Write Copy Without Filler: Tips to Keep Your Content Engaging
Filler content is content that does not serve a purpose or add value to your copy.
It is often used to pad out an article or to make it seem like the writer knows more about a topic than they actually do.
Filler content can be harmful to your copy for a few reasons.
First, it can make your copy seem choppy and difficult to read.
Second, it can dilute your message and make it harder for readers to understand what you are trying to say.
Finally, it can turn off readers who feel like they are being misled or taken advantage of.
If you want to ensure that your copy is clear, concise, and easy to read, make sure to avoid filler content.
Stick to the facts and only include information that is relevant to your topic. Your readers will thank you for it.
So how do you avoid filler content?
The best way to avoid filler content is to be specific and personal.
When you’re specific, you’re giving your audience something to latch onto. They can connect with you on a personal level and see that you’re not just regurgitating the same old stuff.
And when you’re personal, you’re showing that you’re a real person with real thoughts and feelings. This creates a rapport with your audience and makes them more likely to trust you.
Here are 6 tips to avoiding filler content:
1. Write for your audience first
When you’re writing content, it’s important to keep your audience in mind first and foremost.
That means writing content that is interesting, informative, and relevant to your readers. It’s not about writing for search engines or trying to stuff in keywords.
And it’s definitely not about writing for your own ego.
This is important because if you focus on your audience first, you will be able to better connect with them and provide them with the information they are looking for.
If you focus on search engines or your ego, you will likely miss the mark with your audience and your content will suffer as a result.
Keep your audience front and center, and you’ll be on your way to creating content that they’ll love.
2. Keep your content focused
Every piece of content should have 1 clear purpose.
When creating content for any purpose, one of the most important elements to consider is its purpose.
Every piece of content should have a clearly defined goal in order to be effective.
Whether it is to inform, educate, entertain, or something else, having an established objective helps ensure that the content is reaching the desired audience in the most effective way possible.
If your content isn’t helping users accomplish their goals, it’s not worth writing.
Make sure that each piece of content on your site has a specific purpose, and make sure you’re delivering on that purpose consistently.
For example, if you want to encourage users to sign up for your email list, make sure you send them emails that promote signing up. Don’t fill your pages with unrelated content in an effort to boost traffic – that will only backfire.
Similarly, if you want users to buy something from you, make sure all of the content on your site is designed to help them make that purchase. Don’t write about unrelated topics in an effort to drive clicks – that will only frustrate shoppers and waste their time.
In other words: Every piece of content on your site should have 1 clear goal – and you should be delivering on that goal consistently.
3. Edit your content ruthlessly
Remove any content that doesn’t help the user in some way.
Every sentence should communicate something useful to the reader.
If it doesn’t, delete it
No matter how good of a writer you are, everyone can benefit from editing their work.
Editing can help you to improve the clarity of your writing, catch errors, and make your work more polished and professional.
The more time you spend on editing, the better your content will be.
Here are a few tips to help you make the most of your editing time:
-Read your work aloud. This can help you to catch errors that you might not otherwise notice.
- Read your content out loud
- Record yourself reading the content
- Listen to the recording
- Identify any filler words or phrases
- Remove or replace the filler content
-Get someone else to read your work. Another set of eyes can catch things that you missed.
-Take your time. Don’t rush through the editing process. It’s important to take the time to do it right.
-Focus on one thing at a time. When you’re editing, you should focus on one thing at a time, such as grammar, spelling, or clarity. Trying to fix everything at once can be overwhelming and can lead to mistakes.
-Use a tool like Grammarly. Grammarly is a great tool that can help you to catch errors in your writing.
Editing is an important part of the writing process. By taking the time to edit your work, you can make sure that it is the best it can be.
4. Get someone else to read your content
We usually miss what we are not looking for, or are so used to seeing it that it slips past us.
A fresh pair of eyes can help you spot filler content that you might have missed.
Get someone else to read it and find any filler content for you.
It could be a friend, family member, colleague, or even a professional editor.
The important thing is that they’re not as emotionally attached to the piece as you are.
They can be more objective and help you identify any filler content that doesn’t add value.
The goal is to make your content as concise and to-the-point as possible.
5. Use a tool like Hemingway App
The Hemingway App is a great way to remove the fluff from your copy.
It’s a free app that grades your writing based on a number of factors, including:
- Sentence length
- Word choice
- Use of passive voice
- Use of adverbs
You can use it to target a specific grade level, or to just make your writing simpler and easier to read.
6. Practice:
One of the best pieces of writing advice I’ve ever received is to write a lot.
The more you write, the easier it will be to identify and remove fluff from your drafts.
Why?
Because the more you write, the better you’ll become at identifying what’s truly important and what’s just filler.
And when you can identify the filler, you can delete it and get to the heart of your message more quickly and easily.
So if you’re struggling with removing fluff from your writing, just keep writing.
Eventually, it will become second nature.
With time and practice, you’ll become a master at writing tight, clean copy.
Wrapping up:
It’s not necessary to write 1000 words when you can say what you need to in 500.
This doesn’t mean that you should cut corners or leave out important information.
When writing, try not to over complicate things or get too wordy. Get straight to the point and don’t overwhelm your audience with unnecessary information.
So next time you’re tempted to add filler content, ask yourself if it’s necessary and helpful.
If not, ditch it and move on.