Some Words Don't Mean a Thing

A lot of words have lost their sizzle. The most effective marketing phrases from previous years are now just clichés. Avoiding these overused words will make your messages have a bigger impact on the reader. Here are a few words to be careful around:

quality

commitment

easiest

fastest/quickest

best

caring

revolutionary

one-of-a-kind

state-of-the-art

high-tech

service

hurry

now

guaranteed

value

professional

integrity

This is just a small list to get you thinking. More and more words will lose their impact each day. Take for instance the "redesigned" car. It was no longer exciting to redesign something, so car companies started "re-imagining" things. It wasn't long before big software companies started using the same term. This tells us two things: 1) It must be working for them. 2) It's going to get old really quick. Remember, the bandwagon of marketing words only leads to Cliché Town.

Some common marketing words still have an important place in your copy, but the context must be right. The trick is to be specific. Consider the promotion done by blender manufacturers. Several companies claim that their blenders are the "fastest." Of course, that means nothing if anyone can say it. But, if one company can prove it-using real numbers-they can still effectively use the word. "The blade spins at ## rpm, making it the fastest on the market." Now the word has meaning again.

If you want to double-check your website's copy, you can use our "Hypometer" to find empty hype words that may need revision. It's a great place to start before a re-write.

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