Let's be honest—marketers have quite the repetitive vocabulary, and we tend to get in the habit of using the same words obsessively around like-minded people. To the outside world, we could be repeating the phrase "meat-and-potatoes, meat-and-potatoes" over and over, and it wouldn't make a difference. So to optimize our communication's effectiveness, let's strategize more efficient messaging to change the perception around marketers' conversations and engagement. Whatever that means.
Here Are 31 Fluffy Words Marketers Use Way Too Much:
1. Strategize: To create a plan-of-action to achieve a certain goal
2. Personalization: Alteration of a piece of content to fit a specific individual
3. Conversation: An exchange of words or ideas between two or more individuals
4. Impression: A single view of a piece of content on the internet; a set of eyeballs that saw something
5. Share-of-Voice: The percentage of people that a company owns for a specific topic or niche
6. Brand Equity: The value of a brand based on the public's perception of it
7. Perception: A person's personal opinion of something based on their own context
8. Positioning: The angle used for a specific piece of content
9. Engagement: Activity between a group of people around a company, concept, or each other
10. Listening: The act of consuming content or messages from others
11. Utilize: To use something....somehow
13. Effectiveness: A quality describing whether something or someone was able to complete a certain task or goal...or not
14. Efficiency: A quality describing whether something or someone was able to complete a certain task or goal based on the amount of effort the person planned to use
15. Organic: The quality of something achieved without financial support or paid online efforts (meaning you got it without spending any cash money)
16. ROI: Also known as "return on investment"—another buzzword! How much you got for how much effort or money you put in
17. Campaign: A bundle of actions that work together to achieve a certain goal
18. Synergy: The combination of two actions or ideas in one effort (more scientifically known as the red + blue = purple effect)
19. Evaluate: To reflect on a certain action, hopefully using numbers, to decide if the action was effective (hehe) or not
20. Awareness: A "measurement" of the public's knowledge of something—like a company, campaign, or person
21. Branding: The act of associating a certain feeling, image, or idea with a company. What do you think of when you think of HubSpot? 1, 2, 3...GO!
22. Buzz: The amount of chatter around a certain idea, company, etc. This can be in the form of social content or even in normal, everyday conversation.
23. Viral: The quality of content items that are naturally shared from person to person in rapid succession ('cause they just can't help themselves!)
24. Empower: To inspire a person or group of people to do something on their own
25. Optimize: To improve an object's ability to complete something, so that object can complete that action either harder, better, faster, or stronger
26. Streamline: To improve a series of processes so it takes less time or effort to complete the desired task
27. Messaging: The central concept or idea that a marketer wants a person to understand when consuming a piece of content
28. Alignment: The shared goals and coordinated efforts of two parties to make something happen (think SMarketing)
29. Transparent: Open about one's intentions and inner-workings, as well as open to feedback and able to admit mistakes
30. Authentic: True to one's nature instead of putting on a front or putting up a facade
31. Influencer: A person who is capable of convincing a group of people to think a particular way or perform particular actions. Now go share this blog post.
As a marketer, at the end of the day, being clear, direct, and thoughtful with our words is going to work best when communicating to others—in writing and in speech. So don't get in a marketing vocabulary rut (even we'll admit we're sometimes guilty of it). Instead, say what you mean, and you will be rewarded with better results.
What other fluffy buzzwords can you think of?
Inbound Marketing Blog Feed
Corey 3:43 PM on January 26, 2012
Best. Picture. Ever.
And thank you for calling out buzzwords we use too much!
Scott Cleveland 3:46 PM on January 26, 2012
How about 'Innovative' or 'Innovation'
guest 3:48 PM on January 26, 2012
"low hanging fruit" and "leverage"
I've never heard so many people want to leverage so many things to reap the low hanging fruit as I have in the last couple of years. Do any of them really have a clue what they are talking about? I think not.
