The other day as I was reviewing a new client’s web copy, I saw the header, “We Think Outside the Box” – big and bold on the About page.

Turns out, the copy had been there for many years without being updated (the reason I was reviewing it in the first place). It happens.

But still. Oy!

Seeing those words inspired me to make the following public service announcement: If you have the words “think outside the box” anywhere on your company website or in any of your old (or, God forbid, new) marketing materials, or if you ever use the phrase in conversations or presentations . . . or at all, ever—I implore you to cease and desist.

The once-inspired phrase has run its course. At this point, saying it simply proves the opposite.
 It’s like posting on all your social media accounts, “I’m incredibly humbled to announce I’ve been named Greatest Person on Earth!!!” 

It’s verbal hypocrisy.

Borrowing a nice turn of phrase isn’t a bad thing (unless there are trademark/copyright issues). In marketing, we all do it.

I read an interesting article on NPR’s All Songs Considered about whether all the great song ideas have already been used up. I think the analysis applies to marketing, too (strange as that may seem). Here’s a snippet:

"Depending on how you define newness, everything and nothing qualifies . . . As much as novelty can excite and inspire, so can familiarity; so can universal truths; so can old things said in unexpected ways, by newly amplified voices with fresh perspectives."

I’m always on the lookout for a great turn of phrase. The Notes app on my iPhone is full of words and phrases that I see or hear and may want to use at some point (either for my work or just to throw nonchalantly into conversation).

The problem, of course, is that a particularly catchy catchphrase can catch on fast—especially in the marketing world. And once everyone starts using it, it loses its oomph.

The trick is being able to understand when a trendy “new” word/term/phrase has been so overused that it’s lost its potency. “Think outside the box” is an extreme and obvious example. But not all instances are so easy to determine. As with milk, that expiration date can really sneak up on you!

Here are three examples of worn out marketing terms I’m trying to stop using:

• Game changing
• Next generation
• Disruptive (it was a perfect word, but enough is enough already)

They served me well, but it’s time to move on.

"I want to be a B2B technology copywriter when I grow up!" -- said no kid ever. Not many adults think of copywriting as a dream job, either. At a cocktail party, the conversation generally goes something like this:

Random party guest: “What do you do for a living?”

Me: “I’m a freelance copywriter, and I work mainly with technology companies.”

RPG: “Wow! You must see so many cool futuristic inventions. Where’d you go to law school?”

Me: “Sorry -- no, I’m not a copyright lawyer. I’m a marketing writer.

RPG: “Oh… so you write ads and stuff?”

Me: “Not exactly. Most of my clients are technology companies, and I work with them to create all types of content to help them market their products and servi ---.”

RPG: “Zzzzzzzzzzzzz….”

I know. I should come up with a more “attention-grabbing” explanation of what I do. Believe me, I’ve tried. I keep telling myself that next time the opportunity arises, I’ll just say, “I’m an ice sculptor.” And see where that takes the conversation.
 
If you’re reading this blog, however, you already understand what a copywriter is. With that part out of the way, I can finally cut to the chase and explain WHY being a “copywriter-that-specializes-in-tech-marketing” really is a great career that kids should aspire to be when they grow up.
 
5 reasons to be a copywriter-specializing-in-technology-marketing:

1. Avoid Alzheimer’s. Due to the fast pace of the tech industry, technology copywriters (and especially freelance copywriters working with multiple clients) are constantly tasked with writing about products and services they know very little about. Which means you need to be willing and able to dive in and learn new things—fast. And the more you do it, the better you get. Lifelong learning keeps the brain in shape. This job lets you work out your brain on the daily! 
2. Feel loved. Being a tech marketing writer is not an easy job. And it’s most definitely not a glamorous job. There’s a lot of time spent sitting on your butt at a keyboard or poring through documents. But if you do the job well, clients will appreciate and value your work. You may not get the fan mail you would if you were a writer for TV or movies, but you still get warm, fuzzy, adoring messages from your clients. Like this one:                               <input type=”copywriting” name=”white paper project” value=”10” />Nice work, we are all doing a happy dance.<br />
3. Keep up with the kids. I may be the dorky mom to my budding teen, but I’m no Luddite. I can still “tech” my daughter under the table.
4. Stay flush. Because technology companies typically sell higher priced products with relatively long sales cycles, they often need a steady flow of marketing materials and content. If you can create effective copy that helps your clients attract more customers and sell more products, you’ll generally be well compensated for the value you deliver.
5. Keep on truckin’. As a writer, you can keep working until the day you die. Or as long as your brain holds up (but as noted in point #1 above, that shouldn’t be a problem). Not that you have to work until you die, but it’s nice to know you can thrive in your career until you decide you're done. 

Believe it or not, copy written about technology CAN be easy to read and understand. Here's the key: Use words people know, and kick the geek-speak and marketing mumbo-jumbo to the curb (notice I didn't say, "Laymanize the manuscript").

Of course, the main thing is to know your audience. If you're writing a brochure to promote all the killer iPhone games your company has created, and you'll be handing it out at YodaCon2017: The Mobile App Design and Development Expo, feel free to mention objective-c and XCode; talk about your adherence to scrum methodology; or explain how your engineers use plists to make your games more data driven and flexible. Otherwise, stick to plain English.

How many times have you read the homepage of a company's website and come away without understanding what, exactly, it is they do? Cloud computing companies come to mind, but it happens all the time, in every industry imaginable. Often, the problem stems from a desire to come across as a smarty pants ... I mean ... a thought leader. But heavy use of industry jargon and highfalutin language isn't smart; it's distracting. 

A couple months ago, I noticed a typo on a storefront sign in a strip mall. It struck me as hilarious at first, so I snapped a photo (see above). But I kept thinking about it on my drive home.
 
By the time I got to my house, I was feeling bad for Bev.

I’m guessing she must have become aware of the typo at some point over the years (I mean, the sign was definitely not new), but just didn’t have the money to get a new one. Why else would it still be up there, all lit up?
 
For a learning center, misspelling any word—and in particular, the word “learning”—can’t be good for business. Especially when the word is part of the business name. It doesn’t help that the misspelling sounds like “Leering.” Not a word you want to associate with Little Tots.
 
But you know what they say: Nothing is certain but death and taxes. And typos. (Happy Tax Day, by the way.)
 
As a copywriter, I wish I had a foolproof system for avoiding typos. But I don’t.

Many of my clients have a proofreader in-house. Others use third-party proofreading services. But if you’re creating content and proofing it yourself, I’ve got a 4-step process that works pretty well. Check it out:
 
Step 1: After you’ve finished writing the copy, walk away from it for at least 2 hours before proofreading. If you can put a full day between yourself and the copy, that’s even better.
 
Step 2: Enlarge the text to grandma size (like a 15 pt. font), and read the copy one time through on your computer – aloud.
 
Step 3: Print out a hard copy of the text, and read through it again—word by word—using a pen to physically touch every single word and punctuation mark as you read.
 
Step 4: Take a 15-minute break, and then read the copy one more time – aloud, at normal speed.