So today I got an email from someone admonishing business owners not to use “platitudes” in our copy.
What she said was (I’m paraphrasing): “Many ads and websites say things like, “big selection, very professional, lowest prices, highest quality, fastest… These are called platitudes and they don’t mean anything to prospective buyers…In fact people expect those qualities from any business.”
Except for one thing. I wouldn’t call those sentences “platitudes.”
It bothered me the way some people get upset when they see a crooked picture on the wall.
The online Cambridge Dictionary defines platitude as “a remark or statement that may be true but is boring and has no meaning because it has been said so many times before.” And their example was, “He doesn’t mouth platitudes about it not mattering who scores as long as the team wins.”
So technically a statement like “We are the highest quality, lowest priced and most professional” could be considered a platitude. It’s boring and and has no meaningl
When I looked up examples of platitudes, I got: “It is what it is,” “Just be yourself,” “You can’t please everyone.” There’s also “everything happens for a reason.”
So there’s a connotation of “platitude” as a weak proverb or lame advice.
But what’s important about this?
1 – When you use a word with the wrong connotation, you jar the reader.
Some readers (or listeners) will turn their attention to wondering what’s wrong, just like I did. Some readers will be distracted, at least briefly.
In copywriting, a cliche should go down as smoothly as clear water or high-end alcoholic beverages. A trite sentence makes readers feel comfortable. They’ll grasp your meaning faster.
2 – There’s a difference between a phrase that’s used a lot and a phrase that differentiates you from the competition.
When you’re a service-based solopreneur, you may want to present yourself as having qualities in common with the best in your field.
You may want to say you offer high quality, professional services. Sure, everyone else promises the same thing. Good copywriting — or a good story — can differentiate your business from the competition, even though you’re saying the same thing.
And you should check your copy, too.
3 – Before you use a word of concept, look it up…even if you think you know it.
When you’re trying to align yourself with big concepts, be extra careful. You don’t know who’s reading or listening You might be communicating with someone who’s extremely knowledgeable.
It’s often not enough to know the definition. You have to know the connotation–the way the word is used in popular conversation.
I like to use an example that’s not really about words. I was watching a movie about an airline captain. In one scene, he went into a bar in his captain’s uniform (4 stripes and all) and placed his captain’s hat on the table, right in plain sight.
That would never happen in real life. A captain would change or put a sweater over his uniform. He’d hide the hat. He wouldn’t risk losing his job by drinking alcohol in uniform, unless he had a death wish.
That one inaccuracy ruined the movie for me. I don’t remember anything about the film except that one scene. The filmmakers (it was an indie film) should have checked.
4 – You probably don’t need that word.
In copywriting, we’re taught (and I teach others) that simple is best. Why not just say, “Find a way to come across as unique?
Differentiate yourself from the competition in a meaningful way–a way that is important to your audience.”
For instance, “the curly-haired consultant” will differentiate you but won’t be meaningful.
In summary, abstraction can create a distraction. Make everything easy to read and make everything relevant to your audience.