Every now and then a word gets into my bad books.

At the moment, it’s ‘benefits’.

This is a shame, because it’s not such a bad word and originally meant a kind deed or something well done. Then one day people like me got hold of it. Copywriters grabbed it, bundled it together with ‘features’ and tossed both into copy for brochures, press releases and other marketing and PR materials.

The kind, friendly element was drowned by the dressing to ensure the ‘you must buy it because it’ll be so good for you’ message always got through. ”Forget features, sell the benefits,” people say.

The more I look at the original meaning, the more I like the word. Perhaps what I don’t like is the approach to marketing that reduces everything to a formula, which when applied automatically tends to fall flat. (Thinks back to weigh up own guilt.)

Another use of the word, to describe state social security payments, hasn’t helped either. With a stronger attachment to the failure of government systems rather than the relief given to genuine claimants, the poor word doesn’t stand a chance.

Now I regret it being in my bad books. I want to like benefits again and restore its benign impact, but this means working harder to find better ways of talking about features and _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .

z2zine next: If a picture can paint a thousands words . . .

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One of the disadvantages of being a copywriter is having to wade through so much material to produce a piece of writing that means something and which people will want to read. I’m doing some research at the moment and whatever I read seems to take far too long to get to the point. It’s not as if I’m reading a novel where the scene has to be set or a play where the atmosphere has to be created: this is business.

There is a temptation, especially when an argument is a bit shaky and there is not sufficient evidence to back a point, to write more words in the hope that repeating it will convince the reader. It’s a bit like repeatedly shouting the same words at someone who does not speak your language in the futile hope that repetition and volume will force them to understand.

For busy people who are looking for information fast, clear and simple is best.

Of course, this can be complicated by the needs of internet search engine optimisation which can require keywords to be included in online content for the sake of technology, not the reader. There are also techniques to increase recognition of a brand or an argument through using repetition.

Such writing techniques require balance. Text written purely in keywords will sound like someone who’s swallowed a product catalogue, while aimless repetition of a point will sound like the cries of a market trader. Crude use of these techniques will turn readers away as the text won’t sound natural.

However clever a writer wants to be, if there are too many unnecessary words, the reader will tire and stop reading.

After yesterday’s blog, what have you done to progress your marketing and communications today?

z2zine tomorrow: public sector dehumanising language

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People used to be known by their job titles. I started as a Reservations Agent, becoming a Senior Reservations Agent after six months.

Then I became a Sales Information Officer. Was I in the army? No, along with a colleague, I constructed and wrote 7,000 screens of marketing and sales copy for a British Airways brochure site on Prestel (remember it?); today we’d call it a web site.

Next I was a Quality Monitoring Analyst, which I quickly changed to Communications Executive. In this role I presented data in swanky new graphics packages and wrote business reports presented to the BA board.

Responding to an advert in the Guardian media section, I joined an international law firm as an Editorial Assistant. Who did I assist? Me. I arrived to an empty desk, went out and bought some Apple Macs and established a publishing operation producing law magazines, booklets and books for the firm’s global clientele.

What am I now? Well, I combine all that experience and more, but I can’t call myself a Sales Information Communications Copywriter Editor Proofreader Project Managing Officer Executive Partner.

Few job titles describe what a person does accurately. This isn’t helpful when people ask what you do and want a one word answer.

I often describe myself as a copywriter, although this is only one element of what I get up to, as words involve me with editing, proofreading, public relations, marketing, print, the internet and more. Saying you do a bit of this, some of that and more besides just confuses people.

Of course, each one of us is more than a job title and what’s best is not to be known as that copywriter chap but as the one and only robertz, just as you are the one and only you.

After yesterday’s blog, have you planned your PR programme for the months or year ahead?

z2zine tomorrow: Cut, cut and cut again

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