“Hey Brad, what’s the CTR on that omnichannel growth hacking infographic?”
“Gee, Sally, I don’t know. Is that part of the remarketing campaign we designed the storyscape for last week?”
Tell you a secret…
I fucking strongly dislike jargon.
Mainly because I can never remember it all. At meetings, I sometimes need to Google to remind myself what it means, so I’m sat there looking up business-speak on my phone instead of joining the conversation. (“What’s a vertical? I forgot…”)
Makes me feel like the only kid in the gang who has to check Urban Dictionary to find out what “Netflix and chill” really means. đ
But I’m gonna set aside my personal issues with jargon for now, and focus on giving you exactly what the title of this post promises: your ultimate guide to when and how to use jargon in freelance blogging, and when to avoid it entirely.
Just in case we’re not on the same page yet, jargon is specialist language used by a specific group or type of person, often in a business or academic setting.
And part of what defines it as jargon is the fact that it only makes sense to the specialists who already know and use it.
In other words, most people on the planet *don’t* use it and have no idea what it means.
So, first of all, the golden rule is simple:
Avoid Jargon Unless You’re Writing for its Users
Yep, just don’t do it. Purposely choose not to use any jargon, and don’t let it slip into your posts by accident.
What to do instead?
Use other words â REAL words that normal people use â to describe whatever you want to say.
If you’re not sure whether you’re using jargon or not, there’s an easy way to check:
- Show your post to other humans if you have willing volunteers.
- Ask them to tell you if anything sounds weird or isn’t immediately clear.
- Then change those words or phrases to simpler ones.
You don’t get a free pass if you can’t find any volunteers, either. Just read it out loud to yourself, and change anything that an average 14-year-old wouldn’t understand.
And…
…that’s it.
I hope you enjoyed your Ultimate Guide to jargon in freelance blogging!
(Nah, I’m joking. I’ve got more for you…)
When *Should* You Use Jargon?
When you’re writing for an audience of experts who know, use, and expect to read this specific set of jargon.
Oh, yeah, there are lots of different collections of jargon.
One for each stream and substream of the sciences, like astrophysics or genetics or neuropsychology.
One for each industry, and different roles inside industries: mechanics, hairstylists, window fitters, McDonalds crew members… until you feel dizzy, and then there are still more!
Luckily, you don’t need to know ANY of this jargon to enjoy an awesome freelance blogging career.
If you ever need to write a post for a specialist audience, you can just research their particular set of jargon before you start writing.
So here’s something to always ask a client before you start working on a project:
Is this for a specialist audience? Do you want me to avoid using jargon, or explain any jargon that I use?”
If they say they want jargon included, then you can hit up Google for a vocabulary guide, or ask to talk to a member of the client’s team to learn more.
Use Jargon with Explanations
This is the only way to be sure that even people who aren’t specialists will be able to understand any jargon you include in your posts. Here’s how it works:
- You write the post and feel free to use jargon appropriate to the topic.
- After finalising the post content, you go back and explain each jargon word or phrase once, the first time it’s used in your post.
- Not sure how to add your explanations? You can simply insert them in parentheses (those curved symbols around an add-on phrase or sentence, like this one).
Using jargon and then having to explain every piece of it at least once per post gets pretty damn tiresome after a while, though, so you might still want to keep the jargon to a minimum.
Use Common Jargon and Explain the Rest
This is a way to short-cut past explaining most of the jargon in your writing, if you actually *need* to use jargon.
So what you do is:
- Establish a minimum level of jargon awareness for your audience. What jargon do they use so often that they’ve actually forgotten all other ways to express those ideas? (If you don’t know: Ask the client!)
- Write your post and feel free to use appropriate jargon.
- After finalising the post content, go back and explain ONLY the jargon that isn’t on your list of “jargon this audience already uses”.
This is how I write stuff for some of my tech clients. They feel that *not* using any jargon would make them sound like amateurs, and explaining all the jargon would make the post clunky and condescending. So I explain only the jargon that more than half their audience might be unfamiliar with, and that strikes a reasonable balance.
OK, this time I’m finished for realz.
With the guidelines above, you should have no trouble figuring out whether or not to include jargon in your posts, and how to use it if you’re definitely going to include it.
So now, it’s your turn…
We Want to Hear YOUR Ideas
In case youâre not familiar, Pitchfest is a blog post pitching contest we run here on Be a Freelance Blogger every three months. You tell us your blog post idea and we choose our favorites, with prizes of up to $100 for the winners.
The contest starts today.
Your Theme for This Pitchfest
This time weâre looking for pitches on the theme of âjargon in X niche / topic / industryâ.
Your pitch can be based around any niche, topic, or industry you choose. All we want you to do is plan a post for our audience of freelance bloggers, in which you’ll explain some jargon that’s useful for them to know.
And we’re defining “useful” as anything that meets at least 1 of these 4 targets:
- Help freelance bloggers run their businesses.
- Help freelance bloggers grow their businesses.
- Help freelance bloggers serve their clients better.
- Help freelance bloggers write better posts for their clients’ audiences.
You could share your personal knowledge of the jargon of a job role you’ve filled before, or talk to a specialist in some field or other to find out what jargon they use, or research a specific industry’s jargon online.
Weâre looking forward to seeing what YOU come up with.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Your pitch must be focused on serving our audience of freelance bloggers. Whatever idea you present to us HAS to benefit freelance bloggers in some way, and we need to see that benefit explained in your pitch.
The Rules
- Anybody can enter the contest by typing (or pasting) their pitch into the comments box at the bottom of this page.
- Only ONE PITCH per person, please.
- Follow the pitch format Iâll tell you in a moment.
- After you submit your pitch, Lauren and/or I will offer feedback to help you optimize your idea for this blogâs audience and improve your pitching skills. You may also get feedback from other entrants, BAFB team members, and innocent bystanders â pay attention, because they represent your readers here.
- After you get our feedback, you can revise your pitch if you like and re-submit it by pasting it into a follow-up comment. And yes, that means you can offer us a completely different idea if weâve told you your first idea definitely wonât work for this blog.
- If you win, weâll ask you to send us a draft of at least 1000 words, so bear that minimum word count in mind when you pitch.
The prizes
- First prize: $100 for your guest post, paid via PayPal on publication.
- Second prize: $50 for your guest post, paid via PayPal on publication.
- Third prize: A “flash mentoring” session â 20 minutes with Sophie via IM.
The deadline
- Submit your pitch before the end of Saturday, September 29th, 2018.
- Weâll announce the winners on October 6th, 2018.
- If we choose your pitch, we expect you to deliver your first draft to Lauren by October 31st (spooky!). But if you need a little longer, let us know and weâll work around it.
How to pitch
- Read our general guest blogging guidelines first, then come back here to submit your pitch.
- Suggest at least one headline designed to make freelance bloggers want to read your post.
- Follow the headline with the opening lines youâd use in the post. No less than 30 words, no more than 60. You DONâT need to write a whole post (or even a whole introduction) before you pitch â weâd like to give you feedback on your idea before you write a draft.
- After the opening lines, give us no more than 6 points youâll make in your post, and provide a one or two sentence summary of each point. If you plan to make more than 6 points in your post (and we expect you might, if you’re creating a guide to jargon words and phrases), only tell us the most important 6 in your pitch.
- Then explain in no more than 3 sentences why this is a great post for Be a Freelance Blogger and why youâre the right person to write it.
- Put your pitch in the comment box at the bottom of this page.
- Check the little box that says âNotify me of follow-up commentsâ so youâll know when weâve given you feedback.
- Submit your comment and if you followed all the steps above, youâre entered into the contest.
Extra tips
- Itâs a good idea to explain how your pitch reflects the theme weâve set for you â unless itâs blindingly obvious, in which case you can probably assume weâll see the connection without extra signposting.
- Remember to tell us why you think your idea will interest the people who read Be a Freelance Blogger.
- To get a better sense of what weâre looking for in your pitch, study the pitches and responses in previous Pitchfests.
