Why Linguistics is Important

As a marketer, in most cases you can not shape public opinion or create a profitable economy of scale unless you understand how words are used in a manipulative manner to shape opinion to create profit for external antimarket institutions (like Google).

Looking through economic history and the history of linguistics enables you to realize opportunities when others are not being honest or consistent in their policies, and it helps you form an argument which enables you to sound logical and reasonable while reframing the debate at an appropriate time. (For example, let's look at Google's nofollow policies.)

If you like to read I highly recommend reading A Thousand Years of Nonlinear History. Thusfar it is the most important book I have ever read, and is worth far more than my SEO Book, even though it will cost you less than $20. It is not for everyone, but if you are able to understand abstract patterns I doubt you will ever find another book that is more important or convincing at shaping your worldview to a more impartial or profitable worldview.

Published: July 8, 2006 by Aaron Wall in marketing

Comments

July 8, 2006 - 10:14pm

Yes. Linguistic framing is just as important to marketers as it is to politicians. Some would argue that the last presidential election was heavily influenced by the intentional and expert framing that went on.
http://www.rockridgeinstitute.org/research?Subject=Framing

Seth Godin's book, "All Marketers are Liars" has some good examples of how linguistic framing is used in marketing.

July 9, 2006 - 5:53am

Hey Aaron, this is a little of topic but I was just wondering why you have an add on your site for "save the internet", is this not going against what you have previously said "I do not put any adds on my site because I feel that I do not need other people's crap products being advertised on my site."

Also may I ask, do you think this ending of "Internet Neutrality" thing really going to very possibly take affect?

If so, then according to savetheinternet.com SEO will vanish.

P.S. you remind me of David Blang

Mark Blair
July 9, 2006 - 9:19am

On the subject of linguistics -- its interesting to read through some of Plato's Socratic dialogues to see how the meaning of even the most basic of terms are colored more by personal experiences and pretty slippery to pin down with any objective definition.

As I recall, a pretty good one to look at is Gorgias where they wrestle with the meaning of "justice".

Of course, where Socrates seeks to find objective meaning of a term in the dialogue -- we are generally more interested in subjective variances.

A good background in linguistics is generally helpful for search engine engineers and SEOs as we deal in language in a particularly raw form -- mostly divorced from the context within the mind of the searcher.

As a sidenote for s -- in my mind there is a big difference between a third-party advertisement and personal advocacy. In this case, Aaron is advocating a cause. That's a lot different from promoting a product that he has no interest/stake in.

July 9, 2006 - 4:57pm

Yes Mark, that makes alot of sence and I think you answered that one for Aaron (I figured that too I just wanted to hear Aaron's response). However, more importantly I still would definitely like to hear Aaron's thought's on the "Saving The Internet" issue. If the Internet Neutrality is really at stake then so is SEO and alot of other great things on the Internet. This is why I am really interested to hear weather Aaron thinks the Internet is really at stake.

agent
July 10, 2006 - 4:57am

I just want to point out something from the book Aaron. It says something about the uneven-ness of things in the marketplace.

What actually brings out the uneven quidity of things is people's personal biases. And what brings out this personal bias among us? It's our nature of being uneven.

We sometimes wake up with a different set of thoughts..and then before sleeping we gather another set of those. With that how can we possible expect things to go even in the outset or results of ur thoughts and actions?

How much more when we're in the very dynamis business field? If you get even or constant, you will remain idle and lost. After all, the marketplace is for dynamic and energetic people who thinks quickly and decides abruptly but carefully.

Ateesha
July 1, 2007 - 12:18pm

Linguistics is very important science and it is helps to know the differences between languages.
From linguistics,we can see the differences and similarties between languages and dialects either different historical or family.

Thanks

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