Leadership

Thursday Buzz: Add More Power to Your Words

A few shining examples of words that can add more authority to the messages you write. Also: musical advice from a man who knows a thing or two about word crimes.

Words not sharp enough? Finding your phrasing isn’t as relevant as you’d like it to be?

If so, be sure to check out this great list by Inc.com contributing editor John Brandon, who highlights 10 power words known to make even the most boring documents feel a bit more invigorated with life. It won’t happen instantly, but there are plenty of shining examples of how to get going.

“Remember there is a living, breathing, thinking person on the other end of that e-mail! Spice things up and see the results,” Brandon writes.

Who knows? You might become a fervent supporter of power words—and your employees might become more responsive as a result.

We were so impressed that I renewed my vow to be a better writer and used all 10 power words immediately. Bet you didn’t even notice.

Work Never Finished

Speaking of writing, Amanda Kaiser has a bit of the writer’s mindset on her mind with her latest piece on her Smooth the Path blog, which points out that good marketing approaches require the same kind of consistent editing and cleanup that many writers do. (Even I could use an edit.)

“Marketing is a work in progress, it’s never done and you can always make it better,” she explains. “There are always new ways to strengthen the brand. There is room to tell a better story. There are methods to get closer to your customers.”

Often, the simplest words are the most powerful. But those words may not appear the first time around. So always keep sanding them down. (ht @SmoothThePath)

Other Links of Note

If you’ve been sitting under a rock, you haven’t heard that master pop parodist Weird Al Yankovic has been releasing a ton of music videos this week, including the Robin Thicke parody “Word Crimes.” Business 2 Community notes that the song’s grammar-laden message has a lot of relevance for content marketers. We’ll go a step further: It’s funny as heck.

“You can’t help but be impressed with a peacock’s tail. The long tail feathers and vibrant colors are magnificent to behold. However, this beautiful display comes at a high price.” Somehow, Event Manager Blog manages to compare a peacock’s tail to event planning. Try not to be impressed.

Pinterest has a lot more uses than just as a tool for sharing images. LifeHacker breaks down its benefits as a productivity tool.

(iStock/Thinkstock)

Ernie Smith

By Ernie Smith

Ernie Smith is a former senior editor for Associations Now. MORE

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