There are times when jargon is not only acceptable but expected, but much of the time we are not writing for specialists.
In B2B marketing, jargon can feel unavoidable. Every industry has its own language, and using it is a way of signalling that we belong. The problem is that jargon can as easily confuse or exclude as it can impress. So how much is too much?
There are times when jargon is not only acceptable but expected. Technical audiences may actually look for it, because it shows that we understand the subject. Any buyer evaluating a complex engineering system will not be reassured by oversimplified copy that avoids their familiar terminology. In that context, jargon is part of speaking the customer’s language.
But much of the time we are not writing for specialists. We may be writing for mixed audiences, or for people who are dipping into a subject for the first time. If a reader has to pause and decode every other sentence, we’ve lost them. Worse, jargon can become something to hide unclear thinking. It’s very often easier to string together buzzwords than it is to make the effort to explain something fully.
One method is to build up from basics, by writing a draft that is as simple and explanatory as possible, avoiding jargon unless it’s essential. Assume an audience of laypeople. When reading it back, the instances should jump out where technical terminology would be more appropriate and can be brought in. On web documents, these can always be hyperlinked to glossaries, which of course we’ve all got on our websites …haven’t we?