The quickest way to kill your brand storytelling is to use language that’s overly rationalistic and just plain overly used. Tired jargon not only fails to connect emotionally, it can put your audience to sleep.
That might be the purpose of reading to your two-year old before bedtime, but it’s not a “happily ever after” outcome for your brand.
Take the logistics industry as a case in point. Before beginning work recently on a new website for a mid-sized logistics company, we audited other websites in the category. What we found was a common lexicon of worn-out words and phrases we dubbed the “fog of logistics.”
Remarkably, virtually every logistics site we checked out used the same language. Here’s a quick sample of the deadening jargon we found:
- Custom solutions
- Global capabilities
- Industry leading
- Premier provider
- Maximize
- Optimize
- End-to-end
- Best-in-class
- Seamless
- Full-service
Speak to Emotions
The most effective content tells interesting stories in a fresh voice, using non-jargony language that engages the emotions.
Why are the emotions important? Because that’s how our brains work. In a split second —outside of our awareness — the brain’s emotional center (the amygdala) helps us make the best choice long before the rational brain is even activated. The receptor for stimuli reaching the brain, the amygdala has the option to either make a “feeling” decision or send information on to the cerebral cortex for further, rational evaluation.
Most of the time, if the brain feels comfortable with a feeling decision, it will skip the process of laboriously weighing rational arguments in the cortex in order to save time and energy.
Back to jargon, which is the quickest, most sure-fire way to lose your audience. Here are two word clouds: the first filled with over-used jargon, the second “de-jargonized.”
Jettison Jargon
The moral of the brand story is this. If you want to differentiate your brand, write in a voice that connects emotionally. Here are some basic pointers to keep in mind:
- Avoid jargon and over-used phrases like the plague.
- Speak conversationally in everyday, down-to-earth language.
- Don’t boast or engage in chest beating. Begin with an audience need, problem or interest.
- Consider using a metaphor to make your point. It’s a quick way to connect emotionally.
- Paint a picture with words and make the copy visual. Infographics and short graphically treated pull quotes and “chunks” are a great help, especially online.
