Are you choosing your words carefully?

"I once used the word "obsolete" in a headline, only to discover that 43% of housewives had no idea what it meant. In another headline I used the word "ineffable," only to discover that I didn't know what it meant myself."

The brilliant David Ogilvy had that to say about his own copywriting. When was the last time you looked at your copy (brochures, website, sales sheets, radio scripts etc.) from your customer's perspective?

Are you sure you're speaking in their language?

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Comments

[Jackie Chiles]

"Yes, I too feel the use of such aberrant vernacular is nefarious, lascivious and downright salacious." - Jackie Chiles, Attorney at Law

[Ed]

This makes the case for moderation when using thesaurus.com. It's crazy how something so great can be so devilish.

[Drew McLellan]

"Jackie" --

Exactly!

Drew

[Drew McLellan]

Ed,

Moderation is right. You don't want to sound like everyone else, so you want to use some words that distinguish your efforts. But, you just need to be mindful of your audience and their "native" language.

Drew