In recent years, I’ve developed a real passion for health and wellness. And boy, is that industry booming!
Everywhere you look online there seems to be another recipe for a raw, organic, sugar-free something. I particularly love this – very clever (and so true)!
In all seriousness though, I think the rise of the health and wellness industry is a wonderful thing. The Western word is obese, anxious and depressed – and we need help.
Equally wonderful is the rise of the wellness entrepreneur. In particular, there are thousands online embracing their passion, leveraging the online economy and riding the wave as health and wellness coaches. The downside for them? The market is hugely saturated. And, in a saturated market, comparisonitis is high, differentiation is hard and the whole thing becomes very same-same. When browsing in this industry, I often find myself thinking, ‘Haven’t I read this exact same ‘About’ page several times before?’
Amongst the health and wellness industry, and female entrepreneurship in general, the following words in particular have become very overused:
- Kick-ass
- Killer
- Rock star
- Fearless
- Limitless
- Empowered
- Infinite
- Radiant
- Heart-centred
- Nurturing
- And the list goes on…
Writing your own copy is hard, so the temptation is to check out what ‘the others’ are doing, which usually results in (consciously or subconsciously) imitating their content. As a result, these frequently-used words become more and more used, to the point that they start to feel a little meaningless and inauthentic.
And authenticity really is at the heart of this.
I’m absolutely not having a dig at anyone who uses these adjectives in their messaging. In fact, I’ve used some of them myself. The words themselves aren’t bad and if they accurately describe you and what you do, great! Seriously, keep on kicking ass and rocking out. But please don’t feel pressured to use them just because everyone else is.
In my own copy, for example, I describe myself as a ‘process junkie’, a ‘geek’, a ‘recovering perfectionist’ and ‘borderline obsessive.’ Cute, huh? Not exactly. But, guess what? Those words absolutely describe who I am. And they’re tied implicitly to the very character traits that allow me to serve my clients in my own uniquely-valuable way.
A couple of things to ask yourself when you’re writing your own content:
1 // If these frequently-used words really do resonate with you, how can you be really specific and put your own spin on them? Instead of describing yourself as a ‘kick-ass coach’, for example, how about a ‘coach who helps new Mums find kick-ass confidence.’ See the difference?
2 // Secondly, if the frequently-used words don’t describe you, don’t use them! Come up with your own unique adjectives instead. How about audacious, gentle, visionary, serene? The possibilities are endless, so embrace your thesaurus!
Us marketing folk bang on and on about your ‘unique selling proposition.’ But, that’s because it works. So, what’s yours? Drill down into what makes you you, express it impeccably and own it. You have to find and embody your own unique awesomeness first in order for your potential clients to see it too.
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Tell me, which words are you sick of reading?! And which adjectives best describe you?
