Marketing that Matters #027
Buzz off, buzzwords: a list of words to NOT use when marketing your company.
Hey there.
Buzzwords have long been part of the marketing world, but their usage has increased considerably in recent years.
Why?
There are many reasons. More innovative, disruptive, game-changing (three right there) startups than ever before. Social media. But culprit number one is AI, and specifically our over reliance on it to create content. Generic prompting into ChatGPT has led to bland content and repetitive word usage. Bad inputs lead to bad outputs with AI, and most everything else.
I am not going to go full old man yelling at cloud, as the latest version of ChatGPT is actually a pretty good content creator with the right inputs and direction (more on this below).
But I am going to share a list of words that I try my best to avoid using. Across the board I would consider them fluff. Some would fall into the MBA jargon category, and others into the AI favourites.
Let me know if anything is missing from the below list.
Glossary: words and phrases to avoid
The “AI” favourites
Foster
And its evil twin, cultivate. Just stick with create, grow, or any number of similar words that people actually use.
Delve
Realm
The two worst words that ChatGPT has brought back into our world (realm?). Don’t use them. Ever.
The “MBA jargon" favourites
Leverage
Utilize
Just use… use. Be specific.
Others to avoid
Revolutionize
Your vertical SaaS platform is not fighting a war. You can be a bit bold without being over the top. This word has completely lost its meaning thanks to the last few decades of startup marketing. We are changing, we are improving, we are innovating on the status quo. These all work.
Harness
See above.
Best-in-class
Game-changing
See below.
Press release buzzwords: unavoidable(?)
Honoured (honored in the US of A). Proud. Excited. Thrilled.
These words make up the four horsemen of the press releaspocolypse. There is no way around using them from time to time, especially in funding or commercial announcements.
You can, and should, however, avoid using humbled.
What does ChatGPT have to say?
When prompted on marketing buzzwords to avoid using, here's what came back:
Synergy - Often overused and can sound vague or meaningless.
A well-placed number one. Synergy is an OG hockey stick from Easton and nothing else.
Disruptive - Once a powerful term, it's now commonly used and can feel overhyped.
Innovative - This word can lose its impact if used without clear evidence of true innovation.
Personal preference, but I actually don’t mind these two, as long as they can be supported with evidence.
Cutting-edge - Similar to "innovative," it can sound exaggerated if not backed up by unique features.
This one fits alongside “game-changer” and “best-in-class.” You get a usage hall pass if you market for a sword or knife company.
Paradigm shift - This can seem overly dramatic and may not accurately describe the situation.
Yes.
Scalable - Can be a useful term, but overuse might make it seem like a generic promise.
Don’t mind using this as long as it can be supported.
Best-in-class - Often perceived as subjective and lacking specific criteria.
Game-changer - Overuse can make it sound like a hollow claim.
See above. Avoid.
Holistic - Can be seen as jargon if not clearly defined.
I am guilty of still using this one. No more.
There is always an element of personal preference when it comes to grammar and specific words. However, if you did an analysis of the very best brands in your industry, or any industry, I would be shocked if you found any of them using buzzwords on the regular.
Thanks for reading.
Yours in (effectively worded) marketing,
Jeff