Words to Avoid When Marketing Ideas or Products

Alia McMullen

Filed under: Employment & Careers, Entrepreneurship, Small Business

Buzzwords are commonplace in the marketing world, so common in fact that using them may actually work against you.

Marketing and advertising professionals say overused phrases and industry jargon generally fail to capture the full attention of your audience. It's probable that your audience may actually find these buzzwords annoying.

WHAT NOT TO SAY:

A survey of 250 advertising and marketing professionals by The Creative Group has uncovered the 15 most annoying and overused buzzwords in the industry. So next time you have some ideas to pitch, try to find some alternative ways to say:

1. Social media or social networking
2. Synergy
3. Innovative or innovation
4. Extra value or value added
5. Going green
6. Free
7. ROI or return on investment
8. Culture change
9. Think outside the box
10. Interactive
11. Proactive
12. Social media expert
13. Multitasking
14. End of the day
15. Integrated or integration

"Certain buzzwords may be commonly used among marketing and advertising professionals, but when overused, they quickly lose impact and cause people to tune out," says Lara Dodo, regional vice president of The Creative Group in Canada. "In order to ensure your ideas are conveyed effectively, aim to keep your messages simple and direct."

WHAT TO SAY INSTEAD:

Four tips from The Creative Group for eliminating jargon:

Translate your thoughts. It's OK to think in the lingo you use on the job, but take some extra time when addressing an audience to explain concepts in terms they will easily understand.
Edit. Many buzzwords are unnecessary. For example, does a phrase like "at the end of the day" really add to your pitch? Probably not.
Break bad habits. We all rely on certain phrases when we speak, but if you tend to use those in the above list, try to find alternatives that convey the same meaning.
Show instead of tell. Use concrete examples to convey your thoughts instead of buzzwords. For instance, instead of discussing your "integrated" marketing strategy for a product rollout, describe those various elements an how they work together.

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