When I was in the second grade, I was growing up in New Jersey. It may sound astonishing that anyone who lived in Cherry Hill would hear such things, but that’s when I learned profanity.
My mother quickly explained that if you have to resort to cursing, it’s because you don’t have anything to say.
Now, as of lately, the word “feces” has come to mean something terrible. And as a result, when we read the word “Feces” in its slang form, it tends to catch our attention.
Why?
We don’t want to buy something terrible. And if someone was treaded badly, we want to know, so we can avoid this too.
Well, there’s a whole group of writers who study the effects of words on people, and they compile lists of these words that grab attention, because they’re trying to make money writing sales pitches for entrepreneurs.
They’ve recently realized that using the S—- word gets attention. The first to use it in almost EVERY blog post was a man who’s become synonymous with profitable blogging. He made a blog, it got a lot of attention, sold it for millions, and started another blog.
He used the S— word in every blog article shortly after I followed him. I wrote him three times about, “can you please refrain from using profanity?”
He continued. It almost seemed as if he began using it more.
So I unfollowed.
I’ve repeatedly unfollowed people when they grabbed onto using the S— word all the time.
When you’re blogging for a living, blog followers means income. Your choice of words means you lose business.
Never a good business practice to engage in words and actions that have long-term loss of income.
Here’s the reasons you should never use profanity when selling something. And if you’re tweeting or blogging as a writer, you’re selling YOU.
- There’s still a lot of people who assume that if you use foul language, you lack credibility. To swear constantly is to be taken less seriously. That’s a bottom line fact. A device often used in low-brow comedy is to take a distinguished character in a movie and as the movie winds to the climax, for that distinguished person to curse. Why is it funny? It’s a rapid disconnect, a surprise. But now you don’t see them the same way. Since I don’t use foul language, I’m going to appear to have more credibility than you. if it comes down to hiring either you or me for a major project, all things equal, and you curse and I don’t… I’m going to seem more professional. I get the job. You lose.
- It’s a loss of revenue. Choosing to eliminate any portion of the paying public deliberately from buying your products right at the outset is a bad business decision.
- People you offend will never buy again. Profanity offends. Grasp that. In this world where the offense of anyone becomes headlines, you’re setting yourself up for failure. There’s a word that sells, too BTW – Failure.
- Loss of integrity – as a writer, your credibility (in an industry not noted for it) is like currency. Once you spend it, it is gone forever. Use of the S— word reduces credibility – and that translates into integrity automatically. Studios like working with someone who keeps their word and is easy to work with. Profanity reduces that, and gives the appearance of being hostile. When it comes down to studios deciding between the Ninja shark movie and the Maltese Dalmatian movie, the one with more credibility is chosen. “I don’t know if I want to work with the other guy” or “You really want to work with him?” is not something as a writer you want hanging around your neck.
- You eliminate a portion of your market immediately. Never, never, never cut off a portion of your market. Never, never, never.
Bottom line – your characters may curse. You should not in your tweets, posts, blog articles, nonfiction articles, or interviews.
Unless you want me to get all the job opportunities.
Do you want that?