- Save a copy of your pitch somewhere before you post it here â if your comment gets lost in the internet, you donât wanna have to re-write it from scratch.
- Your comment may get held in a moderation queue, especially if it contains hyperlinks. Donât worry if that happens; weâll get to it and reply!
OK, itâs time.
Let the Pitchfest begin! (this contest is now closed)
Lynlee Kuznoff says
Tree Way
I was watching YouTube last night and I canât undwestand half of what the entertainment business is talking about, this largon they use is a bit much. And even though they have nothing but name brand products you canât understand a word coming out of their mouth, so I do believe we are being taken over by clones. I want to talk about the real world jargon or slang that is used every day by different types of ppl also donât you think you would rather spend money on products that last rather than what the famous ppl have on and only wear once. I need something real ppl wear in the real world not for a song or photo shoot! And what does six nine mean when he keeps screaming tree way?
Sophie Lizard says
I have NO IDEA…
Lauren Tharp, BAFB Managing Editor says
I was watching YouTube last night and I canât undwestand half of what the entertainment business is talking about, this largon they use is a bit much.
Hmm. Yes. Niche YouTubers and people in the entertainment industry will often use jargon that’s only relevant to their particular audience. Go on…
And even though they have nothing but name brand products you canât understand a word coming out of their mouth, so I do believe we are being taken over by clones.
Intriguing. Is mumbling and jargon-slinging a sign someone’s a clone? I had no idea!
I want to talk about the real world jargon or slang that is used every day by different types of ppl
Totally. Some slang is definitely more obscure than others. I think it’s partially a generational thing too though.
also donât you think you would rather spend money on products that last rather than what the famous ppl have on and only wear once.
Totally. I love quality products that last!
I need something real ppl wear in the real world not for a song or photo shoot!
Yeah. A lot of the makeup they use for photoshoots doesn’t look good for everyday use (too thick). And a lot of those outfits they wear are modified for the camera (pins in the back to cinch in the waist, etc.)
And what does six nine mean when he keeps screaming tree way?
Well, it sounds to me like he’s demanding at least two-thirds of a sexual threeway move into what’s known as the “69” position. But I’m not entirely sure why. Wouldn’t that mean someone gets left out and is just sitting there watching, rather than participating? I mean… I’m no kink shamer. If that’s your thing, then go for it. It just doesn’t sound fun to me personally.
So…uh… what exactly was your pitch? :\
Frank Spear says
YouTube…Tree Way….REAL products.. six nine..Celebrities….Screaming….Clones…
I really hope this wins at least third place. I want to read the article on this…
Lauren Tharp, BAFB Managing Editor says
Yeah. You would. Weirdo. ;P (My future husband, lurking in the comments, Ladies and Gentlemen lol).
While I agree that the comment writer could only benefit from Sophie’s mentoring (3rd place prize), I don’t think their topic is quite a good fit for BAFB. Also: I wouldn’t do that to Sophie. lol. I feel bad thinking of her attempting to one-on-one mentor the person (or clone?!) who wrote that comment.
Karizma Sorto says
âHow to not freak out, when your child with mental and/or emotional disabilities has a tantrum in public.â
Sophie Lizard says
This could be the *title* of a blog post… If you’d like to enter the contest, we’ll need to see an outline as described in the instructions above.
Lauren Tharp, BAFB Managing Editor says
Catchy title. But I’m pretty sure it has nothing to do with our niche (freelance blogging).
Anonymous says
Also, we can tailor this post to suit a specific industry. This is a general pitch for general writing. We can talk more about jargon in the next post.
Jargon for a niche industry does not have to be as fancy as you think.
Please let me know if you like this alternative idea as an eye-catching title for this contest.
Thanks
Sophie Lizard says
We’re looking for posts specifically designed to help our audience of freelance bloggers, so general advice for general writing isn’t specific enough. And the theme is “jargon in X niche or industry” so you kinda need to do your talking about jargon in *this* post. đ
Nicolas Ayala says
HEADLINE:
Understanding 10 Screenwriting Jargon Terms and How They Can Help You Be a Better Freelance Blogger.
OPENING LINES:
From the Slugline to the Fade Out, screenwriters have an extensive lingo for a wide array of concepts they carefully use in their stories that make them effective and compelling. We can learn a lot from their ability to create films out of words and engage with audiences through captivating narrative devices, although they can often get a bit confusing.
KEY POINTS:
6. Dramatic Beats
No, not an intense pair of headphones. The word âbeatâ has two meanings in film: it indicates a short pause between lines of dialogue and, most importantly, it denotes a single action that represents a specific behavior in a character. Adapting this term to our writing helps us become clearer with our work, develop concision and create a dynamic flow that moves our readers.
5. The Blow
Every story, comedic or not, needs a punchline that lives up to its premise. This entry focuses on emphasizing the heart of our blogs (and screenplays) without becoming too bland or losing the appeal.
4. Puke Draft
Every freelance blogger has written a puke draft. Donât worry. It has nothing to do with any kind of intoxication. A puke draft is that first uncontrolled release of ideas and inspiration that a writer needs to liberate in order to start warming up the engines. It is the culmination of the fight against the blank page.
3. Fridge Joke
Screenwriters use this term for those jokes that go over the audienceâs head at first, but land when they get home and absentmindedly open their fridge. Freelance bloggers want that lasting effect in their work, and can learn to develop it without missing the mark at the first moment.
2. Nakamura
This is what can happen if the previous screenwriting device goes wrong. In words of TV writer Bill Prady, âa Nakamura is a running gag that fails to runâ. What can freelance bloggers learn from NOT falling into this mistake? Identifying their audience/client. A blogger that finds creative ways to deliver effective proofs of their skill will not rely on just one or a few aspects of their writing, but in their ability to create high-quality pieces that stand on their own as a whole.
1. Character Arc
The character arc is the transformation of a character throughout the story, from the very beginning to the very end. Although not particularly evident, the essence of this term is remarkably important in freelance blogging. How you present a written piece from start to finish will leave a specific impression on your readers and your clients. This is what differentiates the writers from the non-writers.
WHY IS THIS POST RELEVANT? WHY SHOULD I WRITE IT?
This post draws valuable lessons and useful information from a neighbor industry: screenwriting. All writers benefit from taking a look at all the different ways of going about their craft. I am a filmmaker by profession and a writer by passion, and I am fixated on finding those little details that can take writers from good to great.
Sophie Lizard says
I chuckled at your first point – “not an intense pair of headphones” – which is always a good sign. đ
Yep, I like this. You’ve got jargon definitions that will help people to blog about screenwriting and related stuff… and at the same time, the post as a whole will share approaches to writing that some freelance bloggers might not have tried before. Nice idea, well pitched!
Lauren Tharp, BAFB Managing Editor says
So long as the focus is kept tight on freelance blogging, I think this is fantastic. đ
T.N. Cheshire says
Why Jargon can be a Treacherous Game for Freelance Bloggers (and how to win)
(The 6 points are highlighted with asterisks).
An explanation of the types of jargon and how to integrate them into your blog and articles.
There is jargon and there is jargon. We know, basically, what jargon is but did you know that *jargon fits into two categories more basic than the fields in which it is used?*
I’m a veteran Chef turned Culinary Blogger. I know culinary jargon like the back of my hand. I can speak it and spell it. Like scientific jargon, culinary jargon *has been cultivated over decades and even centuries.*
And I can spot a phony from a mile away. *One little slip and it’s absolutely evident that this person is faking it.* Why should I believe anything else they have to say?
IT jargon is still new. It represents the other type of jargon. Many companies invent their own jargon for similar reasons to the one behind IT. *Jargon is, for them, a combination of clarification and speaking in code.* Even they don’t all have it right. New terms are still being invented, so no one has to say ‘the thingamajig’ or ‘that little card/chip sort of thing.’
*Also, jargon sounds more professional to clients,* who don’t need to suspect that at times the IT person has no idea what he or she is doing. Such a suspicion would be bad for business and is grounded in truth fairly often.
