The Top 50 Most Overused Words in Press Releases for 2012

There are some words that initially sound good when you write them. They’re words that make you sound bigger, faster, smarter, or more appealing to your customers, prospects, and audience. Unfortunately, everyone else has exactly the same idea in mind and as a result, we end up with tired words, words that are overused, and no place is this more common than in the press release. In partnership with Marketwire, SHIFT Communications sampled 5,000 press releases from 2012 to find the most overused words. Take a look and share the graphic with your fellow communications professionals so we can start to use different words next year.

Note that just because a word is on this list doesn’t mean shouldn’t ever use it, just use it more sparingly. Just as you don’t need to dump 5 pounds of garlic on a plate of spaghetti, not every press release has to be about your leading solutions and forward-thinking global company that’s well positioned for growth and performance.

Want the full size version? Download the PDF here! If you’d like to display this on your site, please just credit SHIFT and link back here.

Want some better words for 2013? Engage SHIFT today.

Christopher S. Penn
Vice President, Marketing Technology

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