Bill 4:00 PM on January 26, 2012
These words are used so frequently because they are the most accurate in describing a specific phenomenon. It would be great if you would suggest alternatives. The definitions that you offer are accurate as well, but they are ten words instead of one.
Cassie Allinger 4:10 PM on January 26, 2012
Great list! However, I must add relevant/relevancy to the list.
Milena 4:13 PM on January 26, 2012
You could add "conversions", "web leads", "landing page" "SEO" - this one is especially overexposed, and "social":))
Dan 4:18 PM on January 26, 2012
I agree with Bill above, yes they are over used but 9/10 they are used correctly. The definitions above are correct but really wouldn't be appropriate to use in most everyday situations.
Wendy 4:20 PM on January 26, 2012
Innovative!
Jim 4:22 PM on January 26, 2012
The people who overuse these words are all the 20-something popped-collar marketers who check in to the same place on FourSquaremultiple times per day.
#generalization
Angela Moore 4:23 PM on January 26, 2012
"Out-of-the-box" - yuck, gag me
Sonya Cole 4:26 PM on January 26, 2012
I agree with the comments of Bill and Dan. A list of alternatives sounds like a great idea for your next blog.
Dan 4:36 PM on January 26, 2012
Further to my previous comment on not having an issue/alternative with the words listed; I do have an issue with made up cliches like "low hanging fruit" and "out of the box" - there are perfectly viable alternatives to these!
Ed Buziak 4:42 PM on January 26, 2012
It makes my teeth grate every time I hear theme park PR / Managers during radio and TV interviews describing their far from extraordinary attractions as a "user experience" :~(
Tom Schwab 4:58 PM on January 26, 2012
The one I hate more than any is FREE. Avoid it like the plague in your online content! Unfortunately we have a product called I WALK FREE Hands Free Crutch and it drives all the traffic from people looking for free crutches on craigslist.
Shelton 5:00 PM on January 26, 2012
No offense Rebecca, but since you asked, I'd say "at the end of the day" is a very overused phrase. ;)
Rebecca Corliss 5:34 PM on January 26, 2012
@Shelton - Good one! Touche! (Wait ... is touche a buzz word?) ;-)
Steven Pofcher 10:45 PM on January 26, 2012
I agree with Bill and Dan above. The reason that these words are used is because we all understand them. Why use your multi-word definitions rather than the more direct single word.
Gotta tell you, I do not understand the reason for this blog. This one is a thumbs-down. Sorry.
Rocket 12:15 AM on January 27, 2012
"Moving forward"....oops, i just vomited in my coffee!!! This word is flogged to death.
James Gradidge 12:55 AM on January 27, 2012
This post offers a synergy of perceptions relevant to a specific field. Would "horsepower" be a buzzword to a mechanic, or "relativity" to a physicist? These definitions are essential to the science of communicatIon, in order to purvey concepts in a succinct and economical fashion, relevant to the medium. As such they are more bizwords than buzzwords.The abuse, I believe, lies in the number of purveyors attempting to convince you that they fully grasp their meaning. As such, I cannot agree with some of your definitions; for instance, empowerment involves a great deal more than just encouragement.
professional writing service 6:48 AM on January 27, 2012
Lolzzz... so true.. efficiency and effectiveness are the two words you can anywhere that still make sense!! And of course, the good old "ROI"!! nice collection!
Michael Kolowich 7:10 AM on January 27, 2012
Definitely "leverage" -- as a verb (as a noun, it works better)
Charles 9:31 AM on January 27, 2012
How did ROI get on this list? There is nothing less fluffy--it is an actual accounting term, not a jargony cliche. What else can you say there? Result from allotment? Effects of spend? *Hey, there's one fluff: when "spend" is used a noun. Same with "ask" when not used properly as a verb. Heard WAY too much in glass-walled conference rooms lately. "A $500,000 trade show spend? That's a big ask."
suzanne 9:35 AM on January 27, 2012
state of the art
Full Court Press 10:49 AM on January 27, 2012
Ed Symbol We are strategizing on the personalization of a conversation to make an impression Full Court’s shared voice builds brand equity and positions our engagement for our clients to listen and utilize the effectiveness and efficiency of our organic ROI of the campaign. The synergy is evaluated to measure the awareness of the branding and the viral buzz created. We hope to empower and optimize the streamlined process. The messaging must be received by an influencer.
