In a post at her blog, Christina Kerley—known informally as CK—recounts a question she received during a conference Q&A session: "Can you tell me the buzzwords that marketers should avoid using with our audiences and in our communications?" You've likely asked yourself the same thing, and you might be surprised by CK's rather interesting response.

Instead of rattling off a list of egregious offenders, CK flipped the question around, suggesting a sure way to learn what customers want to hear: It's as simple as reading what they write. Thanks to social media, you now have instant and unparalleled access to their style, tone and vocabulary.

"[R]ead the comments and conversations of consumers and prospective customers at many blogs that are relevant to your business and target audiences," she says. "See what they’re talking about, and what’s meaningful to them. But mainly look at how they say things." Take the guesswork out of word selection by using customer forums and comment sections as a barometer—study the language they use and choose yours accordingly.

The Po!nt: "[S]ocial media gives us a surefire way to avoid using all those words that are confusing, over-hyped or just so overused they’ve been rendered meaningless," says CK. "[P]eople don’t speak in buzzwords. Marketers do."

Source: CK's Blog. Click here for the full post.

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