Many of us like to show off our vocabulary chops now and then. Although I encourage stockpiling your word bank and build a robust vocabulary, in blog writing a post full of big words may be detrimental to the goodwill of your readership. The aim of business blogging in particular is clear communication, demonstrating to your client-base that you have the solution to their problems. You miss this goal when you confuse your readers with convoluted language.
Big Words
There is a balance to strike between plain speech and impressive words. Many writers advise against big words when the common phrase works just fine. “Never play an ace when a two will do,” is a favorite quote of mine. It’s fun to say “you may be penalized for dilatoriness”, but “you may be penalized if you are late” is more quickly understood, and doesn’t make your reader stop and search a dictionary when they could be soaking in your important information. Your first goal for your prose as a business blogger should always be clarity.
Clarity
Think of writing as a communication game. You win when you get your point across. The more complicated the idea you are trying to convey, the more simply you want to explain it. Say you are talking about a better way to be compliant with government standards or an unheard of dental procedure—you will want to use plain language. Using big words will make your complicated process even more difficult to understand. But if your topic is easier to comprehend, like activities to do with your dog, or a soliloquy about the loveliness of poppies, your vocabulary can be more interesting and fun. Clarity also depends on the audience. If you are writing business-to-business, using jargon can be more acceptable since your audience speaks your business language. If your audience is the general public, or persons not in your particular field of expertise, jargon, if used, will need to be explained so your readers know what you mean by those terms. If I were to use the obscure word ambergris in a blog, I would be sure to mention it means ‘the waxy substance found floating near shores of tropical waters, originally from the intestines of sperm whales, that is used in perfumes’.
Variety
Even the most boring subject can be enlivened by employing a wide vocabulary. Depending on your writing skill, it can be difficult for you to think of new ways to talk about your subject. I inject my most colorful language in the revising process. I find it easier to think about word choice later rather than during the initial drafting stage. If you think your blogging is lackluster, try drafting the main bones of your blog first, leave it for a while, then return and revise with polish, shine and all those wonderful words you want to include.
A Friendly Aside on Word Choice: I don’t recommend using a thesaurus on every unexciting word—synonyms often do not have equivalent meanings, and text sounds awkward when words are replaced willy-nilly.
Again, aim for clarity first every time you blog. Words that can’t be understood are just noise, and words that bore aren’t as valuable and memorable as words that spark and breathe.
Need more blogging tips? Head on over to The Process Behind Creating a Successful Blogging Campaign or Planning and Creativity Go Hand in Hand. For some serious blogging or marketing strategy help, contact us at Fresh Figs Marketing.
