Creating clearer, distinctive content

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “buzzword” as “a voguish word or phrase” or “an important-sounding usually technical word or phrase often of little meaning used chiefly to impress laymen.”

That second definition stings, but there is some truth to it. Buzzwords are often used because they sound authoritative or important, even if they dilute the meaning of a sentence.

Choosing to eliminate buzzwords or use them judiciously in marketing content will create more vibrant, impactful pieces. Below, we’ll cover how avoiding buzzwords can improve writing and two methods for cutting buzzwords out of your content.

Buzzword basics

The business world is full of buzzwords like “synergy,” “verticals,” “leverage,” “bandwidth,” and “circle back.” Buzzwords often:

• Mean something different in workplace culture than their dictionary entry
• Are widely used across a variety of content (blogs, emails, speeches, posts)
• Have simpler alternatives

Take “bandwidth,” for example. Originally, it described light waves, then radio waves, and then the capacity for data transfer. Now, people use it to describe managing their workload instead of simpler words like “energy” or “time.”

From my experience working with clients from MedTech to biopharma to manufacturing, I’ve noticed each industry has its go-to buzzwords. In healthcare technology, “streamline” is commonplace. Whereas “optimize” is everywhere in manufacturing. In both circumstances, overuse is making these words lose their meaning.

Buzzwords dilute meaning

But you might say, if language is always evolving, why choose to do away with buzzwords? Why does it matter that all of us bees are humming the same tune?

Relying too heavily on buzzwords keeps us from becoming the meaning-making machines we were meant to be. In other words, buzzwords dilute the central message of a blog, white paper, post, office memo, or any other type of content. Look at this example of a “responsibility” taken directly from a job listing:

Operationalize and oversee the execution of strategically integrated digital and analog tactics from orchestrated touchpoint maps to effectively deliver and measure the outcomes of the scientific stories in a seamless, meaningful and consistent Customer experience.

Even though this job is in a familiar industry, I have no idea what this “responsibility” means in everyday work activities. No one writes “review the orchestrated touchpoint maps” on their to-do list.

In addition to muddying meaning, buzzwords can date content. What is a commonly-used phrase today may be gone in another five years.

How to write with fewer buzzwords

Using fewer buzzwords improves the clarity of your content. Start by identifying overused words and then asking:

• Why is this the best word for the sentence?
• Would I use this word if I was talking to a friend?
• Is there a simpler way of saying this that is equally clear?

These questions clarify whether a word is used just for the buzz or is the right choice for the sentence.

Specificity cuts through the buzz

Common writing advice is to avoid wordiness. Buzzwords help us avoid excess words by compressing thoughts into a single word. However, shorter is not better if it sacrifices meaning. Breaking buzzwords down into a more specific phrase will sharpen a piece.

The antidote to buzzwords is specificity. When you say “optimize,” what are you improving and how? When you say “streamline,” how are you removing the complexities from a process? 

Let’s look at how replacing buzzwords with specifics transforms the following sentence:

Buzzwords	Specifics
Leverage our software to optimize the user experience.	Use our software to improve the quality of time visitors spend on your website. You can easily develop interactive quizzes and customize chatbots without affecting loading speed.

Replacing “leverage,” “optimize,” and “user experience” with specifics tripled the word length. However, the second sentence shows the reader exactly how they will benefit from using this software to build a website instead of making a go of it alone. Specificity makes it easy for them to see themselves using the software, moving them closer to making a purchasing decision.

Simplicity improves clarity

Writers may instinctively choose buzzwords over simpler alternatives because they sound more authoritative and we hear them a lot. However, relying on buzzwords is a disadvantage when cultivating a unique voice that cuts through the noise. 

Choosing simpler words over buzzwords improves readability. Let’s practice with the job listing from earlier in this piece.

Buzzwords	Simpler language
Operationalize and oversee	Plan and manage
the execution of strategically integrated digital and analog tactics	the use of all available tools, including traditional methods and software programs
from orchestrated touchpoint maps	that show how customers interact with our stories,
to effectively deliver and measure the outcomes of the scientific stories	to gather evidence of how well the stories
in a seamless, meaningful and consistent Customer experience	give customers a simple, meaningful, and consistent experience.

Switching the word order simplifies the responsibility even more: measure how well stories perform and enact a plan to make them more effective. 

Breaking down buzzwords into plain language is tough because it requires the writer to think through what they are trying to say. But it is well worth it. To paraphrase Albert Einstein,

“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.”

The case for buzzwords

Cutting buzzwords completely out of writing helps overcome reliance on them. However, some circumstances call for the judicious use of buzzwords.

Buzzwords are often economical—they get meaning across in one word instead of two, three, or four. Combined with specifics and simple language, they can strengthen a piece of writing.

Take “stakeholders,” for example. This buzzword converts a long-winded idea—everyone affected by something in some way or another—into a short, compound word. However, since it sounds nice and applies to any industry, it is often overused.

Defining “stakeholders” gives the word back its meaning. Here’s an example:

Before we can start construction on the new roundabout, we must convince city administration, nearby homeowners and businesses, and law enforcement that the solution is worth the disruption. Meeting with these stakeholders is the first step.

Relisting all the people potentially impacted by construction in the second sentence would weigh down the paragraph. Using “stakeholders” to summarize the list gives the buzzword meaning and makes the paragraph more readable.

If we all start using buzzwords in the way they were intended and with supporting details, the meaning of these words has a chance of survival.

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Want to join us in the sustainable use of buzzwords? Let’s talk about your communication needs.