Doug Rice 12:12 PM on January 27, 2012
Since I am an influencer, specializing in leveraging authenticity and transparency in branding to generate ROI and capture share of voice for my customers, I utilize positioning and engagement to help my clients strategize with organic efficieny and effectiveness to promote a campaign relying on listening and conversation to build brand equity from which buzz and awareness introduce viral messaging to achieve alignment to optimize, streamline and empower thought leaders with the impression of personalization.....now, hire me!
Jessica 12:41 PM on January 27, 2012
- leading edge
- thought leadership
- new and improved! (which doesn't really make sense to begin with...if it's new how can it already be improved ;) )
JB 4:42 PM on January 27, 2012
I was just in a marketing meeting where the idiom "Re-invent the wheel" was used 4 times in 10 minutes.
If there was a drinking game for over-used buzz words, I would be hammered.
Keith Gutierrez 3:30 PM on January 28, 2012
Glad to see everyone having so much fun here. We can't forget about TOFU, MOFU, and BOFU!
R Newman 12:36 AM on January 29, 2012
I have to agree with James, most of these are more bizwords than buzwords. However, it never ceases to amaze me how often they are used by people that have little to no understanding of what they mean. I sat through a meeting where the phrase 'in-house branding' was used at least 10 times - though they actually meant in-STORE promotional signage #facepalm
Sasha 12:39 PM on January 30, 2012
Chiming in to agree with James and R; a lot of these are just words, not buzzwords. My boss does what R observed, too. Within the last week, he's misused "outside the box," "micro-manage," and for some odd reason, he doesn't know what the proper syntax for the phrase "privy to" is. He's a native English speaker and a college graduate; how is this even possible?
Nils 4:26 AM on January 31, 2012
I wish they would stop talking about "gamification" too.
Kevin Duy 5:11 PM on February 01, 2012
"Impact" or even worse..."Impactful".
vinko 1:42 AM on February 02, 2012
"take away" or even worse "takeaway".
All these glib, jargon-ridden marketers need to be forced to sit in a room and read Fowler:
http://www.amazon.com/Oxford-Fowlers-Modern-English-Dictionary/dp/0192813897
and it's only a penny used on amazon
Rashida 12:28 PM on February 03, 2012
"silos"
I've been seeing this one constantly!
Kevin Thirkell 10:00 PM on February 03, 2012
"Over"
Over ten years, Over a million sold, Over the moon. Listen, by stating that you're "over" something, you're telling me nothing except that you are probably exaggerating and that the number you're "over" is probably closer to the actual number than anything you're hoping I'll imagine. Over 10 years in business doesn't magically become 11, 12, 20 or any other number. As Joe Friday used to say "Just the facts!"
Margie 10:43 PM on February 03, 2012
I attended a webinar this week, one speaker said "bleeding edge" - a seriously creepy phrase - so many times I had to go get a blood transfusion afterwards.
Philip Wattis 5:55 AM on February 10, 2012
Entrepreneur is overused. Seems anyone that runs their own business is deemed an entrepreneur. Then there's all the derivatives: essentialpreneur, mumpreneur, etc, etc.
I think one to look forward to is 'gamification'. I'm already using it :-)
Rich 5:43 PM on February 17, 2012
I think those that take offense at this blog are those that know they overuse these words...for whatever reason.
Tom 5:52 PM on February 17, 2012
Would it help if we used these terms in French?
Denise 6:51 PM on February 17, 2012
taste-maker