We all know what the most popular New Years Resolution is: get to the gym and lose some weight! For marketers this can be a wise resolution to apply to their content. Trimming the fat off your new content can help with readership retention. Too many extraneous words drive audiences crazy … and away from your content. As attention spans get shorter and shorter, you want to make sure you grab your readers from the moment you come in contact with them.

To improve your writing, get rid of the 8 words from your content:

8 Words To Trim From Your Content

Words to Cut From Content

1.) Really

Usually “really” is meant to exaggerate something, but dig a little deeper. Readers respond better to more granular text.

2.) Believe and think

Both of these words imply opinion or uncertainty. You want to convey that you know what you’re talking about to build your credibility.

3.) A lot

Similar to “really”, this word implies more vagueness. When you find yourself about to use “a lot”, think of a way you can be more specific.

4.) Always and never

By using these words, you’re making blanket statements that are seldom true (see what I did there).

5.) Stuff

The most unprofessional word in your writing vocabulary. Replace at every opportunity.

6.) Just

“Just” is typically one of those words that a sentence can live without. When you want to use “just”, say the sentence without it and you’ll see how unnecessary it is. (That’s JUST another thing this blogger needs to work on ….)

7.) That

See above …

8.) Then

“Then” makes your writing seem like a bumbling toddler … not what you want in professional writing. Also, starting a sentence  with “then” makes them seem clunky. Avoid at all costs.

While we’re going back through our blogs to make sure we haven’t made these mistakes, share your writing tips on our Facebook page!