When you find yourself in a conversation and someone squinches their eyebrows in confusion – chances are, you’ve uttered some jargon.
For years I’ve been telling clients that jargon is a surefire way to confuse the heck out of your customers. I think recently I’ve been spending too much time among creatives in the marketing world and I forget that people don’t understand the definitions of industry terms. I need to start heeding my own advice, because recently I’ve seen a lot of squinching when I describe what I do.
People outside the marketing/writing world simply don’t understand what “copy” is. Needless to say, when I mention I’m a “copywriter” most people hear “copyrighter” and think my services have more in common with a trademark attorney than a writer.
So, here are some ideas to replace the jargon that has creeped into my vocabulary.
Old New
Copy Words
Copywriter Writer
Branding Corporate Image
Spin/Hook Theme
Have any other copywriters run across this issue? If so, I’d love to learn how you explain what you “do” for a living to those living inside the box.
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