Reducing plastic isn’t just good for the environment – it’s crucial for your content too. In marketing, when we label a word or phrase as “plastic,” we mean it’s generic or lacks meaning. Generality is the quickest way to go unnoticed in today’s crowded digital landscape.
Here’s an example of what I mean. Let’s say you write a post like this:
“Find everything in one place with our convenient and expert software solution.”
Here, at least five words stand out as plastic: everything, place, expert, convenient, solution. Let’s swap these for more impactful alternatives:
Everything: Files, documents
Place: location, destination.
Expert: skilled, capable, proficient
Convenient: automatic, ready-to-use, adaptable, practical
Solution: answer, product, prototype, program, suite
Now, let’s rewrite the sentence with specificity:
“Find your documents in one destination with our proficient and ready to use software program.”
You could go even farther by explaining what the documents are. Engineering drafts? Patient files? Let’s try it:
“Find your patient files in one destination with our proficient and ready-to-use software program.”
We’ve not only refined the statement but also tailored it to speak directly to the ideal customer.
Here’s how you can do the same with your content:
- Identify plastic words by pulling out words that have more than one clear meaning. You can skip the connector words.
- Find replacements using resources like one of my favorite books, Words that Sell, or thesaurus.com.
- Select your preferred alternatives and rephrase your original post.
- Challenge yourself to be more specific. In the example, we defined the types of documents to enhance clarity.
After you start looking for generality in your writing and fixing it, you’ll find that you do it less. In other words, you’ll notice a transformation into specific, attention-grabbing prose. Are you ready to give it a try?
