Potty-mouth copy seems to be making a bit of a comeback these days. It used to be taboo, except for the occasional well-placed damn. Writers would not have thought about ever including the gasp-inducing f word in their sales copy at one time. Now? Everybody and their mother are using impolite colloquialisms like they are the only words in the English language. Earlier today, I came across a marketing and public relations agency in New York with the tagline: “We’re Responsive AF.” Uh, OK. Can I just say the AF part didn’t compel me to click on their contact us link to ask for more information? I wish I could tell you this was a one-off but it’s not. I have sadly experienced quite a bit of this kind of boldness in copy lately. From sales ads and email pitches to hero statements on websites. I would be lying if I said this impressed me. It doesn’t. The few times I’ve gotten an email in my inbox with an expletive in the subject line, it’s gone directly to the trash. This is one of them (see below). I’m not even going to block out the name of the person who sent it. If he’s confident enough to send this to my email inbox, then he should be confident enough for the entire world to critique it. Maybe I’m showing my age by objecting to this kind of “edginess” in advertising. Or maybe I simply believe tossing out every cuss word you know is not the best way to be bold in your copy. The psychology of swearingThere’s no doubt about it. Swearing elicits some strong reactions in some people. Whether you applaud it or cringe every time someone uses it, research has some interesting things to say about the psychology behind curse words. Some evidence points to swearing as a sign of intelligence. Some suggest it’s a great way to relieve pain and stress. Why do profane words upset some of us and make others of us giggle out loud? Profanity has a direct line to our emotional sides. If you grew up in a household where swearing got your mouth washed out with soap, that negative connotation likely has stuck with you throughout the years. On the flip side, living with people who swore loud and proud provided a sense of normalcy in using words others consider taboo. As with many other words in the English language, intent plays a large part in whether a swear word is perceived as offensive. Some profanities could be interpreted as discriminatory or sexually harassing. Brands do not want to cross that line in their quest to sound bold or edgy. Bold…. or just plain crass?Before we can determine whether swearing in copy is offensive, we must ask ourselves what communication goals cursing achieves. Are we trying to be funny? To fit in with the crowd (or target audience, as it were)? Display physical aggression or manage stress? According to Routledge and CRC Press – a leading publisher of knowledge-based materials – there are four main reasons why people swear.
One of the most popular arguments for doing so was that it appealed to millennials. Millennials prefer online communications that show emotion. Plenty of marketing research backs this up. They also respond to authentic and honest branding. Does that automatically mean cursing in copy is cool with them? At least one body of research calls that theory into doubt. Including profanity in shockvertising may not achieve the desired effect. In fact, non-swear word versions of the same ads that used expletives led to better recall among millennials. You’re better off using humor in your copy because 38 percent of millennials love a good laugh. Pros vs. cons of potty-mouth copyTo swear (in your copy), or not to swear? That is the question of the hour. Here is a handy guide of the pros and cons of each side of the argument to help you decide. Euphemisms can be a better alternative to outright swearing in your copy. We can all probably think of some examples of this that we’ve seen. One that immediately comes to mind is Fuddruckers. The folks who branded this company knew exactly what they were doing. Other examples of linguistic creativity in names and marketing copy include one of my all-time favorites, “shut the front door.” A final WTF on potty-mouth copyI know how I feel about potty-mouth copy, but I am not going to push my methods on others. What I will do is offer a final word of advice on how to approach cursing in your writing. If you choose to use cussing in your copy, there should always be a purpose behind the shock value. If you use profanity just because you can, it can dash any hopes you have of sounding edgy.
Whatever language you ultimately choose for your copy, make sure it reaches your target market with messaging that appeals to their demographic. Happy wordsmithing!
