Using big words in advertising - bad idea!

Making Words Work for You

by Mary Anderson

The written word plays an important part in marketing your company's services. Nearly every promotional idea you pursue > press releases, advertisements, brochures, sales letters, and speeches -> will involve writing. Author Rudyard Kipling wrote, "Words are, or course, the most powerful drug used by mankind."

Even if you don't have a degree in Journalism or English, you can still use just the right words to communicate your message effectively. Here are some simple rules to keep in mind.
Bigger isn't always better. Using big words in sales literature is not a good way to establish your company's expertise. Big words are pretentious and are likely to annoy your readers, if not put them to sleep. Consider this slightly exaggerated example: We hope to substantiate that the optimum procedure to utilize is prioritization of personal objectives. Instead, consider using the headline, Why "First Things First" Works.

Here are a few examples of big words and their simpler, more effective substitutions.

> Big Word replace with Substitute Word
> facilitate replace with help
> paradigm replace with model
> parameters replace with factors
> superior replace with best
> terminate replace with end
> procure replace with get

Use positive, "feel-good" words. If your spouse begins a discussion by saying, "I hate it when you...," your immediate reaction will probably be self-defense or anger. Why? The word "hate" is a negative word and it immediately stirs up bad feelings in most of us. That's why it is important to consider the impact of the words you choose on your readers. Try using some of the "feel-good" words or phrases listed below in your promotional literature.
free, results, guarantee, how to, easy, quick, introducing, new, ability, opportunity, perfection, economy, you, loyalty, achieve, energy, benefit, confidence
Less is more. "It is not the quantity, but the pertinence of your words that does the business." (Seneca, Roman writer and rhetorician)

Keep in mind that in today's busy, busy world, most people are not about to sit down with a cup of coffee, your brochure, and 20 minutes to kill. They will likely glance at your materials and, if you're lucky, take 30 seconds or a minute to skim the contents. If your brochure begins with a huge paragraph with 6 or 7 long sentences, I can guarantee you that your audience won't read any further.

Short sentences are always easier to read than long sentences. Take a look at the newspaper and notice the short, crisp sentences. That is the style you want to develop when writing your materials. Note the example below:
Wordy: Another aspect that needs to be considered is the public relations angle. Concise: We should also consider public relations.

Once you have written a first draft > edit, edit, edit. Substitute a single word for a phrase, wherever possible. Get rid of extra thoughts that don't pertain to your message. The end result should be a concise document that your readers can easily understand.

Source: http://www.bizboom.com/Wisdom_Articles/new_article.asp?108