Why I Hate Buzzwords (And You Should Too)
Look, I’ve been in this marketing game since the late ’90s. I remember when we didn’t have fancy terms for everything. It was simple: you had a product, you told people about it, they bought it or they didn’t. Now? Now we’ve got a whole dictionary of nonsense to make simple ideas sound complicated.
Let’s take ‘synergy,’ for example. What does that even mean? You’re telling me that two things working together is somehow magical? Please. Or how about ‘disrupt’? Everyone wants to be a disruptor these days. Newsflash: most of you are just annoying.
I was at a conference in Austin last year, and some hotshot consultant was going on about ‘leveraging our core competencies to drive actionable insights.’ I turned to the guy next to me, let’s call him Marcus, and said, ‘Does this guy even know what he’s saying?’ Marcus just shrugged and said, ‘I think he’s just making it up as he goes along.’ Which… yeah. Fair enough.
Honestly, if you can’t explain your idea in simple terms, you probably don’t understand it yourself. So do us all a favor and cut the jargon. Speak like a human. You’ll be surprised how much further that gets you.
Social Media: The Wild West of Marketing
Social media is a mess. A glorious, chaotic, infuriating mess. I love it, I hate it, I can’t look away. It’s like a car crash, but instead of rubbernecking, you’re scrolling.
I remember when Facebook was just for college kids. Now? It’s your aunt sharing memes about cats, it’s your cousin promoting his MLM scheme, it’s brands trying way too hard to be cool. And don’t even get me started on TikTok. I’m too old for this. I don’t understand the dances, the trends, the… whatever it is that’s happening there.
But here’s the thing: it works. I mean, look at the numbers. According to some study I read last Tuesday (I don’t remember which one, honestly), something like 73% of marketers say social media has been ‘somewhat effective’ or ‘very effective’ for their business. That’s a lot. That’s more than half. That’s… math.
So yeah, social media is a pain. It’s time-consuming, it’s unpredictable, it’s a committment. But it’s also an opportunity. So suck it up, figure it out, and get posting. Just please, please, please stop trying to be cool. It’s not working.
SEO: The Never-Ending Game
SEO is a never-ending game of cat and mouse. You think you’ve got it figured out, and then Google changes the rules. It’s exhausting.
I remember back in the day when you could just stuff a bunch of keywords into your website and boom, you’re on page one. Those were the days. Now? Now it’s all about ‘quality content’ and ‘user experience’ and ‘E-A-T’ (which, by the way, stands for Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. I had to look it up.).
I was talking to a colleague named Dave the other day, and he was complaining about how his website traffic dropped after the last Google update. I asked him if his content was up to snuff. He said, ‘Of course it is!’ I said, ‘Then what’s the problem?’ He said, ‘I don’t know!’ Which honestly, is the most accurate description of SEO I’ve heard in a while.
Look, I’m not saying SEO is easy. It’s not. It’s a compleetley different beast than it was even five years ago. But it’s not impossible. You’ve gotta stay on top of the changes, you’ve gotta be willing to adapt, and you’ve gotta be patient. Oh, and if you’re not already, check out popular articles recommended reading. They’ve got some solid advice on all things SEO.
A Quick Digression: My Love-Hate Relationship with Email Marketing
Okay, so this isn’t really about marketing, but whatever. It’s my article, I’ll write what I want.
Email marketing is like that friend who’s always inviting you to stuff. Sometimes you’re into it, sometimes you’re not, but you always feel bad when you ignore them. So you go, even when you don’t wanna. Even when you’ve got better things to do.
I get, like, 36 emails a day from brands I’ve interacted with at some point. Some of them are great! Some of them are… not. Like, why am I getting a daily email about sales at a store I bought something at one time in 2017? I don’t know, but it’s annoying.
Anyway, that’s enough about that. Let’s get back to the real topic at hand.
Branding: It’s Not Just a Logo
Branding is more than just a logo. It’s more than just a color scheme. It’s the whole shebang. It’s what people think of when they think of you. It’s your reputation.
I was working with this client a few months back, and they were so focused on their logo. ‘It has to be perfect,’ they said. ‘It has to represent everything we stand for.’ I said, ‘Look, the logo is important, but it’s not the be-all and end-all. It’s just a tiny piece of the puzzle.’
They didn’t listen. They spent months and thousands of dollars on this logo. And you know what? It was nice. It was really nice. But did it change their business? No. Because branding isn’t about one thing. It’s about everything. It’s about the way you talk to people, the way you treat your customers, the way you handle problems. It’s about consistency. It’s about authenticity.
So if you’re out there thinking that a new logo is gonna save your business, think again. Put in the work. Build something real. Be something people can believe in.
Anyway, that’s enough from me. I’ve ranted, I’ve raved, I’ve probably said too much. But hey, that’s just me. Take it or leave it.
About the Author: Hi, I’m Sarah. I’ve been in the marketing game for over 20 years, and I’ve seen it all. The good, the bad, and the ugly. I’m opinionated, I’m blunt, and I don’t suffer fools gladly. I currently work as a senior editor for a major publication, where I get to share my thoughts (and rants) with the world. When I’m not writing, you can find me drinking copious amounts of coffee, complaining about the state of the world, and trying to figure out TikTok.