Once you establish that your client wants jargon, your challenges are
Learning what kind of jargon is in question, historic or new.
*Finding a way to integrate jargon into your articles in a way that will not send ‘red flags’ to important and experienced people that indicate you are faking it.* Because that is bad for your business.
Let’s have a look at how to do this…
Understanding the proper use of jargon is critical for bloggers!
Sophie Lizard says
When you say “Let’s have a look at how to do this,” that’s the part of your post that we want to know about. But you’ve already used your 6 points before we got there!
Feel free to resubmit a revised pitch with clear points explaining a jargon lexicon and how to use it in freelance blogging. đ
(Also, side note: IT jargon has been in iterative and innovative development since the industrial revolution, and culinary jargon is still evolving too. I’m not convinced that there’s such a big difference between the two in that respect.)
Lauren Tharp, BAFB Managing Editor says
Yeah… This one isn’t going to work as a pitch the way it stands now. Definitely needs to be resubmitted to be considered.
Angela Johnson says
Headline: How to use the âLingoâ when freelance blogging to Special Needs Families
Opening lines: Being a parent of two special needs children, one thing I had to do was learn the language. The terminology when writing blogs specifically geared to SN families is important. There are words and abbreviations â case in point SN that we use on a regular. Not being familiar with the common ones will leave you lost in translation.
Six Points:
1. IEP â Individualized Education Plan. This abbreviation is the most common with SN families. Each child will have an IEP set up once they hit public school and it is imperative to know the details of each plan.
2. SN â Special Needs. Who really wants to type of special needs all the time? This is just a short and quick way to refer to us or our kids.
3. Accommodation â modifications made to curriculum or instructions that are tailored to your childâs development.
4. Advocate â Representative. An advocate is a person that speaks on behalf of the child. It can be the parent or someone from an outside agency that is trying to get services or accommodations for the child.
5. High Functioning â This means that the child is not severely delayed. Your child may have a diagnosis but can still do most tasks as asked.
6. ESY â Extended School Year. Once the regular school year is over, some kids need some extra time to grasp certain skills. This is like summer school but for SN children.
Blogging for families with SN you must know the lingo. I can have conversations with other SN parents and we just âget it.â This is new terrain for some and if you donât know the jargon you can get easily confused.
Sophie Lizard says
This is a good topic choice. I’m a little concerned that you might not have 1000 words’ worth of content based on this outline, though. Will you add more detailed advice for freelance bloggers in your draft, based on personal experience?
Angela says
Pitchfest Theme â Jargon for Special Needs Families
Headline: How to use the âLingoâ when freelance blogging to Special Needs Families
Opening lines: Being a parent of two special needs children, one thing I had to do was learn the language. The terminology when writing blogs specifically geared to SN families is important. There are words and abbreviations â case in point SN that we use on a regular. Not being familiar with the common ones will leave you lost in translation.
Six Points:
1. IEP â Individualized Education Plan. You will have to know what an IEP is and the general concept of how it works. When a SN child enters the education system (public school) the IEP is created to provide a tailored learning plan specifically for your child. Your first IEP meeting can be an intimidating process. There are several horror stories associated with them. As a parent, you must educate yourself even with the âjargonâ associated with the IEP to be the voice your child needs to get a quality education.
2. SN â Special Needs. Who really wants to type special needs all the time? This is just a short and quick way to refer to us or our kids. SN is a broad abbreviation that encompasses all disabilities. This is also used as an identifying marker to get entrance to an exclusive club of families that support and encourage one another.
3. Accommodation â modifications made to curriculum or instructions that are tailored to your childâs development. You will hear this a lot in the IEP meetings. The accommodations made are crucial for your childâs development. Even when your child is enrolled in EIS (Early Intervention Services â varies by state) accommodations will be discussed to ensure those early year therapies are in place to ensure proper development. Not having the accurate accommodations for your child can lead to severe delays once the child enters mainstream schooling.
4. Advocate â Representative. An advocate is a person that speaks on behalf of the child. It can be the parent or someone from an outside agency that is working with you to get services or accommodations for the child. You can request an advocate an any local agency or if you know someone that is familiar with the laws and processes of the IEP that can be your voice when you are first starting out or you just donât understand it all.
5. High Functioning â This means that the child is not severely delayed. Your child may have a diagnosis but can still do most tasks as asked. My oldest daughter has autism but she is considered high functioning. She is in a regular high school with an IEP so she has accommodations to fit her needs. Most schools have what is called âinclusionâ (yes more jargon) and that is when the SN student is in a classroom with non-SN children. There is usually a SN teacher in the room making sure the SN kids stay on task and can follow along with the work given.
6. ESY â Extended School Year. Once the regular school year is over, some kids need some extra time to grasp certain skills. This is like summer school but for SN children. This doesnât mean your child is behind in any way. It just means that your child will benefit from a year long educational structure. Some kids will forget what they learned during summer break and teachers spend the beginning of the year playing catch up. Also, this is helpful with kids that receive ABA therapy. ABA means applied behavior analysis. This therapy helps reinforce positive behaviors, teach social skills, how to respond to peer to peer interactions just to name a few.
Blogging for families with SN you must know the lingo. I can have conversations with other SN parents and we just âget it.â This is new terrain for some and if you donât know the speak you can get easily confused. Blogs that teach âjargonâ would have been wonderful in the beginning phase of my process because I didnât know much and was totally confused even in just speaking with veteran parents. To be honest having a SN child opens you up to a new world and learning a new language. It can be intimidating for sure.
Lauren Tharp, BAFB Managing Editor says
Hmm. Now I’m concerned that the second comment is the full draft. :\
Angela says
I added more content because I thought that was asked of me. I honestly can write an entire book about the subject because it is my life 24/7. I am not sure what you require but this is my first time doing all of this. What do you suggest I do differently?
John says
Here are 5 Ways to Drive More Traffic to Your Blog
Most freelance blogger beginners have no idea on how to get more traffic to their blogs. They write great post but no one reads them. They create a mailing list with only their friends in it. Finally, 90% of them give up and return to their 9 â 5 job even though it sucks.
All they need is traffic to their blog and a great content thatâs relevant to their audience. Thatâs why I think this post will be important to beginners and even other intermediate and experienced bloggers.
Key Points
– Article marketing
How to select the right forum to publish your article.
How to format your article
– Stealing Traffic from Other Blogs
In every market has big players; blogs that has high traffic. One of the ways to get
traffic to your blog as a beginner is to steal traffic from these sites. I will show them
how.
– Online Forums/Discussion Groups
Every niche has online forums/discussion groups. I will show bloggers how to get
traffic from these forums.
– Social Media
This is another free and efficient way to get traffic, but most beginners have no idea
how to use social media as traffic generator. What if I show them how? Most of
them will never go back to their 9 â 5 jobs!
All the above methods are freeâŚwhich makes great sense to me because most beginners have no money for paid traffic.
Sophie Lizard says
So. Off. Target.
We’re looking for pitches on the theme of “jargon in X niche or industry”.
Lauren Tharp, BAFB Managing Editor says
What Sophie said.
Jay Keens says
HEADLINE:
How to Avoid Online Cons in Your Freelance Blogging Business
OPENING LINE:
The world has become a global village indeed, thanks to the continuous increase in the online workforce. Some join the online workforce by sending proposals to short, simple deadline tasks advertised by potential clients on freelance websites while others build their own blogs and use them to cold-pitch. In all these, there are cons that you need to be wary of as a freelance blogger starting out in their business.
KEY POINTS
6: Promise you heaven in short periods of time/simple tasks.
It is not a surprise to meet a client/clients who will want to offer you exorbitant amounts of pay for less work done like let’s say $1000 for 500-word article. Such clients lure you with the bait of a very good pay that even violates policies of most freelance websites. Keep off such adverts to protect your business.
