January 2005

Words to Write By

Though the English language affords writers an incredible variety of choices, it's still sometimes a challenge to get it write.

By Christopher Barr

Getting your message across by writing well is a real challenge for many people—even experienced marketers, writers, and editors have trouble sometimes, but it's not always their fault. English is one of the most complicated and frustrating languages to master. The good news is that English is a dynamic, growing language, which means that there are plenty of words to choose from in order to communicate a message crisply and accurately. The bad news is that there are enough conflicting rules and options to trip up even the best of writers.

The number of words we have to choose from makes our language more complex than most others. According to Bill Bryson, whose fine book, The Mother Tongue, helps decipher our language, there are about 200,000 English words in common use, compared to about 185,000 in German, and 100,000 in French. That means by using English we have the opportunity to put a finer point on our meanings. Given all this variety and complexity, it's important to remember a few basic guidelines when you sit down at the keyboard.

Make up New Words

What words should you use? If I were to tell you I googled a number of blogs to download info on iPod gear for a gift to a dotcommer, you would know exactly what I meant. I recommend, however, that you avoid this type of jargon-filled writing when trying to communicate with your audience. While you want to avoid overusing jargon, however, it's quite acceptable to make up words, especially for product names. Blog, MP3, Google, nanotechnology, and iPod are great examples of new words that have become commonly accepted.

There will be times when even those 200,000 words will fail you and you will cleverly create a new one. It worked for William Shakespeare. Bryson claims Shakespeare minted nearly 2,000 words—terms we use routinely such as critical, gust, dwindle, and majestic. He also put together phrases we still use today such as "in my mind's eye," "the sound and the fury," "foul play," and "cold comfort." If he could do it then to get his message across, you have just as much license to do it now. The trick is to make sure your audience will respond positively to your word choices—you want your new terms to enfranchise, not alienate, your audience.

It's a Noun, Not a Verb

You'll spend lots of money to build your brand, and it debases the value of that brand when your product name is used incorrectly. So remember, your product or service is a noun, not a verb. Take Google as an example; Google the company may be losing control of the word Google, which is becoming synonymous with "to search." But you won't find Google the company using Google as a verb because they are afraid it will go the way of Xerox ("I'm going to Xerox that document") and dilute the brand value. Recently, Google the company has tried to protect its trademark on Google the noun by sending threatening letters to websites they feel violate their trademark. But it may be too late. Even Larry Page, one of Google's two founders, used it as a verb. He signed a newsletter in 1998 with "Have fun and keep googling!" I'll bet Google's lawyers soon expunge that line from the archives.

Now Apple appears to be testing that same slippery slope. While "to iPod" doesn't roll off the tongue as comfortably as "to Google," Apple has used iPod as a verb in an effort to extend its base to BMW vehicle owners. The "iPod Your BMW" campaign is the first instance of using iPod as a verb. Could it be a mistake? Apple may get away with it because of the specificity of the usage. "To iPod," in this usage, does not mean to use or listen to the iPod, it means "equip" as in, "Equip your BMW with an iPod." To the grammarian in me, "iPod Your BMW" stays.

Write It Right

And finally, regardless of what words you choose, it's imperative that you write them correctly. Factual errors, grammatical errors, misspellings, and other mistakes can degrade the perception of your site, your products, and your brand. And, because your customers' perception is also their reality, it's worth taking the time to make sure you get it right. You would be surprised to know that many folks who speak incorrectly will still ridicule written errors and incorrect sentence construction.

Take a page from George Orwell's 1984 and revise your "history" constantly. This exercise is especially important for large corporate websites. Get in the habit of reviewing company products, services, key employees, and contact information every month. And be sure to review your public-facing website after a significant organizational change.

About the author:

Christopher Barr spent the last two decades explaining the intricacies of technology to vast audiences by using strong nouns and verbs. Grammatically challenged, Christopher believes audiences deserve crystal-clear content. email him at cbarr@bswgroup.com.