Ubiquitous tropes

Quick quiz for you. What’s the definition of ‘ubiquitous trope’?

1. Ubiquitous Trope is a minor character in the Harry Potter novels.

2. Ubiquitous T. Rope is the name I use when taking part in rap battles.

3. Ubiquitous trope is a hackneyed cliché, such as the B2B favourite ‘ever-evolving landscape’.

You’ll find the answer at the bottom of this digital page.

Without ruining the surprise, let’s assume for a moment the correct answer is 3). And let’s look at some more, ever-popular, B2B bangers:

• Actionable insights

• Real-world examples

• Cutting-edge strategies

• Data-driven insights

• Precision targeting

• True partnerships

• Seamless collaboration

• Operational efficiencies

• Strategic imperatives

We all recognise them. We might even have peppered them profusely throughout our B2B copy. So what, you might ask? Everyone uses clichés from time to time, Heather. Stop being such a pernickety pedant. (Pernickety Pedant is my alternative rap battle name.)

Clichés are a sorry waste of space in a world where every square millimetre of computer screen and printed page must justify its existence.

Every time you use a cliché, you’re squandering a spot that could have surprised your reader, challenged their thinking, or planted a memorable image in their future buying brain.

For those of us who think exclusively in fairground analogies (just me?), it’s like letting a proportion of our available balls dribble uselessly onto the grass at our feet, rather than hurling them as hard as possible at the coconuts.

It’s impossible to avoid well-worn phrases (like ‘well-worn’) entirely. I’m not suggesting every word you use should be fresh-hewn from the linguistic quarry of your mind. But it’s worth taking a moment to notice if you’re about to insert a B2B cliché into your copy, and to consider an alternative approach.

Here are three things you could do:

1. A straight swap. A straight swap is my least favourite option, but if that’s all you’ve got time or energy to do, consider using words that won’t make people’s eyes glaze over. For instance, if I had a pound for every conference session promising ‘actionable insights’ I could open the world’s first solid gold coconut shy. ‘Pragmatic advice’ isn’t going to win any prizes for innovation but it’s marginally less jargon-y than ‘actionable insights’.

2. Drill into the detail. Unpack the meaning behind the cliché and translate it into tangible ideas. Instead of ‘actionable insights’ you could give a taste of what you’re actually offering. Let’s say you’re giving a talk on how to track the ROI of brand marketing. Why not tell people they’ll learn how to ‘make a case for budget that the CFO can’t ignore’? Or to ‘show the CFO how to get more brand for their buck’? Or they’ll leave the session as ‘brand marketing measurement maestros’?

3. Cut it out. Are you using a cliché to fill space or cover up a lack of knowledge? Wherever possible, ditch it. Your piece will either be shorter (yay!) or you’ll make room to add a more weighty, interesting or novel point. We can take it as read that ‘the digital landscape is ever-evolving’ so delete that and move on.

Ever wondered how B2B’s favourite jargon would translate to the silver screen? Wonder no more!

The answer to the quiz is, of course, all three. At least that’s what AI tells me.

I’m Heather Barnett, a freelance B2B copywriter and creator of silly videos about marketing. This is my regular newsletter with tips on creating better B2B content.

If you’ve subscribed, thank you!

If you haven’t, there’s still time…

If you have no memory of subscribing and are secretly fuming at having this email appear in your inbox, please do unsubscribe. But why not get your own back on someone you hate first, by forwarding it on and suggesting they sign up?