Sticky

How Jargon and Meaningless Words Hurt Your Marketing

• Craig Wilson
• April 17, 2018

Too much marketing features words and expressions that lack real meaning. They sound really good but lack any real value or meaning. These are the terms that you think that you should include in your copy, that doesn’t really add any value for your customers.

Some examples include phrases, such as, “exceeding expectations”, “best in class”, or “customer-focused.” This type of jargon can create barriers to communicating any real value to the customer.  It lacks real thought and sounds generic.

Why use Jargon?

When your marketing is full of jargon, it doesn’t add any real value or let the customer know anything that can be used to make any real decisions. Knowing that a company is customer-focused says nothing. Isn’t every business focused on their customers. Likely, anyone who uses these types of phrases are either afraid to be more specific, or really fail to grasp the point.

They either don’t want to be too specific or don’t know how to be more specific or they don’t understand the company’s value. If the message is too specific, it puts the business into a niche market, so it only attracts customers that will benefit from the specific services and products the company offers. Is there any reason to attract customers that don’t need your goods or services?

Organisations aiming to attract customers need their marketing, and website especially, to stand out. To do this, you can’t waste time with meaningless phrases and empty jargon. And you need to meet their customer’s needs. If you read that a company is best in class, do you know if they can specifically help with your needs.

What Adds Value?

Content that is simple and clear, that will be the most productive and create the most value for customers is what your need to aim for. Jargon sounds great but lacks a clear and concise message.

Instead of generalisations, try creating content that is specific and sharp. For example, instead of stating that you are the best moving business in town, you should state that you are the only moving business with the expertise to move pianos. It provides your client with a specific reason why your company stands out from the rest.

Here are some quick tips to writing better and meaningful content, whether creating website content, messaging, or blogging, without meaningless jargon.

• Begin by writing what you believe is the most valuable information about your business.
• Next, dig a little deeper to find a way to explain this information in more detail, which will help to get you thinking more critically about it.
• Circle the words that you find interesting and begin to define what you really mean by these words. For example, if your company exceeds expectations, think about how you do this.
• Find other ways to express these overused and meaningless phrases and replace them with specific content.

When creating content, the more specific you are, the easier it will be to appeal to your ideal customers. Find exactly what you want to say and find a way to attract people with ideas that appeal to emotions and ideas, which drive them to make decisions.

Some of the best things about your business are specific and unique. Your content should highlight these aspects. It will appeal to them and creates an instant connection. It is this connection that assists them in making the decision to choose your organisation over competitors making meaningless, empty claims.

A key element of our Growth Marketing Accelerator is identifying and honing your story, the real reason why customers should work with you. One recent Accelerator client was amazed that we were able to articulate their story so well in just 90 minutes when they had tried for 7 years. You can learn more about the Growth Marketing Accelerator here…