Words to avoid in copywriting to make your copy not sound corny and amateur.

The other day a collegue asked me a million dollar copywriting question: what trigger words do I use most in my copy?

It's one of those questions two copywriters ask when they indulge in a professional discussion.

I answered her question and it was only when I was driving back home I realised that we discussed only about the words that SHOULD BE included in a copy.

That's what most people care about!

You can find tons of web pages and PDF documents across the net talking about the words that should feature in your copy. Experts sitting in the sun tell you about the “trigger” words or “power” words that can “double or triple your response rates.”

Shouldn't the same amount of importance be provided to the words that need to be AVOIDED in the copy. Isn’t losing your face because of bad copy as important a metric as winning a torrent of responses because of good copy?

I cursed myself for not bringing the topic in the discussion with my colleague. You see, I have a list of words I avoid bringing into the copy (unless I don't have any other option) and I would have loved to hear her list of words she has shoved in the brig. It would have been good to add some new ones to my list.

Nonetheless, I have consolidated my list of 23 words that need to be avoided and if you do not want to make your copy sound corny and amateur you can use my list as a reference.

The words are divided into 2 categories: 1) words that are simply over-used and clichéd and 2) amatuer words that make you look like you need to spend more time in the elementary journalism school.

Also, the most important part are the comments next to each word. That's what I picture my reader thinking when she comes across that particular word in my copy. It might be very close to the thinking process of your reader too.

Amateur Words

These words are there solely to make you look as if you are still in your journalism or mass communication class and you are writing to get some exposure.

Your real goal is come across as a person who has got his hands dirty in the business and has the relevant exposure and experience to take on any manner of writing project. Stay clear from these words:

• A lot – how much is a lot?
• Feel – feel what?
• Think – think you should keep your thinking to yourself
• Things – sounds very amateurish, specify what the things are
• Tell – I don’t want to hear you tell me things, I want you to reveal to me how you do things
• Learn – I don’t want to learn, that sounds tedious; I want to discover
• Cheap / cheaper – of course, I’m looking for a bargain, but I’m not cheap, dear writer!
• Deal – that sounds shady, very shady
• Buy – yeah right, you have to remind me of parting with my money by using this word
• Guarantee – seriously now?
• New – how new is new, buddy?
• Free – means either a glorified product worth scrap yard ticket or I need to provide something other than money, like my phone or email
• Superior – superior than?

Over used, clichéd words

Take any corporate brochure and count the number of times these words occur. Better still, take 100 random company brochures and count the number of times these words appear. You will start feeling nauseous.

That’s the biggest motivation you can give yourself to stay away from these words:

• Synergy – I need a dictionary, dude
• Solution – what are the percentages of the individual elements?
• Quality – lol
• Sustainable – till when?
• Integrated – with what?
• Cutting / leading edge – gimme a break!
• Mission critical – I bet
• Features – sounds intimidating
• Benefits – sounds like sales copy
• Paradigm – till recently I didn’t know para-dime was spelt this way

Put yourself in the shoes of your customer and think, those responses next to each word would definitely make sense to you. Now it’s up to you to figure out what you will do about using these words in your copy.

PS: I'm looking to add new words that I need to avoid to this list, if anyone has suggestions please mail me at info@vishal-nayak.com

Contact Vishal Nayak to discuss your copywriting and marketing needs!