Language has such an impact on the way we think, the way we feel, and the way we react. In our attempt as marketers to draw attention to our products or services, we may have used some words that have made our followers cringe.
Our choice of words can either sell or repel. Here are some common clichés, slang, buzzwords, and marketing speak we should stop using immediately:
“So-over-it” Slang
In your attempt to attract a younger crowd, we assure you that using these words will guarantee their attention but will also leave them unimpressed and snickering.
1. Bae
This word meant to be the term you affectionately call your significant other can make anyone’s skin crawl. It was initially believed to stand for “before all else” or “before anyone else.” But others say it is a shortened version of baby or babe. If a definition is something you need before using a word in your social media content, it might be a good idea to reconsider using it.
2. On Fleek
It was most commonly used to describe perfectly groomed eyebrows but has since been used for just about everything. What’s even more confusing is that “fleek” is not even a real word. But mostly, it meant something was on point.
There is so much confusion about where this word came from, its actual definition, when it should be used, or if it is even a word at all.
3. Swag
Only use this term if you are referring to giveaways because everyone loves free stuff. But please don’t use it to describe yourself and how undeniably cool you are.
4. Cray
It’s crazy how annoying this word is, and what’s even more maddening is when it is used twice. That’s just overly cray-cray.
5. YOLO
Yes, “You Only Live Once” and you’ve probably heard and seen this more times than you need to before you die.
Unproven Superlatives
These super superlatives are not only overused, but they are open to debate. Do you have the research and facts to back up your claims?
6. One-of-a-kind
7. First-rate
8. Only
9. Once-in-a-lifetime
Misused and Abused Marketing Speak
Every Social Media Wizard or Marketing Maven will want their campaigns to go “viral” which leads us to the first cliched term that marketers should stop using, misusing and abusing when discussing their strategies:
10. Viral
This term refers to something that has rapidly circulated on the Internet by shares, retweets, and reposts. To declare your intention to make something go viral just reeks of desperation as it is the public’s decision if something is worthy of this honor.
11. Groundbreaking
Unless your brand has just developed some new technology that will actually revolutionize the world, best you save this word for the real inventors.
12. Outside-the-box
If you want so say “be creative” creatively, then you’re going to have to find a more imaginative phrase.
13. Millennial
If you were going to use this in an attempt to appeal to that audience of people born between the early 1980s and the early 2000s, then you are going to have to try harder.
In the first place, millennials don’t identify themselves as such, and you would not be calling their attention with anything that read “Calling all Millennials.”
14. Synergy
Synergy is when two forces achieve something greater when they combine their efforts together. The word has been tossed around so frequently that its meaning has gotten lost.
15. Optimized
For digital marketers, “to optimize” has become a smarty-pants way of saying that you want to make something better. When used in its past tense, it raises the question if your process for improvement has come into completion and if it is now as good as it will ever get.
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A key principle of good communication is to make sure your message is clear and easy to understand. Unfortunately, the use of marketing jargon, buzzwords, or ambiguous terms by businesses on social media is a common practice. This does a great disservice to the brand’s messaging efforts as it alienates audience members who don’t immediately understand what the content means.