In other words, "No fillers."
Great content shouldn't contain unnecessary details in a text that are not useful to your audience.
Adding filler words, simply to sound clever or boost SEO, is not the path to thought leadership in content marketing.
Let's take a quick dive into the fluff—to experience some serious frizz.
Fluff Example:
During the seminar that premiered last month in the pavilion, there were several different teams represented from various sorts of backgrounds and interests. Everyone in attendance received loads of knowledge and appreciation for their real-time participation. Although it was a very packed crowd this year, we anticipate the venue to be more professionally managed and prepped for next year's event.
Meaningful Content:
Last month's seminar attracted a diverse crowd. Attendees who participated enjoyed the knowledge and reward system. Next year's venue will include improvements with an inclusive theme.
What is Filler?
Filler pads content with meaningless verbiage to boost word count.
Wordy or complex sentences obscure meaning and make your content hard to understand. Readers get bored or exhaust themselves and move on—and most of them don’t return.
The following will help you spot fillers in content:
Passive voice:
“The plane was piloted by Barbara and Augusto,” is passive;
“Barbara and Augusto flew the plane,” is active.
Filler words:
Always write content using less than two adjectives for a noun.
Redundant words:
Again, fewer adjectives are better.
Adding phrases:
Describe things once—and succinctly.
Complex or abstract ideas:
Remember the central point of your web article.
Let's underscore a filler example:
Avoid this example—
There are extensive bodies of research available to graduate students looking for meaningful topics to discuss with physicists associated with the department.
Consider this example—
Graduate students can visit the library if they need inspiration before interviewing department physicists.
What to Write—Instead of Fluff
Don’t pad your content. Instead, use these six clever tricks to fill your next article with fact:
Trick 1: Avoid Big Words
If you have to look a word up, try to avoid using it in your writing. Opt for an easier-to-understand word or phrase instead.
Trick 2: Nix Inflated Language
Don’t write “utilize” when you can write “use.” Don’t choose “commence” when you can choose “start.” To facilitate is to help, to cease is to stop, and to endeavor is to try.
Trick 3: Lose the Superlatives
Don’t use superlatives to make something sound fancier than it really is. In fact, keep grandiose adjective use to a minimum across the board.
Trick 4: Cut the Jargon
Stay away from long, descriptive phrases filled with industry lingo; instead, use bright, concise phrases to convey your message.
Trick 5: Drop the Intensifiers
Intensifiers emphasize other words to make them sound beefier—“very best,” “extremely well” and “unbelievably nice” for example. Kick them to the curb.
Trick 6: Dodge the Filler
When you’re done writing, scan your article for filler words. The best among us use words like “really,” “just,” “even,” “that” and “such” as filler without a second thought, so edit your work before submitting.
