3 Trendy Copywriting Terms That Need to Die

trendy copywriting terms

Just like fashion and home decor, there comes a time when things get “trendy” and a bit oversaturated. Yes, this even happens in the writing world and these trendy terms have been so overused, their meaning has become trite. I might offend a few people with this post (sorry!) but these 3 trendy copywriting terms just need to die.

3 Trendy Copywriting Terms That Need to Die

Authentic

Honestly, what does being “authentic” really even mean? Everytime I’ve come across this term on someone’s website it makes me ask myself, “Does this mean I’m not authentic? Or that everyone else is fake?” What does this mean?!

While this term originally came from a good, well-intentioned place, it’s become just as trendy as having gold glitter or watercolor art on your website (and yes, I’m totally guilty of succumbing to the gold glitter fad, can’t help it!).

Still attached to the term “authentic” and think it resonates with you and your business? Try communicating this in another way. You could say things like:

 I pride myself on working with integrity

 I genuinely want to help people

I started this business because I felt it was my calling

These are all ways you can communicate authenticity, without leaning on an overused word.

[Tweet “Three ways to communicate authenticity, without leaning on an overused word”]

With Heart

Before there was “with heart” there was the word “passion”. Now, it falls flat. Because it seems everyone is passionate about every little thing. The same has happened to “with heart” and it’s time to let that one go, too.

What does doing something “with heart” really mean? I’m not really sure, and it gives me the same questioning feeling as authentic does. But words like genuine, passionate, hard-working, nice come to mind. These are wonderful things, but you should ask yourself if this is something that’s truly important in your copy, and how that will affect someone’s buying decision. The last thing you want is to alienate potential customers because your copy brings up questions and fails to connect. Or, you are choosing to focus on traits that may not be that important to your target client.

If I’m shopping at a new boutique, the clothes and shopping experience is more important to me than the owner’s mindset. But if I’m hiring a life coach, then that might come into play. If you’ve already determined it’s really important to you and your brand, try using words like enthusiastic, excited or talk about what captivates you. These all illustrate your passion, and your heart, without leaning on those overused words.

You might also like: 5 reasons your writing isn’t working

Plus (+) vs. And (&)

This needs to be said and my apologies if you are offended. But this “+” is a plus sign. This “&” means and.

They are not interchangeable.

They are not style choices.

I have no idea how something like this became trendy, but it happened. Even I find myself typing out “+” because it is prettier, but then go back and delete it because I really mean “and” not plus.

When you don’t use punctuation correctly, it interrupts the flow and the way someone is reading your words. For example:

I’m a copywriter + blogger + fashion editor

Sounds like…

I’m a copywriter plus blogger plus fashion editor.

Is that really what you’re trying to say? Because this sounds like math to me. The worst part is, I might read it like this:

I’m a copywriter plus, oops and, blogger, plus, no and, fashion editor.

And that’s just frustrating. The last thing you want to do is create a frustrating reading experience. You want everything to be as clear as possible!

Last one for good measure:

I’m an authentic copywriter + blogger + fashion editor with heart

No. Just say no.

[line]

It’s easy to fall into the trendy writing trap, after all it’s what you are seeing over and over again! But challenging yourself to find new words to better communicate is worth the effort. Let’s leave “authentic” “with heart” and the little plus sign +++ behind us!

What copywriting terms do you think are trite and overused? Leave your writing pet peeves below!

Similar Posts

2 Comments

  1. I love this, just what I have been looking for while I redesign my site!

  2. I am Canadian, and the only sources that use this appear to be American. It started as something I only heard. Now I’m reading it, too. It sounds and reads like a replacement for “ummm” to me: “Go ahead and….

    Honestly, my reaction verges on maniacal. I wish I was 20 again so I could “go ahead and…” drink every time someone types or says this phrase.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *