Last updated on Sep 19, 2024

You're struggling with industry jargon in your writing. How do you make it understandable for everyone?

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Jo Watson (CMgr MCMI)

Copywriter hired by people with great taste in copywriters | I create & consult on copy, content & comms forâ€¦

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Kali Walia

Editing my way through life | Senior Content Editor - AGL-Hakuhodo | Self-proclaimed Sitcom Buff
Eric Mweetwa

YALI RLC-SA Online Cohort 19 Alumni | ALX Founders Connect Alumni | Extern Ambassador |Public Health Specialist |â€¦

Are industry terms baffling your audience? Share how you simplify complex jargon for clearer communication.

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Jo Watson (CMgr MCMI)

Copywriter hired by people with great taste in copywriters | I create & consult on copy, content & comms for businesses, brands & brilliant individuals. Hire me, book a Sorted In 60Â®, join TeamGDI | Wrote a book ðŸŸ£âš«ï¸âšªï¸
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I'm particularly loving the comments on this article from editors who can't spell or use an apostrophe correctly. Really enlightening.

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Kali Walia

Editing my way through life | Senior Content Editor - AGL-Hakuhodo | Self-proclaimed Sitcom Buff
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All writers succumb to jargon from time to time. But recognizing that youâ€™re content has it is the first step to change things! (much like therapy). I suggest taking a step from your daily routine of skimming through hundreds of articles and blogs online. You need to take a chill pill - go for a walk, watch a sitcom, meet a friend, or whatever floats your boat! Then, you regroup yourself and bring the human side of back into the game. It may sound like oversimplification of things but it always works for writers who are deal with a large quantum of work.

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Eric Mweetwa

YALI RLC-SA Online Cohort 19 Alumni | ALX Founders Connect Alumni | Extern Ambassador |Public Health Specialist | Mental Health Expert | Social Media Marketer |
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When struggling with industry jargon, hereâ€™s how I make it easy for everyone to understand: 1. Replace complex terms with simple ones: If a word is too technical, I swap it for something more familiar. For example, instead of saying synergy, I can say working well together. 2. Explain the jargon: If I must use a technical term, I explain it right away. For instance, if I say SEO (Search Engine Optimization), I follow it up with, this is how we make sure a website shows up on Google when people search. 3. Use examples or comparisons: I try to use simple examples to explain tricky ideas. If Iâ€™m talking about cloud storage, I compare it to saving things in an online folder you can access from anywhere, like Google Drive.

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Chris Taylor

Award-winning personal finance journalist
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Especially in the financial arena, this can be a challenge for writers. Terms that might be well-known and commonplace for financial services professionals -- an "exchange-traded fund", as an example -- might not be familiar to a general readership. So the key is to know your audience and tailor the information to them. With some publications, a certain level of investment knowledge might be assumed; with others, you might have to walk readers through quick definitions, to make sure everyone is on the same page. In general, err on the side of making complex information very clear and understandable, so it doesn't go over people's heads.

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Manav Jhaveri

LinkedIn Personal Branding and Ghostwriting for founders, investors and VCs. One interesting thing every day. AI, Tech, Writing, Culture, Psychology.
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The most powerful ideas are the simplest. When we bury them in industry jargon, we risk losing not just our audience, but the impact of our message. The key isnâ€™t to avoid technical terms altogether, but to explain them in plain language, using analogies and real-world examples.

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