You’ve got your blacksmith, goldsmith, locksmith, whitesmith, and your silversmith. There’s ladysmiths and jacksmiths, songsmiths and tunesmiths. So it’s easy to see where a wordsmith fits. By definition, a wordsmith is a skilled user of words, someone who works with words. It’s more than just a writer. It’s more than a word masseuse. A wordsmith is someone who takes an ax and goes chop, chop on the words.
Wordsmithing in Action
Let’s take a short yet twiggy sentence ingrained in all content marketers when they first start this jiggity job:
Content is king.
So cliche, so overused. Plus, kings, really? The percentage of content marketers who are queens is equally on par, so why not make it more accurate.
Content is queen.
Now. Let’s toss this around with the tongue. Content is queen is not as sharp sounding as Content is king. Say it again, out loud this time, if you don’t believe me. Fine, Content is king beats out Content is queen. But still, there has to be a better way that is not so cliche, amiright?
Where were we:
Content is king.
Content is queen.
Content is king—again.
Why the regal connotation? What are we, stuck in royal wedding season limbo for all of eternity? Let’s give the Brits their crown back and go with something a bit more Americanized.
Content is apple pie.
How’s that tasting in your content marketing mouth? Good but visions of Stifler in American Pie have ruined that taste for most millennials. So let’s mix this up with some wordsmithing action.
Content is king is short and sassy.
Content rules.
Let’s back up. Take a look at Content is King. There are two things this phrase has going for it. Alliteration in the sounds of content and king, and the short punchy way it sounds.
So if we are going to recreate this phrase, we might want to stick within these grammar-ameters.
Now, where were we? Oh yes.
Content was king, but now content is cool, content is classy, content is, well, this is where wordsmiths work their magic. We need to find a new word that starts with the hard k sound that makes content even better than it already is.
Content is communicative makes a heck of a lot of sense but is not fun or fresh.
Content is…how about we take that ‘is’ out?
Content kills.
Content kisses.
Content cares.
Content is like coffee.
Content is Like Coffee. As a coffee addict, this. This fits.
Some like it hot, some like it cold, some like it strong, some like it sweet. But for content consumers, it’s an addiction. We need our content, but we all want it in our own special way. Quad soy content with an extra shot of syrup? There’s a content consumer for that. Shot in the dark? Some one for that, too.
We all like to take our content how we like it, which is why content marketers will continue to have an active role in fulfilling those content creation goals of clients. Because even if you have created the perfect slogan or blog post or headline, there’s always the next best piece of content to create for your customers. Start by working like a wondrous wordsmith that you are as a content marketer.
“Welcome. I’m the Whispering Wordsmith of the Woods, An Old Man Willow type cunning the lit forest, Disrupting textbookish writers with grammar snaps and cracks.” As a professional web content writer for small-to-medium businesses, Miranda B understands how to effectively balance technical jargon and personal brand messaging. Her content is sticky, evergreen when expected to be, and always creative. Keep ’em coming back for more, that’s Miranda’s motto!
