Whether you're an established tech company or a startup, it's likely that in discussions with colleagues, suppliers, investors, even customers, you've encountered the words: "What on earth does that mean?"
Tech jargon is a type of shorthand that is often used to describe terminology that can only be comprehended by those with a techy background. Rather than using ordinary, easy-to-grasp words and messages that can be understood by everyone, your tech-focused colleagues may disappear into jargon in their everyday work.
Sometimes, such terminology can break out of its original user group into a wider audience. The problem is that it rarely keeps the same meaning once it's set free.
Although jargon is often intended to be used as shorthand, it can be a more time-consuming method of communication due to the unclear meanings behind many of these buzzwords. Furthermore, the more buzzwords you use, the more likely you are to turn people off.
What are the dos and don'ts of using jargon?
Knowing your audience is one of the most critical aspects of determining when not to use jargon. It's reasonable for IT professionals to use jargon with their colleagues ― but the clarity of messaging, particularly when marketing IT products and services, is absolutely crucial.
Taking complicated technology and packaging it into simple marketing messages that customers can actually understand isn't easy ― but it can be done.
As ground-breaking as your company's technology is, no one really cares ― at least not without sitting down for a two-hour focus group, but who has time for that?
If your company is doing a great job at attracting traffic to its website, but your conversion rates are low, there's a good chance people aren't fully grasping what you're selling. Unfortunately, if that is the case, they are more likely to exit to the next best alternative rather than trying to fully understand what you are attempting to say.
Tell a story
If you don't solve a problem, your prospects are just a couple of clicks away from finding someone who will. Fundamentally, whatever your product or service, they will only be interested in how it can make their life easier or better.
If your marketing messages are too technical and filled with jargon, they won't connect with your target audience. Prospects don't want to spend their time translating every piece of jargon you write ― they want to know why your product or service deserves their attention, plain and simple.
It's vital that your marketing messages resonate with non-techies ― the vast majority who make purchasing decisions based on emotion. So, to strike a chord, your messaging needs to have a personal impact. It needs to tell a relatable story and solve any pain points that your audience may be experiencing.
Key things to consider
To create simple and effective marketing messages, here are a few considerations:
- Think bigger picture ― what are the most significant benefits provided by your product/ service? How is it going to improve the buyer's life?
- Define your value proposition ― what sets you apart from the competition? Why should they choose you?
- Create an experience ― imagine the ideal scenario for your customer when using your product/service. How can you help them envision that scenario for themselves?
- Create more with less ― how can you summarize the benefits using the least amount of words and the simplest terminology possible?
- Turn jargon into powerful stories ― it's important to write for your audience, not for yourself. The best way to cover complex topics is to tell stories developed from experience and industry knowledge and communicate using the same language as the people you are targeting. Stories will help them better visualize and understand how the concepts you're talking about can be put into action in real-world business scenarios.
Time to differentiate
To sum up, jargon doesn't give you any advantages, neither will it differentiate your business at all because so many other companies are using the same words. So, what should you do instead?
UP has a team of content experts, writers and designers who know your market and can develop an inbound marketing strategy that will help you declutter the jargon and create well-defined and impactful marketing messages that not only resonate with your target audience but also convert prospects into leads ― and revenue.
If you want to build up a solid content strategy for your tech brand, why not reach out to UP FOR IT to learn more?