My battle against jargon started a long time ago. I mean, like eighth grade long ago. More than half a century ago.
The English teacher’s name was William Stein. The kids nicknamed him "Willie" even though there was nothing Willie-like about his appearance. I remember him as short and balding with a wispy, black goatee. He wasn’t exactly disheveled, but his clothes never seemed to fit quite right. His dress shirts billowed at the wrong places and his slacks rested just a little lower than his waist.
He was stern. To me, he felt like a tough grader. I didn’t enjoy his class.
Years later, I realized he was my first writing teacher.
Red Ink - The Horror
He ruthlessly critiqued my essays. Red ink from his pen crossed out whole sentences – even paragraphs! He forced me to abandon cliches and the extra words that eighth-graders still use to fill space. He implored me to get to the point.
It never entered my mind that I would make a career in writing, but his lessons stuck.
When my university journalism teachers began stressing clear, simple language, Mr. Stein’s foundation gave me a leg up. Journalism school also teaches you to avoid acronyms, especially the abbreviations often assigned to government agencies.
No Acronyms Allowed
FBI and CIA were judged well-known enough to be acceptable on first reference, but heaven forbid you refer to the U.S. Department of Agriculture as USDA or the Small Business Administration as SBA.
With this anti-acronym bias drummed into me by teachers and editors, is it any wonder I cringe at digital marketing’s alphabet soup of SEO, SEM, CTR, PPC, CPC, ROAS, ROI, KPI, etc.?
Explanations and background information are two other important elements in newspaper writing. A well-written article always gives a nod to events that led up to the latest news. And I never wrote an article about a school district real estate tax increase without explaining that every mil of tax equals $1 for every $1,000 of assessed value.
The Shift to Digital
As a writer and an editor, I built within myself a need to help readers by explaining things clearly. That has evolved into a need to help others understand digital marketing, its jargon, and how it works.
When my newspaper career shifted to the digital side of the business, I worked with advertising salespeople and their local business clients to describe the benefits of advertising on our websites.
At the time, it was new, and I watched clients ask questions that salespeople couldn’t answer. I saw a need to explain and teach.
Trouble Teaching Myself
I felt perplexed by the language of digital marketing as I began to teach myself about search optimization, search advertising and web development. I slogged my way through articles, sometimes having to re-read two or three times, just to grasp what they were talking about.
Since then, I’ve noticed eyes glaze over during sales presentations. I’ve heard questions that remind me that someone great at making widgets is not necessarily great at online marketing.
Today, I’ve found that I serve my business friends best by taking them "behind the curtain," especially as they make decisions about how to use online marketing to grow their businesses.
My Online Marketing Glossary
That’s why I’ve devoted a section of my website to an online marketing glossary. That’s why I try to have regular meetings with clients to make sure they understand their marketing and its results.
So if you’re puzzled about some aspect of digital marketing, or you know someone who is, give me a shout. I’ll try to help. And I’m always looking for examples of new jargon that begs for interpretation.
The next newsletter arrives May 7. I’m looking forward to some May flowers. National Small Business Week is April 29 to May 3.
May 3 is World Press Freedom Day, established by the United Nations in 1993. Few things are as precious as our rights to a free press and free speech. If you’re a margarita fan, have a drink on May 5, Cinco de Mayo.
In between those two days, celebrate Star Wars Day – May the Fourth be with you. As ever, be grateful. Be generous. Be patient. Love.
Thanks for spending some of your time with me, . I appreciate you.
Mark
P.S. - This newsletter was 100 percent created by me, a human.
P.P.S. - Some links in this email might be affiliate links, which could generate small commissions for me at no extra cost to you.
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