Today I want to talk a little about the debate around using industry-specific jargon and acronyms in your copy.
On the whole, complex industry terms can make your copy less accessible and harder to understand, especially when talking to the general public who may be complete newbies to the topic. You don’t want to insult their intelligence, but you don’t want to fly over their heads either.
Yet in some settings, chiefly B2B but sometimes B2C too, using industry-lingo in your copy will be somewhat expected – especially in more niche tech, scientific, and engineering fields. This is doubly true if you’re writing for the web and have evidence that these terms are popularly used in search.
So, what’s my advice? As with most situations, it’s important to read the room. Thorough market research is essential before you put pen to paper. Whether that’s outright asking the desired audience about their granular linguistic preferences or simply gauging how your most successful competitors portray themselves. Always do your research!
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