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AI content writing is not a new thing. Up until now, I admit that I have not given it much thought. The AI content marketing tools I had seen before now did not really intrigue – or worry – me. I had zero fears of my livelihood being replaced by a nameless, faceless automaton that cranked out copy at a customer’s behest. Most AI-powered content marketing tools were inferior to the quality copy a human trained in wordsmithing could produce. I would go so far as to say most of it was laughable nonsense. Anyone who would pay for it was wasting their money, in my humble opinion. Flash-forward to now and using AI for content marketing is becoming a hot topic among my fellow copywriting professionals. Some, like me, debate the value of using them. Others fear they are just one AI-generated piece of content away from losing their jobs. I think the truth of AI content marketing tools lies somewhere in between. What is AI-generated content marketing? Since Alan Turing first posed the question, “Can machines think?” in the 1950s, man has been obsessed with artificial intelligence. AI has advanced the medical and industrial fields, to name just two of its profound impacts. Digital marketers started leveraging AI-powered content marketing tools as far back as 2017. According to the 2020 Salesforce State of Marketing Report, 84 percent of marketers admit to using AI. This is a 186 percent increase from the number of marketers using AI in 2018. Most of the AI tools marketers use focus on data collection and analysis. There were no specific data available for the number of copywriters who use AI content marketing tools to assist with their writing tasks. AI tools for content marketing AI copywriting tools use natural language processing (NLP) to spit out copy. If you are wondering what the heck NLP is, no worries. Let me explain. NLP is nothing more than the automatic manipulation of our natural language patterns for both speech and text. When NLP works as intended, it bridges the communications gap between humans and computers. The goal is to help computers understand – mimic, even – the speech and language patterns of humans. Most AI tools for content marketing work like this:
Real copywriters dish on AI content generators What do real copywriters think about AI content generators? Some leverage their power to increase their output and the number of clients they can serve. Others refuse to use them, citing a lack of quality and mediocrity in the content produced. Yker Valerio of Bon Vivant Caffe uses Conversion.ai to improve content quality and boost his writing process. “It’s like having a writing partner. A weird writing partner, but productive nonetheless.” He said he has tried a few other AI content generators but prefers Conversion.ai. Kyle Vine, the marketing director at CKLU Radio in Ontario, Canada, said he had the privilege of meeting the person who runs the IBM Watson program for AI a few years ago at a conference. “I discovered that (AI) can be good for proofreading, but the main way it can be good is with speak.ai or other apps that transcribe speeches to use for SEO applied to your copy. Otherwise, I’ve found there aren’t many options to use AI in copywriting because it’s 75 percent experience and word flowability. AI comes in with the last 25 percent for tiny things just to suggest better SEO/conversion words in my experience.” Archana Karthikeyan from The Marketing Vogue has used AI copywriting tools for about four months. The benefit is that it sometimes helps her with a new direction for her writing if she is experiencing the dreaded writer’s block. Another advantage is it can help save her time during the writing process. The biggest drawback is it is written by AI, not a human. She and her team have discovered facts need to be rechecked any time the AI program she uses creates content to ensure accuracy. My personal experience with AI content marketing tools is mixed. Like Valerio, I have found Conversion.ai to work well for generating titles and content ideas. I am not as impressed with its other content. Depending on the topic, it can be clunky and needing a human touch to make it more readable. I also am beta testing a new AI writing tool now that is not very impressive. In a recent topic I gave the generator for a sales description I was writing about stand mixers, it generated this gem: “The item is circular, about six inches across. It has a lid.” Factually, the tool is correct. Stand mixers are circular and have lids. Does knowing that make me want to buy one? Nope. This was an epic failure. Another time, I asked the tool to generate a direct and adventurous headline for an article about first-time surfers in Australia. Here is what it gave me: “Surfing is a fun and easy sport to learn.” Once again, I do not consider this a success. While the statement is true, there is nothing adventurous about it. The tool still is in the early stages of development, so these results are expected. I will not mention it by name in this blog, but I will provide a more detailed review of it once the beta testing phase is over. How copywriters can leverage AI tools While I respect their opinion, I do not understand copywriters who fear AI-powered content marketing tools. I personally do not think AI will ever get to the point that it will totally replace humans for writing. Humans must teach AI software how to be more, well, human. Computers only know what we teach them. The success or failure of AI content generators rests on the capable shoulders of copywriters like myself willing to serve as teachers to AI. Computers do not understand – nor can they convincingly mimic – brand voice or persona. Humans are very much still needed to finesse any copy an AI produces to improve engagement and tone. My fellow copywriters can breathe a sigh of relief and embrace AI as a teammate rather than fearing it as a competitor. Need help humanizing your content? Reach out to The Write Reflection today to schedule your hassle-free consultation to discuss your needs. AuthorShari Berg has known she wanted to be a writer since she was old enough to hold a pencil in her hand. She believes everyone has a story to tell, and it’s her job to discover it. Shari owns The Write Reflection, a Pittsburgh-based copywriting and content writing company that empowers small business owners to wield the power of words. |
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