How to research buyer language for ads

How can I find the words buyers actually use without putting words in their mouths?

A practical way to collect customer language, separate observation from assumption and turn recurring questions into ad ideas.

Collect questions before slogans

Start with places where people explain a decision in their own words: support enquiries, product-page questions, returns reasons and reviews you have permission to use. Record the exact wording privately, where it came from and what the person was trying to decide. Do not turn one vivid comment into a claim about all buyers.

Sort notes by job rather than sentiment: what shoppers compare, what they need to understand, and what stops them checking out. A note such as “Will this fit in my small cupboard?” suggests a size demonstration, not a promise that it fits every kitchen.

• Tag each note by source and date.
• Group repeated questions; keep unusual remarks separate.
• Check the product page can answer the question before writing an ad.

Translate the pattern into a testable angle

Draft a neutral proposition from an observed question: “See the folded dimensions” is safer and more useful than “The perfect fit for every home”. Pair it with an image showing the measurement and send the click to the specification section. Compare that angle with one about another real buying question.

If you use a review as an endorsement rather than inspiration, keep it authentic, permissioned and representative. CAP guidance says advertisers must hold documentary evidence for testimonials and that claims within them are still subject to the Code. A customer’s words do not exempt a claim from substantiation.

Buyer-language evidence worksheet

Fictional quote demonstrates format only, not evidence about a real product.

Source | Date | Exact wording | Buyer question | Proposed own-word angle
Fictional permitted review | 2026-10-05 | “I can grip the handle comfortably.” | Can I judge the grip? | Show the actual handle up close
[real source] | [date] | [exact words] | [question] | [angle]
Permission / limitations / review owner:

Common questions

Can I paraphrase a review in an ad?

Use a paraphrase as your own proposition only if it is accurate and supportable. Do not put paraphrased words in quotation marks or attribute them to the reviewer.