I think the biggest threat to any company’s marketing is the use of jargon.
Jargon is a word, term or phrase that experts of a subject will understand but people unfamiliar with that subject will not understand.
Almost all of the companies I have worked with want their marketing to show them as being experts. But without proper customer profiles, that show the understanding of their average customer’s knowledge, companies will use words that they think will make them look smart and interesting, but actually makes the customer confused and intimidated. In short, they use jargon.
Customers who are confused or irritated by jargon are less likely to purchase from that company. Take the world’s biggest company – Apple. The average consumer does not care about RAM size and processor speed, they just want something that works.
In Apple’s marketing, you will never hear them talking about the specifications of their products, this jargon would provide no benefit to the customer’s buying decision. Instead, Apple talk about how effortless and easy everything will be.
By cutting the jargon and focusing on the user experience, Apple increases customer understanding and allows them to purchase in confidence.
A huge part of this mentality comes from empathising with the customer. Empathy is putting yourself in someone else’s shoes and feeling how they feel. By doing this you can better understand their motivations.
By reducing jargon and improving empathy, I believe you can make marketing more accessible and relevant.
In addition to providing marketing strategy and delivery, Underpin Marketing run Marketing Empathy Masterclasses in the Stevenage, Hitchin and Letchworth area. To register your interest, contact lewis@underpinmarketing.com.
