Keep Your Readers Wired by Using Relevant Buzzwords

Do you also believe that marketing buzzwords should be banned from content? We do too. But here's how you can make them work.

Buzzwords, much to the annoyance of many, are commonplace in marketing. But admit it: Even as a young professional who cringed at them, ended up speaking them fluently sooner, rather than later.

Phrases such as 'bleeding edge', at some point, bled into your presentations at work. And 'low-hanging fruit' always just seems ripe for use at any given time.

But while these phrases land quite easily on the ears of fellow marketers, using them elsewhere might meet you with a few scrunched-up, confused faces. But for those of you wondering if there is a way to use it in content marketing that not just makes sense, but also grips audience attention.

The key is relevance.

Buzzwords work, if they are relevant

Content creation is one of today's most sought-after digital marketing services. From text to video, long-form to snackable, digital marketers generate all kinds of content to encourage brand engagement.

In doing this, buzzwords are often avoided because they turn away the engagements you're after because of their vagueness. But in some cases, using them can also be a way to attract attention; that's why you still see them in headlines.

Who here can honestly say that they didn't click at least one article that had "big data" in the headline just out of curiosity? I know I'm not an exception.

If you find, however, that your use of buzzwords is turning away more people than you're attracting, here are two possible reasons:

• They're outdated. Ergo, irrelevant. The thing about buzzwords is that they are a thing that works "in the moment." Once they go stale, you can't expect them to be as potent in capturing attention. Imagine a Gen Z co-worker hearing your early 2000s slang. It just won't land as well as if you used slang that's familiar to them.
• Used inconsistently. After the buzzword in your headline successfully gets the click you were after, your content should work twice as hard to keep your readers sticking on your story. That means you have to follow-through and build up on context around the buzzword you just served. Write the story to support the buzzword, else lose your reader and turn that click into a bounce.

Three quick tips to make buzzwords work

When you can't avoid using buzzwords in your content, you need to make sure that it works. And work in a way that your readers leave more informed than when they first landed upon your content.

Here are a few pointers on how to do it:

1. Keep your buzzwords fresh.

Language and linguistics is also influenced by what's in vogue. Remember our quick reference to slang of a millennial being used on a Gen Z? That's what we're leading to, here.

Relevance is a matter of timeliness. So in using buzzwords and hoping that they hit it off with your audiences, you must choose those that are currently in fashion.

Buzzwords in marketing come and go quickly. So make sure to regularly brush up on the new language people use to refer to things.

2. Follow-up with context.

You'll need to establish context quickly so that you can clarify what your buzzwords mean. This is especially important for jargon that is hasn't been making rounds on the internet, yet.

Some places you can put them to establish their definitions quickly are the meta description, in your lead paragraph, or right after it's mentioned in paragraphs. By providing context or a definition immediately, you also create retention for the buzzword, successfully teaching your reader something instead of confusing them.

3. Don't go overboard.

If you're using buzzwords, keep them at a minimum. Having too much jargon in a single piece of content produces confusing and weak articles.

This not only costs you attention from audiences, but it also chips away from your credibility. Remember that if you can't explain a topic in simple terms, it signals a lack of understanding of a topic.

So, as much as you can, limit your use of buzzwords and translate what you can into simple and common terms. This shows mastery of the subject matter in contrast to just throwing around vague jargon that masks knowledge (or lack thereof) of it.

Making click-worthy titles

Writers overthink headlines (even more than the article itself) because it serves as the first impression people get about your content. In writing them, you have to stretch your wit and creativity to deliver the point of the article without giving away too much.

Even advertising executive David Ogilvy took weeks to craft the perfect headline for one of his most famous and successful ads. And writing punchy headlines is a matter of practice. Here are a few tips you can follow if you want to write better headlines.

1. Write as many working titles as you can.

Drafting working titles is a great way to start. It’s like the rough draft of your rough draft. Yes, you have a topic in mind, some specific points that you want to address, and so on. Having a working title helps your content remain within context.  If you’re like me who doesn’t outline blog posts and is more of the write-as-you-go type, this can be very handy.

Throughout your research you may find interesting key points that you can tackle, but when you look back on your title, this may come off as irrelevant. Working titles, however, are not flawless. As I’ve mentioned, it’s a rough draft and it can still change throughout the process.

Having a little advertising background as copywriter intern, being tasked to create 50 to 100 headlines for a single ad was both hellish and interesting at the same time. Today, I’m thankful that I had that experience because it comes in very handy in my work.

When it comes to working titles, I use this technique to draft  the most suitable title for any article. You don’t have to work on 50 working titles though. Having at least 5 choices is sufficient.

2. Inject food for thought or trigger words.

I visit Buzzfeed’s website a lot, and I can say that I click most of their content to the point where my browser hangs because I have too many open tabs.  Sometimes I ask myself why I get lost to this clickbait, and then I realize that it’s mainly because they used a lot of trigger words and feature images that spark my curiosity. Whenever you formulate titles, make sure to include elements of curiosity, controversy, and question. These elements will surely draw your readers’ attention, just make sure to support your content with data or else your content might create a different kind of controversy. A detailed look at Buzzfeed’s headline explains it.

3. Use keywords and optimize for search engines.

If optimizing for SEO or to gain profit from your content is your primary concern, then what’s the sense of your content if you don’t include keywords in it? Incorporating keywords aids readers to find your content easily. I understand that the title is the anchor text when it comes to SERPs but don’t include keywords that are unnecessary. If you’re unsure on which keyword works best, there are several ways to help you with keyword research such as Google AdWords. However, if you don’t have the budget you can try free keyword tools such as Majestic SEO.

4. Use buzzwords, in proper context.

Buzzwords sum up the three elements that I mentioned, but it can turn off readers and give false promises. When used properly, buzzwords can evoke readers’ interest towards your content.

Once you’ve finally finished writing and proofreading your article, you can now confidently work or re-work on your title. Read your article then ask yourself, “Is the title relevant to the topic?” (and vice versa), “Am I on the right track?,” “Did I convey the message clearly?” If your answer is yes to every question, then slow clap to you. If the answer is no, then no worries, it’s not the end of the world. Take time to think long and hard about the title that you want and try to incorporate these elements when crafting your titles.

Key takeaways

When used properly, buzzwords can be helpful in explaining terms when you can’t remember the right terms. It is also a quirky way to share knowledge with friends and colleagues. Buzzwords are actually fun, but since most are overused, they become pet peeves. When using them in content, remember:

• Clarity is always better than sounding witty. If you can drop the buzzword, drop it. Especially if you can't do justice to explaining or contextualize it. Strive to write in a clear and direct manner. You will not just sound more knowledgeable, but your visitors will also enjoy the reading experience, better.
• Don't overdo it. We established this earlier, but we repeat it here in case it didn't stick. Over-seasoning your content with buzzwords will not just confuse your readers, but will also signal inexperience to them. So keep the buzzwords sparse, and focus on building helpful information around them.
• Keep the buzzwords fresh. Whenever you use a buzzword, always strive for wired, and ditch the tired and expired. If you’re still using old buzzwords, start  rebuilding your vocabulary and you’ll see better results in no time.

Are you a fan of or averse to buzzwords? Let's spark a discussion about it on social media and tag or mention our Facebook, X, or LinkedIn accounts.

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