5: Target New Freelance Bloggers
The word new in the freelance world, many a time gives the impression of still lacking in experience, learning or trying to get into the real freelance stuff. As such, cons are known to target new freelance bloggers while sugar coating their trickery with the impression that they are welcoming to new freelance writers and bloggers. Once you fall into their trap, they overwork you and disappear into thin air with no pay for you.
4. Have Several Communication Channels with Different Respondents.
In life and any endeavor, communication is key to drive key decisions forward and help people work as a team without duplication of each other’s roles. However, cons have devised a way of using several communication channels such that it becomes difficult to follow up a case whenever it emerges. Beware.
3. Glaring Grammatical Errors in their Communication
Human is to error and there is no doubt about that. Unfortunately for cons, sometimes their grammatical errors are quite conspicuous and when you feel your heart skipping a mighty bit over glaring grammatical errors in their texts, then it is time to flee before your goose gets cooked.
2. To them, a Downpayment or Paid Trial Article is a Big No
Genuine clients will usually be ready to listen to your end of the bargain and see whether both of you can be able to bridge that gap by meeting at a mid-point. They may agree to a downpayment which should be refunded if you fail to deliver quality and be up to the task. Also, they will be ready to offer you a paid trial article that becomes a win-win situation for both of you. If you prove your worth you get paid, if not, the opposite is true.
1. Act like Professionals to Clear any Suspicions
There is a difference between being a professional and acting like one. However, for starters, this might be quite difficult to know. Nevertheless, if you have already come across the above points then you won’t need extra proof to know that you are dealing with a con.
Sophie Lizard says
This isn’t related to the contest theme. Care to try again?
(Side note: if you treat clients like their grammatical slip-ups are a sign they can’t be trusted, you’ll alienate all the people who wanted to hire you because they aren’t writers themselves…)
Sue Chehrenegar says
I am not sure what sort of guide you have in mind. Below you will find one example of a blog post that I wrote, one in which I did use some jargon. I wanted to help those women that had to arrive at an answer for their doctor, regarding how to proceed with a treatment procedure.
An Added Tool in the Effort to Treat Breast Cancer
At one time, a woman with breast cancer had to deal with the fact that she would be losing at least one of her breasts. Now, surgeons prefer to carry out a lumpectomy, in hopes of removing all of the malignant tissue. Still, the tissue removed during a lumpectomy does have to undergo a careful examination of the same tissueâs margins.
What are the margins? Those are the lines of normal cells that surround the malignant tissues. Following a lumpectomy, the removed tissue gets treated with a special ink, and then it is analyzed under a microscope. That analysis should show whether or not any cancer cells can be found in the region adjacent to the margin. If the laboratory workers make such a finding, then the doctor orders a re-excision.
The laboratory finding reveals the âmargin statusâ of the region where the lump was surgically removed. The laboratory technicianâs findings disclose whether or not some malignant cells may remain in the patientâs body. By ordering a re-excision, the doctor expects to ensure removal of those remaining cells. (1) Still, that second operation can introduce more than one unwanted factor.
For example, a womanâs emotional response to the need for a second operation can pose a problem. After going through one operation, most women dread the thought of going through another. Sometimes a femaleâs fear of what might happen gets mixed with the fact that a second operation seems certain to increase the cost of the treatment. In addition, the additional operation could well aid introduction of a cosmetic problem.
All of those factors underline the reason why doctors and women welcome the appearance of a new tool by which to guide those charged with performing the lump-removal process. That new tool is called digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT). DBT simplifies the process of planning for surgery, when that procedure entails performance of a lumpectomy. While mammography can be used to outline the suspected margins, it proves most useful, when combined with DBT.
Any tool that can assist with determination of the margin status helps to demonstrate the likelihood of local recurrence. In light of the fact that local recurrence, following a lumpâs removal should be minimized, the value of the DBT becomes quite clear. It decreases the chances that a woman and her family might have to deal with one of the factors that are closely linked to the need for a re-excision.
Unfortunately, even DBT cannot do away with the less than clear laboratory finding that is known as close margins. Findings of that nature reveal the absence of clear positive or negative margins. In other words, the lab work fails to show whether or not no cancer cells can be found in the stained tissue, or if any cancer cells extend out to the edge of that same tissue.
At times when a laboratory announces that a marginâs closeness cannot be determined with certainty, then the medical team must make the final decision. Obviously, the task of making that decision becomes less of a burden, if DBT has been used during the presurgical examination. That is why both women and doctors welcome the appearance of the new presurgical tool called digital breast tomosynthesis.
Resources consulted:
(1) http://www.auntminnie.com/index.aspx?Sec=rca&Sub=ecr_2017&Pag=dis&ItemId=116748
Lauren Tharp, BAFB Managing Editor says
Sophie’s side note is a GREAT tip, and could probably be turned into a BAFB post. Not for this contest, obviously, because it isn’t related to the theme; but yeah… I could definitely see that side note as a subhead in a post about “red flags” that aren’t actually red. Pink, maybe?
Sue Chehrenegar says
Times When a Blogger Could Use Jargon While Writing in the Biotechnology or Pharmaceutical Niche
If you do not know some basic facts about your body, you will have trouble staying healthy. If you lack an understanding of available treatments for your malady, you will struggle to find a cure.
When to use word for process, once it has been defined. Mention process if it has been found to have some commercial value.
Define and use scientific term if that helps reader to formulate or strengthen an opinion.
Define and use scientific term if reader benefits from obtaining a greater familiarity with same term.
Define and use scientific term if it helps consumers to appreciate a new technology tool.
Define and use scientific term if is helps consumers to make a choice, when dealing with an illness or a disorder.
Define and use scientific term when readers seek answer to problem and term refers to solution
I love to take scientific facts and to make them more understandable. In the past, I have written some articles for children, in which I talked about a scientific phenomenon. I am a former blogger with an MS in biomedical research.
Sophie Lizard says
I kinda feel like all 6 of your points can be summarised as: define and use jargon when it helps the reader. Which is definitely true, but not gonna fill a 1000-word blog post.
Given your background, I’d love to see an actual guide to which jargon to use for biotech posts, and what it all means.
Lauren Tharp, BAFB Managing Editor says
Yeah. Same. What Sophie said. An MS in biomedical research sounds really fancypants, and I’d bet you have a lot of great facts to share!
Sue Chehrenegar says
How to Use Jargon in the Biotechnology or Pharmaceutical Niche?
If you do not know some basic facts about your body, you will have trouble staying healthy. If you lack an understanding of available treatments for your malady, you will struggle to find a cure.
Still, a blog post that has an overabundance of jargon can confuse the reader. Then its facts do not serve much of a purpose. Here is a guide to a few times when a well-defined example of jargon has managed to be of some help to the postâs reader.
Some scientific terms refer to a process. Today, certain products used by homemakers feature utilization of a biologic process. The detergents used in dishwashers serve as an example of such a product.
Present-day dishwashing detergents contain enzymes. Enzymes can catalyze a process and cause it to take place at a faster rate. Enzymes in detergents attach to food on dirty dishes and speed the rate at which that food disintegrates.
Familiar examples of jargon
Some jargon terms get used so often that the public views them as familiar words. The phrase generic drug belongs on a list of such terms. A generic drug has the same effective ingredients as a brand name medication. Only the fillers are different.
Because the public has become so familiar with the term generic drug, a pharmacist can use that phrase when speaking to a customer. The pharmacist does not try to hide the difference between a brand name and a generic medication.
Women that seek a treatment for breast cancer stand to benefit from an understanding of some jargon. For instance, any treatment becomes more effective when the cancer gets detected at an early stage. Hence, it helps for women to learn about new diagnostic tools.
One new tool promises to help with locating a tissueâs margins. Those are lines of normal cells that surround malignant tissues. A new tool aids identification of any cancer cells in the margins of the tissues extracted from a lumpectomy.
What can women gain by learning about margins and the new tool, DBT? Utilization of that tool can put an end to concerns about the need for another surgical procedure. In addition, it can remove the need for a second operation, a time when a cosmetic problem could enter the picture.
