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When I reviewed business Web sites for the Webby Awards earlier this year, one
of the most common and annoying obstacles I ran across was jargon - insider language
that got in the way of understanding what the business behind the site actually
did for its clients. The same barrier detracts from the effectiveness of many
press releases.
Troublesome jargon comes in at least three varieties: buzzwords, or trendy
phrases used by people who consider themselves on the cutting edge of their
field; acronyms, the dizzying alphabet soup of obscure abbreviations; and technical
or specialized phraseology that just isn't much known outside of a particular
niche.
"GCKL's Enterprise-level Viral Marketing Solutions Offer Leading Value-Add
for the P2P Revolution": that's a fictional headline containing no less
than seven buzzwords. Most journalists hate buzzwords, and you should therefore
avoid them, just as you should try not to complete the previous thought in this
sentence with "like the plague." If you think my made-up headline
makes perfect sense, then please take my word for it that the number of people
who truly understand such messages is extremely small. Usually when you attempt
to translate buzzwords, all that comes from the effort is mush.
Acronyms such as "CRM," "CSS," "CSP" and "CTR"
are a bit trickier to provide advice about, because they are much likelier than
buzzwords to become elements in searches of the Internet at large or press release
databases. In other words, potential clients and media people might actually
search for "CRM for small business" or "CSS tutorials,"
so that you want those phrases to appear in your release if that's what you
do.
Even so, you need to remember that many media people and potential clients
may not have a mental definition for such acronyms. For instance, publishing
insiders can email each other about "POD initiatives," but in a press
release "POD" should not only be clearly explained as "publishing
on demand" but that term given a brief gloss as well. By using both the
acronym and the written-out words that the letters stand for, as well as further
definitions when a phrase is relatively new or specialized, you commnicate clearly
and set the stage for your news to be found through search engines.
Now what about specialized vocabulary - "hematoma," "habeas
corpus," "chakra" and "candlestick charts"? Such phrases
have precise and established meanings in certain fields, but people who don't
use the terms every day may have a hazy comprehension of them. Thus, you should
handle them as I recommended for acronyms. Provide a brief, unobtrusive definition
in close proximity to their first use in a release.
When you do this subtly, tucking an explanation into your release, neither
the in-group nor the outsiders take offense. For instance, within Eastern medicine
"qi" is a standard term. You could define it discreetly as in this
sentence: "Acupuncture restores balance and regulates the flow of qi, the
basic life force." The last four words prevent both confusion and insult.
About the Author:
Marcia Yudkin is the author of the classic PR guide, Six Steps to Free Publicity,
and 10 other books. You can learn more about her new special report, Powerful,
Painless Online Publicity, at http://www.yudkin.com/powerpr.htm |
