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Marketing Simplified

20 Words to Ditch Forever

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Plastic is as bad for your copy as it is for the environment.

A few months ago, I encouraged you to ditch plastic words (words that have general, conflicting, and/or many meanings) for more specific words in your marketing. This precision cuts through the noise and creates clarity for your customers faster.

My analytics told me you liked that advice, so I thought I would provide you with a few more ideas. I picked 20 frequently-used plastic words and gave you alternate examples below. As you can see, some of the replacement words even contradict each other, which is exactly why plastic words are lousy for your copy.

Additionally, as AI plays more of a role in content creation, remember that AI personas are trained to be general because the goal of AI is to please as many people as possible. This is why I like using AI better in the editing phase rather than the copywriting phase (because I really don’t like vanilla content). However, if you do use AI for content creation, I recommend first prompting it by letting it know that it’s a precision copywriter who uses precise language before you prompt it to generate actual content/copy. I then recommend that you or someone on your team physically print the output and highlight all the plastic words that you need to replace.

Happy creating! 

Plastic WordAlternatives (Better Words)
bigsizeable, lofty, extensive, massive, vast, great
comfortableroomy, snug, tranquil, soft, relaxed, spacious
thoroughcomprehensive, unlimited, definitive, in-depth
convenientpractical, simple, mobile, automatic, efficient
easyfast, effortless, simple, automatic, step-by-step, accessible
excitinggripping, fascinating, entertaining, fun, electrifying, jaw-dropping, terrifying, overwhelming
fastinstant, prompt, punctual, fast-paced, in minutes, in days, in hours
funindulgent, festive, cheery, whimsical, perky, wild, joy
improvednew, changed, updated, revolutionized, remodeled, spruced up, beautified, perfected, embellished
madecreated, designed, built, developed, formulated, constructed
newmodern, breakthrough, trailblazing, state-of-the-art, revolutionary, just released, innovative
popularacclaimed, admired, famous, up-and-coming, beloved, renowned
powerfulassertive, aggressive, high-voltage, shocking, robust, commanding, compelling
reliabletrustworthy, proven, safe, practical, functional, dependable, tested
safeprotected, sheltered, secure, carefree, vigilant
accomplishcreate, finish, fulfill, learn, win, build
helpassist, simplify, fix, accomplish, facilitate, enable, consult, monitor, create, review
smalllittle, compact, concise, simple, intimate, cozy, space-saving, miniature
smartsophisticated, polished, wise, polished, worldly, intellectual, shrewd
valuableinvaluable, expensive, scarce, priceless, integral, exquisite, fundamental

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