Less familiar examples of jargon
Women that have mothers or sisters with a history of breast cancer have special concerns. Some special words can help them to address those concerns. Recent research has disclosed information about variants. Those are DNA-based differences that can prevent completion of a noteworthy operation.
A fragment of the material inside the cellâs nucleus, something called micro RNA let 7 is supposed to bind to a variant called kras. If it does not, the tested woman stands at risk for developing breast cancer. Laboratories can test for the presence of variants by using PCR, or by sequencing a patientâs DNA.
Finally, certain jargon terms can be used to improve the blog post that gets directed to a particular audience. In January of 2018, a publication for members of the marine catering industry wanted information on detecting diseased fish. It hoped to learn about an easy way to discover a certain infection in tropical fish.
The woman that had been writing blog posts for that publication had to use some jargon, in order to illustrate the nature of her clientâs request. Even diagnostic kits for fish cannot be created overnight. It takes time to grow the cells and extract the tell-tale protein from the infectious agent.
That protein gets attached to something called an indicator. If the tested subject contains a certain protein, it will bind with that indicator. The chemical change in the indicator then signals the presence of the protein-of-interest.
Experts in marine catering may have no interest in diagnostic kits. Still, their desire for a way to detect diseased fish in a rapid manner underscores their need to learn some of the kit-related jargon.
Haruna Fujita says
Hi Sophie, Lauren, and BAFB Community! This is my idea for the pitchfest.
HEADLINE:
A. How to Give Your Clients More Value and Trust by Cutting Through These 6 Stupefying Business Jargon Groups
B. How These 6 Confusing Jargons are Affecting Your Writing Quality And Business
C. 6 most stupefying/confusing/befuddling client jargons and what they really mean
OPENING LINES: Do you sometimes wish people would just cut to the chase and tell you what they REALLY want? Imagine if you could stop guessing what your clients mean when they say they expected ârobust resultsâ or if you didnât have to Google âHNRI meaningâ ever again. You see, jargons, those squiggly filler words everyoneâs walking around with, blunts our communication.
SIX STUPEFYING JARGON GROUPS (In each group, Iâll give 3 to 5 most common but cloudy jargons, what they really mean when used, and what to use instead so the message is clear.)
1. The Cost-Driven Group â Iâll list the jargons used most commonly in Sales and Marketing.
2. The Bleeding-Edge Tech Group â Here Iâll give the common jargons people use to describe their businesses or the results they want. Examples are âclosing the loopâ, âblue-sky thinkingâ and âstreamlineâ.
3. The Elevator Talk Group â Iâll list the most distant and awkward jargons we use in small-talk. This also includes common greetings we see in emails, tweets, social interactions that arenât personable and sound generic (Kudos, anyone?).
4. The Canât-Be-Bothered-to-Type-the âWhole-Phrase Group â In this group, Iâll list the common jargons used by acronym and abbreviation-obsessed people. KIT.
5. The Paradigm Shift Group â Iâll list the earliest jargons that ever popped up and changed business speak forever, including of course âparadigm shiftâ.
6. The Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs Group â This is the list the most ridiculous and meaningless jargons of all.
WHY IS THIS A GREAT POST FOR BAFB â Aside from having a giggle, a few face-palms and âwait did I say thatâ moments, I think this post will be interesting for the BAFB community because knowing these jargons will let them nail down EXACTLY what their clients really mean by âbleeding-edge contentâ or what their prospect in that email was expecting when they said they want ârobust impactâ.
Itâs going to saving you from the guessing and headaches by knowing how to read between the lines and figuring out EXACTLY what people mean so you can give them EXACTLY the results they are looking for.
This gives more value for the client, increased trust plus better discernment for you, and hopefully a recurring contract with that client in the future. đ
WHY I’M THE RIGHT PERSON TO WRITE IT – I’m Haruna Fujita, a freelance blogger and student for life. I say student for life because I love learning above anything else and even though I just quit my job and “stepped the fuck up to be a freelance blogger” just days ago (Thank you for that post, Sophie.) , I’m learning all I can about writing and blogging. It would be an honor to feature my first ever guest post here on BFAB, be a part of this community and have Sophie and Lauren personally critique my work. That last part would be freaking awesome.
Any feedback/suggestions are welcome! ď Thanks guys and good luck to everyone!
Sophie Lizard says
Interesting that you’re planning to cover jargon terms from several categories – nice idea!
Lauren Tharp, BAFB Managing Editor says
As long as the focus remains primarily on how knowing the lingo for these different “jargon groups” helps freelance bloggers then I really like this one. đ
Olena says
Dear Sophie, Lauren and BAFL readers,
My name is Olena, I am a self-starting freelance writer based in Sydney and here is my idea for the pitchfest!
HEADLINE
6 Essential Explanations of Criminal Law Jargon for Anyone Interested In Legal Writing
OPENING LINES
Legal terms can confuse many of us, and yet, we find them everywhere! As a blogger, you may find that at some point in your blogging career, you would have come across a gig where you had to know some legal buzzwords. This post will hopefully provide some clarification about commonly used terms in criminal law and help you get the hang of them!
1. “NORMAL-SOUNDING” LEGAL WORDS – EVIDENCE, CAUSATION, CLAIM, ARGUMENT
Some words used in criminal law overlap with the words we use in everyday life. It is important to remember that in a legal context, they can mean something entirely different… (*author’s note: here I will follow with explaining every word and what it means).
2. “ONUS” AND “BURDEN” vs “STANDARD OF PROOF”
These words “onus” and “burden” are used to indicate which party must prove the case i.e. “who bears the burden of proof”. …
3. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN “CHARGED WITH”, “GUILTY OF” AND “CONVICTED”.
It always feels so tempting to call someone out as guilty if they have done something horrible,but it’s important to know just how appropriate it is to use this word when writing a piece that involves criminal law context. ….
4. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN “MURDER” AND “HOMICIDE”
The usage of these terms extends beyong legal kind of work: whenever we work with creative scripts, fiction stories or even news reports, we can come across expressions like ‘there was a homicide reported this morning…’. The difference between “murder” and “homicide” is subtle, but it is a really crucial distinction ….
5. PLAINTIFF, DEFENDANT, ACCUSED, VICTIM, APPELLANT, RESPONDENT – WHICH IS WHICH?
The trick with legal terms is that often they mean quite specific things and can only be used in a particular context. For example, the terms “the accused” and “the victim” are only appropriate to be used in a criminal case ….
6. PROBATION vs PAROLE
We use both of these words when we are talking about the release of the accused from the prison, however, they mean different things. ….
WHY THIS IS A GREAT POST FOR BE A FREELANCE BLOGGER AND WHY I AM THE RIGHT PERSON TO WRITE IT
I think it’s a great post because knowing basic legal jargon is not only important for prospective law bloggers, but it can also be relevant for other industries and niches: the websites that search for copywriters to draft terms and conditions, volunteer organizations and human rights advocates, creative fiction, scripts, and the blogs that focus on the topics like politics and news. I am the right person to write it because I am a law student and I worked in a law firm as a paralegal for two years and had an opportunity to learn about legal industry from my own experience.
Thanks so much for considering my idea!
Best,
Olena
Sophie Lizard says
Great pitch, Olena – thank you!
Lauren Tharp, BAFB Managing Editor says
Bam! Nailed it.
Emma says
Decoding the alphabet soup: Writing about the LGBTQ+ community
The LGBTQ+ community has heard the jokes about alphabet soup time and time again and we mostly take them in good humour. After all, if we were put on the spot and asked to define what the initials stood for, weâd probably lose track after the sixth letter.
1. A glossary of the letters: This would be a full A-Z and would contain some letters that are used more than once.
2. An explanation of how to use this jargon on LGBTQ+ sites: Would highlight how the readers of most LGBTQ+ sites donât need the initalism defined, but may need more information about less well-known identities (i.e. Panromantic).
