The definition of a marketing buzzword is; a newly created term, word or phrase that seeks to define a marketing activity. A marketing buzzword seeks to bring together relevant marketing content under a single, usable word that can make specific marketing content understandable for an audience.
In reality, I think that
a marketing buzzword is; a word or phrase that is meant to simplify and make marketing easier to understand, however, it is often used in way that seeks to create a sense of superiorityClick To Tweet.Before we go on, I do not think this is always the case. I think there are some incredible people out there, using marketing buzzwords to give relevance to their content, to build something they can put their name to, and share their knowledge and expertise. It’s just a fine line, and a balance.
What is the wrong and right way to use a buzzword?
Do not use a buzzword to isolate people, or create a sense of superiority. Always remember that a buzzword needs to unify all the relevant marketing content around a subject.
A good example is ‘Social Customer Service’. This is a buzzword/buzzphrase which looks at bringing together all the marketing content around doing customer service on social channels. This is a great marketing buzzword because it’s an amalgamation of terms (Social Media & Customer Service) which gives more focus to content, and makes it easily understandable.
Use buzzwords to bring together and unify content, do not use them to create an inferiority complex or to make a subject sound more complex than it needs to be.
When does a marketing buzzword become a commonplace term?
Once a marketing buzzword becomes commonplace across the industry you can begin to argue that it is no longer a buzzword. However, in my experience these terms just evolve. One of the most prominent examples is ‘Content Marketing’. Although this probably isn’t a buzzword in itself, there are many variations of it, which you could still consider buzzwords such as ‘great content’ or ‘engaging content’.
What next?
There will always be misconceptions and myths around particular marketing buzzwords. The aim of the #MarketingBuzzword project is to keep these to a minimum! If you think you can contribute to this movement, please get in touch with Ben.
