The evolution of language is something that is dynamic and ongoing. Language itself evolves from using it regularly. From this we generate colloquialisms and slang that are particular to certain demographics and locales. (Good example: a "newbie" is seen as a derogatory term by gamers, whereas it simply describes a newcomer to many tech-savvy professionals.)
In the realm of marketing professionals we have our own set of jargon and wordplay that we use often. Within these hallowed walls of linguistic prose there are a few outliers that look as though they've been through hell and back. These words have been around for a long time in general usage, but content marketing professionals have adapted them to their own use and put them through the wringer.
The following are eight of some of the most overused words that content marketing needs to give up.
1) Killer: A great strategy can be described as a "killer" one. The 80's called, they want their slang back. "Killer" was a great buzzword when it came out. It was imperious, demanding and just the right amount of intriguing to get a reader to click on your title. Now, it's been overdone to the extent that it's likely the "Killer" headlines might see areal victim sometime soon through boredom. Unless your headline is likely to reach out and strangle the reader, I'd like to advise you leave off on the "Killer" lead ins.
2) Revolutionary: There's a quote by note statesman and author Henry George that states, "A crank is a little thing that makes revolutions." Is your content a crank? If it isn't then it probably doesn't make revolutions and shouldn't be described as such. Unless your content is overthrowing a fascist government somewhere in the world, you would be better off (and probably safer) with something less...revolutionary.
3) Advanced: Once upon a time, not so long ago, advanced meant something that was far ahead of its time in innovation and quality. It was an impactful word that spoke to a consumer about technology and science that the reader either couldn't grasp, or wouldn't know how to understand. We've used it so much that it has lost its ability to attract an audience. Now, if a reader sees the word "advanced" before a product, they usually expect it there. In a world where technology and science provide so many amenities to us, the only thing our products are really advanced to is those of the 1950's. There are a plethora of synonyms for this word such as "innovative". Be creative about your discussion of cutting-edge developments.
4) Best: One of those words that we use as a throwaway without even thinking about it. How do we know it's the "best"? Has it been subjected to scrutiny and testing? If not, saying it's the "best" is misleading at best and a downright lie at worst. Consumers have come to take this word with a grain of salt and are much less inclined to believe when a company advertises anything they have as the "best". You can alternate with other more modest descriptions of your product that might make a reader actually take you seriously. Using this word removes any chance of the user even giving your content marketing any second thought. The only thing it's really "Best" at is driving away potential leads.
5) World-Class: The world is a big place. When we used the term world-class in the past, we meant that our product or service was on par with other products and services of the same class elsewhere in the world. The internet has made the world a much smaller place. World-class comparison went out with the 90's and that's where it should stay. Instead of using this term, you should instead try to express how successful your business or product is with verified statistics. It might take some research, but it's a lot better than just calling it "world-class".
6) Analytical: Analytics are a major part of content marketing over the last couple years. They can help in focusing marketing at a target audience and theoretically increasing the traffic to those sites via direct marketing. Whereas the principle is sound, in practice, less than half of social media and marketing experts really do any analytics-based research into their brand. As a buzzword it still has its use, but the amount of time it's been used is overbearing compared to how relevant it is to today's content marketers. It's been recorded as the 9th most common word used in LinkedIn profiles, meaning that it's being used far more than what it's talking about is being utilized.
7) Passionate: This word comes from the Latin root "passus" meaning "to suffer". Basically, it means that you like something so much that you are willing to undergo great suffering for it. Unless you're willing to undergo torture for your content, "passionate" would probably not be a great way to describe it. Yes, it has connotations for love and other types of flowery language, but it's been used so many times it no longer pulls a reader in when they see it. Most users don't think about themselves as passionate about content, because modern English as reclassified passionate to mean feelings between one human being and another. It's obvious, then, that you probably shouldn't be having these feelings about your content.
8) New: Yes, I know that it's something your company just came out with, but other than its novelty, what are its selling points? Why should customers be interested in it? What value does it bring to the table? Just because something is "new" doesn't mean it's any more useful than anything considered old. Novelty wears off and trying to build your marketing around something new (usually used with revolutionary, as mentioned before) doesn't really attract the same kind of attention it used to. So if it's new, don't make its novelty the selling point, Explain to us why we should buy it.
Succeed With a Thesaurus
Instead of using these overworked words, try a thesaurus and use alternatives. The English language is one that changes and drifts based on usage on a day to day basis. With over one hundred thousand words in the language there HAS to be alternatives lying around for you to use to spruce up your content marketing prose.
Skillful writing requires taking words that would otherwise be ordinary and transforming them into the ordinary. It also means avoiding driving popular words and phrases to become cliché through overuse. The power to save these words is in your hands, it's not a responsibility you should take lightly.