If something has “really” improved, readers want to know how much. People are more interested in the facts and hard information than they are in vague thoughts. What’s more, even if you are writing an opinion piece, readers should understand that based on the context, making “I think” a needless phrase. The same thing applies for “always.” Instead opt for words like “most” or “many.” 6. Just The only time “just” has a place in your content is when you’re talking about something being just as in “fair.” For example, “The trial was just.” Uses of “just” to imply something is small or inefficient (e.g., “She just couldn’t do it”) don’t add anything to the sentence. And don’t start sentences with “then” because it makes the sentences sound clunky and can make them difficult to read. Completely and entirely You can remove “completely” entirely from your sentences without affecting them (and “entirely” too). If you want to emphasize or visualize the completeness, use more descriptive terms. So “So” is another word that doesn’t do much. As you get rid of the flab, you can build up the muscles in your content: As you write in a way that’s easier for people to understand, your content is more likely to attract more readers, which should deliver better results for your content marketing program.
Let’s be honest: Nobody likes flab, especially when it comes to content.
Few things are worse than coming across a chunk of copy stuffed with icky, flabby, worthless words that don’t need to be there. They’re distracting and alienating, and it drives your readers away.
To become a better writer and provide more value to your readers, get rid of these 15+ words sooner rather than later:
1. In order to
OK, it’s not a word – it’s a phrase. But still. This is one of the flabbiest things I see. Plenty of people use the phrase, but not one sentence would stop working if “in order to” was deleted. This one small change makes the statement clearer.
2. Really
“Really” clogs your content. Think of it this way: If you’re saying something is “really” tall, you’re missing the mark. How tall is it? Quantify it. If something has “really” improved, readers want to know how much. Qualify it. While the purpose of “really” is to exaggerate something, readers respond better to text that gets more granular in its measurements. With that in mind, swap this vague term out for a more accurate descriptor. If you can’t be more descriptive, delete “really.”
3. Believe and think
“Believe” and “think” both imply that something is either opinion or that nobody is sure how valid it actually is. Both are bad for your copywriting. People are more interested in the facts and hard information than they are in vague thoughts. What’s more, even if you are writing an opinion piece, readers should understand that based on the context, making “I think” a needless phrase.
These two words also are used when a writer isn’t sure about the statistic or fact, and that is dangerous. Again, readers want solid information, and merely “thinking” a statistic is true isn’t enough to get it past the firing squad. Don’t include if the fact needs to be qualified as a thought or belief.
4. A lot
“A lot” is similar to “really” in terms of vagueness and flab. Saying something is “a lot different than it used to be” robs your readers of an experience. While they understand that something has changed, they don’t know what it was or how much it’s shifted. They want more specific information to make good decisions and to connect with your writing on a deeper level.
Instead of using these vague phrases, replace them with hard-and-fast statistics. Go for percentages, pounds, solid units of measurement. Those quantifiable terms perform better…
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