Reilly Newman | You’ve heard us express before our frustrations with fluff. “Fluff” ranges from pointless marketese and buzzwords to fillers and unnecessarily large words. You can call fluff: smoke n’ mirrors, being intentionally ambiguous, or just good ol’ BS.
But one thing fluff cannot be called is human. As slick as these professionals and “marketers” think they are by deploying fluff, it actually is counterproductive to connecting with the audience. It was Albert Einstein who said it best:
“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.”
We can all relate to this. When asked about a topic we’re unfamiliar with and make a fool of ourselves by fumbling with words and meanings, rather than simply saying “Good question. I’m not sure.”
Or on the other hand when a great mentor takes a complex topic and boils it down to a very comprehensive and enjoyable thought that just clicks.
Since these experiences are engrained in us, when a brand rambles on using buzzwords or fillers that just seem ridiculous, little red flags go up. These subtle signals make the brand come across inexperienced and not too confident (even though the brand could think they are expressing the opposite…) — ultimately burning the bridge that connects the audience to their business.
One thing every business has in common is that they sell to humans.
And humans are wired to reduce and consolidate. To simplify information in efforts to save energy and be able to make sense of it.
It’s not human to over-explain or make things more complicated than they need to be. So why do so many businesses do so?
One of Apple’s first ads was a multi-page “article” that was filled to the brim with words explaining the specs and details of the computer (AKA fluff). This only drove the company closer to bankruptcy and Steve Jobs out of the company. Upon Jobs’ return to Apple from starting Pixar, he released a single ad that featured two words, “Think Different.” — the rest is history.
Go through your materials, your website, your Instagram bio, your emails… Are you making it more difficult (and less enjoyable) for your reader by adding too much in hopes to impress or enthrall them?
Get to the point. Cut to the chase. They will love you for it.