3. How to use the jargon on non-LGBTQ+ sites: Would explain that depending on the audience, they may be aware of the initalism and just need less publicised terms defined, but that some readers may struggle beyond the terms lesbian and gay.
4. Making sure not to offend when defining LGBTQ+ jargon: If you are not a member of the LGBTQ+ community â and sometimes even if you are â you may sometimes get stuck on a term that you havenât come across before or use an archaic term to describe someone (i.e. homosexual instead of gay). This would explain how to avoid offending people, by asking LGBTQ+ rights groups for their best practices.
5. How LGBTQ+ took over from the previous use of gay as an umbrella term: This would talk about how our knowledge of sexual orientations and gender identity have evolved since gay was used as an umbrella term.
6. The use of the term queer as both a sexuality and an umbrella term, including whether you should use it in your piece: This would give the advice of checking with the editor about using it as an umbrella term (i.e. the queer community) and refraining from using it to describe a specific person unless they actually use it to describe themselves. It would also involve a discussion about how some LGBTQ+ people have reclaimed the word.
I think that this is a great post for Be a Freelance Blogger because as awareness and acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community grows, there is more need for coverage in blogs that donât focus on the LGBTQ+ community, i.e. parenting, business, etc. As a writer who is pansexual and writes for five LGBTQ+ media outlets, I feel that I am the right person to approach this sensitively and expertly.
Sue Chehrenegar says
I like to learn about members of the transgender community. In my first job I worked in a Department of Reproductive medicine. One of the patients was undergoing surgery, to change from a male to a female. This was almost 50 years ago.
Sophie Lizard says
Excellent topic choice and a good, clear pitch – nicely done. đ
Lauren Tharp, BAFB Managing Editor says
This is great. And I, personally, have troubles with the “alphabet soup” in regard to the LGBTQ+ community. I’m fortunate enough to have a SUPER patient bestest best friend (Hey, Kara!!) who’s a “butch lesbian” (her words) who tells me what’s what. But a lot of bloggers don’t have a super patient, super sweet, lesbian BFF who can correct their jargon! So this would be an extremely useful post.
Emma Murphy says
Thank you đ
Katherine Swarts says
HEADLINE: An Uninitiated Niche Bloggerâs Guide to Survival in Jargon-Infested Industries
OPENING LINES: My name is Katherine and I am a behavioral-health blogger with absolutely no formal education in behavioral health.
Which isnât a problem until I have to interview an expert source. Or do field (or online) research that involves networking with CACs, LCPCs, and LPCs.
Bewildered by that alphabet soup? Thatâs where my problem begins. âŚ
OUTLINE:
What I now know and what Iâm still struggling to remember: A brief overview of common acronyms and other jargon in the behavioral-health field.
Blogger in a strange country: My first reaction to hearing licensed professional counselors (LPCs) and their peers toss out jargon in the midst of a long explanation. Three quick hacks for times when you canât interrupt to ask about a definition, or even take time to look it up on the spot.
Learning the language: Diplomatically asking an expert source to clarify (âThe âMâ in âMATâ stands for âMedication,â Iâm guessing?â). Tricks for remembering jargon youâll likely hear again.
One of the âin crowdâ: How I now insert behavioral-health jargon into my posts. (It doesnât involve going out of my way to sound like a native speaker.)
When you still arenât sure: Three reasons why you shouldnât worry about sounding âstupidâ by asking for clarification. Three reasons why itâs not always important to remember exactly what each letter in an acronym stands for, any more than you need to know the full etymology for every word in your native language.
Should a niche writer get formal education in the field?: I do attend workshops for certified counselorsâand I do save the CEUs (Continuing Education Units, aka official credits toward counseling certification). Why I havenât considered getting formally certified myselfâand how to decide if your situation might be different.
WHY THIS POST? WHY THIS WRITER? Iâve seen the question âdo I know enough to work in this niche without formal training?â in many freelance-writing forumsâand the answer is nearly always, âYou donât need formal training, you can learn by the need-to-know approach.â (Many successful freelance writers donât even have journalismâor any other higher-educationâdegrees.) I want to share my experience in âuninitiatedâ niche blogging to encourage others who are interested in a particular field but afraid prospects in that field wonât accept blog-post work from an âoutsider.â
Sophie Lizard says
Great pitch as usual, Katherine – thank you. đ
Lauren Tharp, BAFB Managing Editor says
Your opening line is gold. “I write in [niche] and have no background in [niche]” aspect is awesome.
Katherine Swarts says
Thanks, Lauren!
Daniel Pintilie says
How to Get the Most from Your Emails by Mastering Email Marketing Jargon
Opening Line: Email is the oldest type of information exchange between two internet users. In spite of its age, email is used by everyone. Would that be possible if email werenât a valuable tool? Mastering email marketing and its jargon has many advantages for freelance bloggers. You can send better emails to your customers, teach your customers how to send better emails, and gain expertise in an exciting area, just to name a few.
Here are six critical email-marketing terms that any freelance blogger should know:
1. Email Service Provider (ESP)
Everyone uses an email service provider even if they pay little to no attention to it. Gmail, Outlook, or Yahoo Mail are the most famous email service providers. The average Joe uses only a limited number of ESP features, but savvy freelance bloggers can get more from their ESPs. You can leverage artificial intelligence, send self-destructing or smart emails, or improve your spam filters.
2. Email Marketing Software (EMS)
Youâve probably heard about email marketing software, but your knowledge may be limited in this respect. Email marketing software refers to the software used to manage email addresses and campaigns. Most freelance bloggers run their own blogs, and people subscribe to read the latest articles. An EMS manages the subscribersâ email addresses and lets you send bulk emails. Youâve heard about MailChimp, right? Well, it is one of the most used EMSs.
3. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
Handling email addresses is no longer a piece of cake; the EU regulated data protection and privacy this year. GDPR is a term that frightens a lot of marketers and business owners. Having a solid understanding of GDPR is non-negotiable for any freelance blogger; violators can be fined up to âŹ20 million!
4. Return on Investment (ROI)
Most simply, ROI is profits divided by spending. This indicator is used worldwide by marketersâin fact, it defines the success of an email campaign. Freelance bloggers should know how to calculate ROI for their email campaigns. The good old email still has the biggest ROI of all marketing channels, so you have another reason to study email marketing jargon.
5. Personalization and Segmentation
The success of an email campaign heavily relies on personalization and segmentation. Would you open an email starting with âHi thereâ? I doubt it. An email starting with âHowdy, [your name]â has a higher chance of being read. That is basic personalization.
Segmentation is the set of techniques used to deliver the proper message to the proper audience. Perhaps you are in charge of writing the content for all of a clientâs emails. The style and the tone used for someone who has finished a trial of your product should be different from a welcome email. These details matter a lot, so you must get your hands dirty with personalization and segmentation.
6. Opt-In and Opt-Out
âOpt-inâ (aka subscribe) refers to the action taken by users who agree to provide their email address to a company, website, or person. âOpt-outâ (aka unsubscribe) is the reverse process. It looks simple, but in the light of GDPR, opt-in and opt-out methods are more complicated.
Why and Why Me
Many freelance bloggers use cold pitching (more jargon) to get new clients. Sending the right message to the right people at the right time means you have a good understanding of email marketing. Certainly, your ROI will improve by sending GDPR compliant emailsâor at least, you wonât get fined!
I am a part-time freelance blogger who runs a few email campaigns. Some marketers say that email is dead, but my campaigns prove that email is still the king. I got a few fantastic gigs by cold pitching, so once again, email gave me many advantages, and I am glad to share my experience with my fellow freelance bloggers.
Sophie Lizard says
I love the topic of email marketing jargon, but I’d really like to see you pitch an idea about how freelance bloggers can use it *in a blog post* rather than how they can use email itself.
I hope you have time to tweak your pitch and resubmit!
Lauren Tharp, BAFB Managing Editor says
^ Yup. What Sophie said.
