The 10 Most Overused SaaS Buzzwords (& Why You Need to Abandon Them)

Remember when “peachy keen” and “nifty” were... well, peachy keen and nifty?

From “cool” and “phat,” to today’s “on fleek,” contemporary slang changes almost as quickly as New England weather.

Sadly for Marketers everywhere, industry buzzwords are a lot like slang in this way -- one day they’re popular, relevant, and well-known, the next, they’re making your organization look dated and out-of-touch with the current market.

So, what’s the buzz on buzzwords when it comes to SaaS Marketing? This one may come as a surprise to you.

How Buzzwords Are Killing Conversions

Whether you realize it or not, buzzwords and industry jargon can often be the kiss-of-death on your website conversion rates.

Stuffing content with jargon can result in text that is overly-technical and unattractive, and in turn, difficult to digest or remember.

The harder your written content is to read and recall, the more likely it won’t be.

With 95% of B2B buyers agreeing that they prefer short, simple content, it is more likely that, instead of taking the time to make sense of what you’re trying to say, they will simply keep scrolling, or worse, bounce off to another site.

If your audience isn’t reading, they won’t know your value and if they don’t know your value, they definitely won’t be converting or remembering you in the long run.

What Should You Do? When it comes to writing your content, always strive to be clear, concise, and human. Using too many buzzwords not only makes your content more difficult to read, it can make your brand sound cold, robotic, and frankly, unlikable.

Instead, be conversational and speak to your audience as you would in real life. This authentic voice will help humanize your brand while also molding a message that will more likely resonate with your audience.

Note: You should also keep in mind that overusing buzzwords in an attempt to rank for them will, in most instances, have the opposite effect. Google’s algorithm recognizes and penalizes websites that keyword stuff. (Plus, this is just silly. Buzzwords are here today, gone tomorrow. They have no place in your pursuit of evergreen content.)

That being said, here are 10 of the most overused SaaS buzzwords your content team should be on the lookout for. 

The 10 Most Overused SaaS/Tech Buzzwords 

1. Disrupt

What does it mean? Interrupting the status quo or norm of an industry; achieving a new way of doing things.

What can you say instead? New, Groundbreaking

2. “The Cloud”

What does it mean? An all-encompassing term referring to shared cyber-infrastructure or storage; can be used and accessed by many users regardless of location.

What can you say instead? Cloud Storage, Cloud-Computing, Remote

3. Ideate

What does it mean? To think of or conceive a new idea.

What can you say instead? Think, Strategize, Brainstorm (arguably a buzzword as well, but a far less annoying one)

4. Hack

What does it mean? Also often referred to as a “growth hack,” this is a quick way of achieving high numbers or a desired short-term goal.

What can you say instead? Strategy, Tool, Feature, Campaign

5. Scalable

What does it mean? Can be adjusted to meet the new needs of a user due to a change in size, income, etc. 

What can you say instead? Adaptive, Flexible

6. Agile

What does it mean? Similar to scalable, but relating more towards strategic planning; development methods that can be evolved or adjusted to meet the demands of the task at hand.

What can you say instead? Adaptive, Adjustable, Flexible

7. Integrated

What does it mean? It has been designed to work seamlessly with something else; it is linked or sharing information.

What can you say instead? Connected

8. Big Data

What does it mean? Complex data that cannot be processed by traditional applications.

What can you say instead? Complex Data, Data, Analytics, Metrics

9. Customer Success

What does it mean? The benefits to your clients or users; their achievements.

What can you say instead? Benefits, Value, Goals

10. Traction

What does it mean? Professional validation or progress towards a desired goal or recognition.

What can you say instead? Progress, Advancement, Growth, Achievement, Momentum

Key Takeaway

Now, don't get me wrong; buzzwords and jargon can be valuable when communicating an idea to your buyer persona. Unfortunately, like any other slang, if used haphazardly (incorrectly or far too often), they begin to lose all meaning. As you and your team are developing your content, begin by writing your ideas out in simple terms. From there you can then consider adding in industry jargon or buzzwords, sparingly and strategically.