marketing buzzwords to annoy your colleagues

We know that people may think they’re big and clever using fancy words in the office, to make things sound better than they are. In reality, all it does is annoy and confuse employees. Are you guilty of using any these terms? You should probably stop using them now…

Touch Base: as in, “let’s touch base next week”. Why not just say “let’s meet next week”? What base are we touching?

Content is King: we all know that content is extremely important. Get it right, and you’ve engaged a whole stream of customers and potential customers. But why are we still using this out-of-date term? It was coined by Bill Gates way back in the ‘90s! For brands who are looking to create new, innovative content, surely this term shouldn’t be a part of their vocabulary.

Think Outside the Box: essentially, this means to think in an original or creative way. Again, it’s another term that has been used for a long time. We know exactly what it means, but why not just ask employees to think creatively? On the other hand, common sense can often prevail and in that case, it’s not technically “thinking outside the box”. In fact, everyone is so busy looking outside it, that they don’t look inside it, where the right answer is. If there was ever a need to stop telling people to think outside the box, this is it.

Reach Out: often used when referring to bloggers or customers. But why create another term for simply getting in touch with someone? Another phrase overcomplicating what the actual meaning is.

Thought Leadership: It means what it says: someone who is seen as a leader in innovative thoughts. In other words, someone who others look to for ideas. But really, does a term need to be coined for this? No, it’s a status someone will naturally take. And it won’t be the same person each time. If you’re working at an agency, one employee may have expertise in a specific market, and so will have ideas for one project. The next project, for a different industry, will have someone else who generates the ideas.

Trust us. You may think you sound clever using these terms, but for the sake of your office, just stop using these marketing buzzwords. Stop overcomplicating things, and start using normal terms to explain what you mean!

Are you looking for help with your marketing needs? Whether it’s digital, creative, motion or photographic, we’d love to help. Simply drop us a line at hello@photolink.co.uk and we’ll be in touch.