Todd Matthews says
Headline: Understanding Fitness Jargon Guarantees Freelance Growth
Opening Lines: Understanding science behind eccentric and concentric muscle contractions might cause a freelancer to cringe when it comes to exercise science terms. Yet, understanding the fitness language guarantees a new pinnacle in your freelance career because anyone alive today is looking for the next awesome fitness trend.
Key Point 1: High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). Good old HIIT training will enable anyone living a hectic lifestyle of fifty to sixty hours of work, chauffeuring kids to practice, recitals, games, and other commitments to live a healthy lifestyle. HIIT workouts take a little over twenty minutes to complete, consisting of fast intervals followed by short rest periods of steady movement. After twenty minutes, the body is cooked.
Key Point 2: Hypertrophy. For men and women alike, hypertrophy is the key technique to get rid of unwanted body fat. Hypertrophy is the art of building muscle, and itâs the greatest threat to bodyfatâs existence. Wait, not treadmills or ellipticals? Yes, itâs going to take some weight lifting, which many trying to lose body fat shy away from. However, itâs going to build much-needed muscle which will in turn, burn fat. While the next fad plan has the media on their side, we have science on ours. Which takes me to my next point.
Key Point 3: Base Metabolic Rate (BMR). If someone sat in a chair for twenty-four hours, BMR entails the number of calories an individual burns. The higher the muscle to bodyfat ratio, the higher the BMR. This also means the body requires more calories. Yes! Youâre going to have a license to eat once muscle hypertrophy kicks in! A little different from your mainstream fads, but again, itâs a scientific fact I have firsthand experience in implementing in six years as a personal trainer.
Key Point 4: Periodization. In simple terms, periodization means mixing up, or periodizing, a routine. The main reason someone embarking on a New Yearâs Resolution falls out of their new gym routine is that their body quits responding. The culprit isnât genetics, but something else. Itâs lack of understanding periodization. Without periodization, an individual stops seeing consistent results. Theyâre repeating the same exercises with the same weight with each gym session. Periodization calls for different workouts each day, each week, and each month. Which brings me to my fifth point.
Key Point 5: Microcycle, Mesocycle, Macrocycle. These three terms always go together. The microcycle is a weekâs worth of exercise routines. The mesocycle, a monthâs to a few monthsâ worth, and the macrocycle, anything over a long period. These cycles work hand in hand with periodization because they differ in at least one variable of training each week. By understanding the cycles, you, yes you, have found the golden ticket to permanent results.
Why is this post relevant and why should I write it?
This is a relevant post because fitness is a hot topic as everyone is looking for their next fix. Unfortunately, much of whatâs offered to the public are fads, false promises, and quick fixes that never last. This post utilizes key terms combined with scientifically-backed research designed to create permanent change in a reader.
By allowing the reader to get accustomed to these key points, theyâll develop a true understanding of what it takes to adopt a fitness lifestyle and see results some have spent decades looking for.
Iâm the right person to write this article due to my fitness credentials. In addition to holding a Bachelor of Science Degree in Wellness and Fitness, Iâve been a certified personal trainer by both the ISSA and AFPA for nine years, have trained in half a dozen gyms over the time period, and have encountered hundreds of clients whoâve been stuck in a never-ending cycle of false information and quick fixes. Iâve personally tested the above points on my own clientele and theyâve not only seen results but developed a permanent lifestyle change.
This is a goldmine for freelancers everywhere. If they understand basic fitness and exercise science terms, there will be new opportunities at each corner. Everyone is trying to get ahead in the fitness game and these will increase a freelancerâs chances of winning jobs while delivering an honest product to their readers. If theyâre lucky, our freelance reading audience might become the next fitness expert, building a tribe in both beginner and experienced fitness enthusiasts.
Sophie Lizard says
Nice topic choice. I’d like to see more advice on how to actually use the jargon, if you have time to add that into your pitch and resubmit.
(Side note: be careful with the word “guaranteed”… It means that someone, somewhere, promises compensation for failure to meet the guaranteed result.)
Todd Matthews says
Headline: Understanding Fitness Jargon Can Increase Freelance Growth
Opening Lines: Understanding the science behind eccentric and concentric muscle contractions might cause a freelancer to cringe when it comes to exercise science terms. Yet, understanding the fitness language creates a new pinnacle in your freelance career because anyone alive today is looking for the next awesome fitness trend.
Key Point 1: High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). Good old HIIT training will enable anyone living a hectic lifestyle of fifty to sixty hours of work, chauffeuring kids to practice, recitals, games, and other commitments to live healthy.
HIIT workouts take a little over twenty minutes to complete, consisting of fast intervals followed by short rest periods of steady movement. After twenty minutes, the body is cooked.
Any movement can comprise of a HIIT workout, even if one doesnât have access to a gym. Push-ups (even modified versions), speed squats, high-knees, and any basic bodyweight movement for twenty secondsâ fast work followed by ten secondsâ slow work is a great place to start.
Key Point 2: Hypertrophy. For men and women alike, hypertrophy is the key technique to get rid of unwanted body fat. Hypertrophy is the art of building muscle, and itâs the greatest threat to bodyfatâs existence. Wait, not treadmills or ellipticals? Yes, itâs going to take some weight lifting, which many trying to lose body fat shy away from. However, itâs going to build much-needed muscle which will, in turn, burn fat. While the next fad plan has the media on their side, we have science on ours.
Sample hypertrophy programs for beginners can consist of basic machine circuits. When the body is primed, however, itâs time to advance to a free weight program consisting of squats, curls, arm extensions, bench presses, shoulder presses, and deadlifts to name a few. Any hypertrophy program can be utilized in total-body methods, three days per week.
Key Point 3: Base Metabolic Rate (BMR). If someone sat in a chair for twenty-four hours, BMR entails the number of calories an individual burns. The higher the muscle to bodyfat ratio, the higher the BMR. This also means the body requires more calories. Yes! Youâre going to have a license to eat once muscle hypertrophy kicks in! A little different from your mainstream fads, but again, itâs a scientific fact I have firsthand experience in implementing over my six years as a personal trainer.
Start by taking your bodyweight and multiply by ten if youâre female, and eleven if youâre male. This gives you a solid idea of your base BMR. Itâs often between 1,100 and 1,800 calories. Yes, your body burns a lot of calories by sitting around. Who knew? Then, track how many calories you burn throughout the day, like in both planned and unplanned physical activity. If you workout daily, you may add up to an additional 1,000 calories to your BMR.
Key Point 4: Periodization. In simple terms, periodization means mixing up, or periodizing, a routine. The main reason someone embarking on a New Yearâs Resolution falls out of their new gym routine is that their body quits responding. The culprit isnât genetics, but something else. Itâs lack of understanding periodization. Without periodization, an individual stops seeing consistent results. Theyâre repeating the same exercises with the same weight with each gym session. Periodization calls for different workouts each day, each week, and each month.
For instance, letâs look at what we in the fitness world call undulating periodization, where the workouts change daily and weekly. Itâs easy to grasp because youâre simply doing something different each day. Maybe Workout A is a hypertrophy workout, and Workout B is a HIIT workout. Workout C is another hypertrophy workout, but utilizes different movements, weights, and repetitions. And finally, Workout D is a second HIIT workout, but also consists of different movements or work/steady work times.
Key Point 5: Microcycle, Mesocycle, Macrocycle. These three terms always go together. The microcycle is a weekâs worth of exercise routines. The mesocycle, a monthâs to a few monthsâ worth, and the macrocycle, anything over a long period. These cycles work hand in hand with periodization because they differ in at least one variable of training each week. By understanding the cycles, you, yes you, have found the golden ticket to permanent results.
Take your calendar and look at the four weeks in a month. Those are your microcycles. Your one month consists of your mesocycle, and the six-month period makes a macrocycle. Understanding these cycles will help you create weekly, monthly, multi-monthly, and long-term goals. What do you wish to accomplish in a microcycle? Maybe make it to the gym (or a home exercise area) four days a week? The mesocycle? A loss of two to four pounds of bodyfat per mesocycle is healthy. The macrocycle? Completing that New Yearâs Resolution.
