Orangeville, ON (Jason Mead) Make your marketing writing more zesty. Make it worth lingering over by using an unexpected word once in a while.
Not jargon or buzzwords, but a word people know yet don’t expect in a business context. Some examples:
“Every sofa comes with a warm fuzzies guarantee.” – Lovely Sofas
“Your organization’s values and strengths should ooze off the page.” – Nonprofit Copywriter
“Make our crap your crap.” – Woot! Garage Sale
“Add superpowers to your account! (Or continue to free Quizlet.)” – Quizlet
You can also make up a word that, by analogy, everyone understands. For instance:
“We’re a skilled crew of word-slingers that know we’re good.” – MarketSmiths
“Helping get manuscripts into agent-ready shape since 1970.” – Editorial Freelancers Association
Readers encountering your marketing copy are often cruising along in a dull trance. They might even feel grumpy. Your unexpected words kick them awake. Make them pause and have a slight mental smile.