also about your posts, ads, and website lines. Let me give a few examples.

Instead of “We provide end-to-end digital solutions”, write “We help your shop get more customers online”.

Instead of “Leverage our premium offerings”, write “Check our best offers”.

Instead of “Optimise your brand presence”, write “Let people find you on Google”.

See the difference? The second line is how a real person talks. A customer in Kerala is scrolling fast on his phone. He will not stop to understand a hard line.

A Kerala example

In my last blog I wrote about Saudi Shawaya. Look at their offer: unlimited rice. Two simple words. Everybody understands it in one second, and everybody repeats it to friends. If they had called it “an extended rice portion experience”, nobody would talk about it. You can read that story here: Digital Marketing Strategy in Kerala: 2 Real Restaurant Examples

Same with the “missing burger” campaign we did for Ami’s Kitchen in Mattool. The phrase is simple and a little curious. People understood it quickly and wanted to know more, so they engaged with it.

How to use simple words for your business

Here is an easy way to start.

1. Say it like you tell a friend. Imagine you are explaining your business to a friend over tea. Whatever words you use there, write the same words in your ad.

2. Use action words. Book, buy, call, order, visit, get. These tell the customer what to do next.

3. Test your name or tagline. Say it to 5 people and ask them to write it down. If three of them spell it wrong, it is too hard.

4. Cut the big words. Read your text again. For every hard word, find an easy one. If you cannot remove it, ask if the customer really needs it.

5. Use words people search. People type “hotel near me”, not “hospitality accommodation services”. Your words should match what they type on Google. I wrote about this here: How to Get on Top When People Search “Hotel Near Me”

A small warning

Simple does not mean boring or copy-paste. Do not copy the names of other brands. “Book my” and “make my” are already taken in people’s minds. Find your own simple words that match your own business. The idea is to be easy, not to look like someone else.

Also, a simple name alone will not grow a business. You still need a clear strategy, a good offer, and good service. Simple words help people remember you, and strategy gives them a reason to choose you. If you want to learn that part, read How to Find a Strategy for Your Business Before Ads and Content.

Quick check for your business

Write these down:

1. What is my brand name, and can a school kid say it easily?
2. Does my tagline say what I do in 6 words or less?
3. Would a customer type these words in Google?

If the answer is no to any of these, that is the first thing to fix.

Need help with your words and marketing?

If you are confused about your brand name, your tagline, or your ads, you can talk to me. I will first understand your business and then suggest easy words that your customers already use. Read my story or message me from the contact section.