Why is this post relevant and why should I write it?
This is a relevant post because fitness is a hot topic as everyone is looking for their next fix. Unfortunately, much of whatâs offered to the public are fads, false promises, and quick fixes that never last. This post utilizes key terms combined with scientifically-backed research designed to create permanent change in a reader.
By allowing the reader to get accustomed to these key points, theyâll develop a true understanding of what it takes to adopt a fitness lifestyle and see results some have spent decades looking for.
Iâm the right person to write this article due to my fitness credentials. In addition to holding a Bachelor of Science Degree in Wellness and Fitness, Iâve been a certified personal trainer by both the ISSA and AFPA for nine years, have trained in half a dozen gyms over the time period, and have encountered hundreds of clients whoâve been stuck in a never-ending cycle of false information and quick fixes. Iâve personally tested the above points on my own clientele and theyâve not only seen results but developed a permanent lifestyle change.
This is a goldmine for freelancers everywhere. If they understand basic fitness and exercise science terms, there will be new opportunities at each corner. Everyone is trying to get ahead in the fitness game and these will increase a freelancerâs chances of winning jobs while delivering an honest product to their readers. If theyâre lucky, our freelance reading audience might become the next fitness expert, building a tribe in both beginners and experienced fitness enthusiasts.
Lauren Tharp, BAFB Managing Editor says
Maybe I’m missing something, but this seems more like a post for those looking to get fit (via methods deemed “jargon”) rather than how a blogger can use fitness jargon in their writing…
Andrea says
Headline Ideas:
The Essential Marketing Jargon Every Blogger Needs to Know, Terms Your Blogging Business Can’t Live Without, Terms Your Blog Can’t Live Without, Crucial Concepts for Marketing Your Blog, Crucial Concepts for Marketing Your Blog (and Their Official Names)
Oh, money… You can’t live with it, you can’t live withouâwait. Yes you can live with it, and that would be ideal. Here are the five groups of marketing jargon you need to know to take freelance blogging from a hobby to a flourishing source of income.
Five main topics, not necessarily in this order:
1. Discuss marketing jargon that relates to securing leads/opportunities to post: This section embeds jargon for different types of leads within advice about reaching clients.
2. Share jargon that is relevant to marketing oneself as a writer: This section applies marketing terms that have to do with branding and aspects of advertising.
3. Explain jargon that relates to analysis of a target audience (or “consumer”): This section explains terms about demographics and market research, making relevant applications to the readership of a blog.
4. Talk about jargon that involves monitoring success of marketing efforts: This section includes terms related to analytics and profits, again making relevant applications to the world of blogging.
5. Explain marketing jargon about operating a blog or website of one’s own: This section includes terms related to titles, content, and traffic.
This is a great post for Be a Freelance Blogger because it applies marketing concepts to a blogging business while supporting readers’ comprehension of terms they might read in other articles about marketing. In the process, this post provides a foundation of jargon for anyone who wants to write in the business/marketing niche. I’m the right person to write this post because I’ll tailor a lot of available information into something practical, specific, and entertaining for readers.
Lauren Tharp, BAFB Managing Editor says
As long is the jargon, in the case of this post, is specific to freelance bloggers (and not writers in general), then it’s not a bad idea.
Hayley says
Hey Sophie and Lauren, hereâs hoping Iâm not too late to the party.
Possible title â
6 Home education ideas explained [And how these can help you make the grade as a freelance blogger]
Opening sentences â
Freelance blogging and home education have much in common. Quiet revolutionaries challenging the prevailing models of employment and education, theyâre both on the rise. And those of us fortunate enough to have discovered the delights of them both, as bloggers and as parents we know our place – to meet the needs of our clients and our children – and if you have both, not necessarily in that order đ Understanding the language of home education can propel you to the top of the freelance blogging class, whatever your niche.
6 points in brief â for each explaining the terms as used in home education, the differences and links between them and how they can specifically benefit freelance bloggers
1. deregistration/withdrawal â exploring the legal position of home education (or homeschooling as itâs more commonly known in the US), the importance of understanding legal issues for freelance bloggers and sources of further info for parents and bloggers
2. autodidact â what does it mean to be an autodidact and why itâs a good idea for parents and bloggers
3. eclectic â what is an eclectic approach and how and why parents and bloggers should adopt one
4. deschooling â what does this entail and why itâs so important for home education and for freelance blogging (and how itâs different to number 5)
5. unschooling – often misunderstood, commonly confused with number 4, Iâll explain the core principles of this approach, what that means for parents, and what freelance bloggers can learn from them
6. strewing â a useful tool in home education and how it can be used in freelance blogging
This post will offer freelance bloggers insight into some common terms used in relation to home education and explore how the complex ideas they seek to convey can be usefully applied to freelance blogging. Iâll include links to further information on home education and useful sources for freelance bloggers.
As a long-time home educating mum of four, avid researcher of all things home ed and a freelance blogger Iâve had the chance to get well acquainted with the lingo surrounding home education. And whilst Iâm well aware that itâs ânothing like having a babyâ :), I have gained lots of helpful insights for my work as a freelance writer from my experience as a home educating parent and would love the chance to share them here.
Lauren Tharp, BAFB Managing Editor says
I feel like this is ALMOST there… I would’ve liked to see examples as to how some of the terms could be related to freelance bloggers (so I’d know if it really IS a good fit for our niche). A simple sentence like “Strewing – blah blah blah. I’ll talk about how freelance bloggers can use this. FOR EXAMPLE: blah blah blah.” You know what I mean?
Sophie Lizard says
Yeah, this is good but needed a little more detail. I’d like to see a clear indication of “here’s how freelance bloggers can use this jargon in a blog post for a home ed industry client” too.
Lauren Tharp, BAFB Managing Editor says
THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED!!
Thank you to everyone who entered. If you haven’t gotten a response yet: hang tight! We’ll get to you soon.
Winners will be announced on October 6, 2018.
Sophie Lizard says
THE WINNERS ARE…
1st prize: Nicolas Ayala, with a pitch about screenwriting jargon.
[Read his winning pitch here: http://beafreelanceblogger.com/using-jargon/#comment-229600%5D
2nd prize: Olena, with a pitch about legal jargon
[http://beafreelanceblogger.com/using-jargon/#comment-229781]
3rd prize: Emma, with a pitch about LGBTQ+ jargon
[http://beafreelanceblogger.com/using-jargon/#comment-229806]
If your name isnât among the three above, donât go away yet! đ
If youâre on the list below, we encourage you to write your first full draft and email it to teambafb@gmail.com as a traditional unpaid guest post (or take your pitch to one of the paying sites in The Ultimate List of Better-Paid Blogging Gigs):
Katherine Swarts on high-jargon gigs
Angela Johnson on special needs jargon
Haruna Fujita on business jargon
Andrea on marketing jargon
Hayley on home ed jargon
Congratulations to everyone who entered, and thank you for playing!
Sophie Lizard says
P.S. I would’ve posted the winners a lot sooner if I had only realised that my own comment was stuck in the moderation queue! D’oh…
Haruna Fujita says
LOL Sophie so that’s why! I was wondering where the announcement was. Thanks for the chance! I’ll polish mine up a bit first before pitching.
Congrats to the winners!
Angela says
Congratulations to the winners! This was my 1st time ever trying something like this and it was very cool to read all the pitches. Looking forward to reading the final posts.
Nicolas Ayala says
Thank you Sophie and Lauren. Congrats to all fellow winners and participants!
I’ll do my best to deliver a top-notch post!
Cheers!
Sue Chehrenegar says
I did not hope to get recognized as a winner. Still, as I worked on my piece, I did hope that I could give more exposure to the problems faced by women with breast cancer. I hope that anyone who reads my entry will feel encouraged to help those women deal with the jargon that they have to understand, in order to make good decisions.