Writing is an art that involves an author's efforts to share their thoughts and ideas. Most of us remember our school and college days where we were asked to write a 2000-word essay. But, remember when we got stuck at 1800 or 1850 words? Wasn't it a frequent challenge to run out of writing ideas? That is, we used our fluffing skills to meet the word limit.
What does fluff writing even mean, though? It's basically the process of adding long sentences that do not add much value to the write-up. It includes all the unnecessary words that we insert here and there to meet the word limit.
While this practice was not really frowned upon, we were students. But you're in trouble if you attempt to do it in business writing!
Now that you have a better understanding of fluff meaning, your second step is to learn how to avoid it. There's no place for fluff and filler. Adding it makes the readers tired of your content. It also becomes less engaging, and the readers leave your site.
It doesn't matter what you're writing; a product description, blog post, a website, or a landing page with fluff and filler content will reduce the effectiveness of the overall piece. It's the opposite of otherwise compelling work.
Read on to find more about fluff writing and how to avoid fluff content. In addition, we've listed some tips that can help in removing fluff and filler words from the text.
What is Fluff Writing?
Fluff refers to unnecessary details that are included in the content. Some may even refer to it as "flowery text," while others consider it filler content.
Do you know what makes visitors leave your website within a few seconds? If they don't find what they're looking for, they leave. Hence, fluff writing will never expand your viewership. Most probably, it's one of the major reasons to lose readers. Additionally, if you're a professional business writer, you might lose clients by doing this.
Fluff writing may also be considered as going off-topic while drafting content. Many writers add unnecessary words to meet the word count. As a result, they drag content, making it difficult to understand and super boring.
It should be noted that there are a few exceptions where fluff writing is acceptable. So if you're wondering what are the situations you can use fluff writing, let us tell you:
- When writing an opinion-based article, you often use fluff writing. It allows you more room to share your ideas and pour your heart out.
- If you're writing creative stories, you can use fluff words.
What is Filler Writing?
Filler writing is similar to fluff writing. If you see the filler meaning, it refers to the wordiness in your sentences.
Here is what makes your sentences wordy:
- Adding abstract and complex ideas.
- Including phrases to stress any information.
- Writing sentences in a passive
- Redundant information or words.
- Including filler words.
For example, Sally is leaving her job because her manager is very rude to her. Wasn't it better to write Sally is quitting her job because her manager was rude?
As digital marketing grows rapidly, we all have realized the importance of good content. You need to add original, creative, and fluff-free content that meets the quality standards. Thus, give importance to writing and focus on how to write crisp, clear content.
Writing professionals believe that fluff reduces the quality of content and loses readers' interest. In this era of digitalization, no one enjoys scrolling through 1,000 to 2,000-word long posts that deliver little to no information. So, keep it concise.
How to Remove Fluff and Filler from Content – Actionable Tips
Remember this: fluff is for the pillows. Avoid using it in your blog posts.
As a reader, even you won't prefer reading fluff content. It bores you instantly. So, if you're adding the same to your piece, be ready for the increasing bounce rate as it makes your text sub-par. When your article is full of fluff words, the readership automatically decreases.
The key point is that adding more content than required is a way to waste your time and energy. Also, you waste the readers' energy. One of the best ways to create valuable content is to remove all the filler and filler words and phrases from your writing. It's a smart strategy that helps gain the readers' attention. Additionally, it also helps in ranking higher in search results.
You'll easily find much advice out there by professionals on the internet about removing fluff from content. We've summed up some of the best ones to help you. Through this, you learn to write better and ensure that your text is more engaging.
1. Create an Outline
Before you begin, create an outline. Most fluff writing is a result of poor work planning. When authors fail to develop the right strategy, they start fluffing and adding filler content. Hence, it's best to focus on developing an action plan. It's the outline that supports your draft.
At this stage, you must spend time on research. Gather information and highlight the key focus points. It helps in staying on track and avoiding unnecessary words and sentences that do not add value to the argument you're presenting in your piece.
2. Focus on Writing a Strong Introduction
A strong opening is a key factor in creating compelling content. It prepares your audience for the information they can get and convinces them to continue reading. Also, the introduction summarizes the overall article. Therefore, adding fluff content in the introduction is a BIG NO.
An introduction is what makes the first impression on your audience. So, don't miss the importance of introduction and don't play with words. Instead, please get to the point and make it as clear as possible.
When writing an introduction, remember there's no one-size-fits-all approach. You can adopt a different writing style and method according to your topic. All you have to consider is how to entice the reader.
3. Avoid Redundancy
Redundancy is one factor that reduces the overall quality of content and bores the readers. It makes the writing dull. When you repeat words and information, it reflects a lack of knowledge about the subject. Hence, your content looks worthless.
We've seen that many business and content writers face the challenge of meeting unnecessarily high word count limits. As a result, they are forced to write the same things repeatedly. So, don't do this. Once you have written, proofread your work and eliminate the redundancy.
4. Eliminate the Unnecessary Words
When writing, writers often don't realize that they are adding extra words. These can be in every other line. Likewise, they might not realize they can easily cut these words to make the sentences more concise.
Once you're done writing, proofread your work. You'll find many descriptive and unnecessary words and phrases during this phase. These can be extra adjectives, adverbs, or qualifiers. All these tend to weaken your writing and make it uninteresting.
So, spend some time deleting these words. Then, if you're still confused, you can look for meaningless words. It means that removing these words won't change the sentence's meaning.
Some commonly used fluff words you must avoid are:
- Even
- That
- Really
- Actually
- Very
- Just
- In order to
- Literally
- Absolutely
When writing, always aim for stronger writing. For this, edit mercilessly. By now, you must have realized that fluff content writing is a big turn-off for the readers.
5. Write Short Sentences
Make a habit of writing short sentences. It's the best way to avoid filler and filler content. Also, it gives you more authority over your work. Finally, the readers find it easy to read content with short sentences.
There is a chance that you might need to rewrite the content once you're done writing. At this stage, you'll have to eliminate the useless lines and tighten up your sentences more to align with the topic. Hence, don't miss the chance of making your content interesting.
For short sentences, it's best to cut out the filler words and phrases. In the revision phase, go through your content using a fine-tooth comb. Ask yourself if there is a need for different words and phrases. If it's a no, delete it. It's all about making good choices.
6. Practice is the Key
In the beginning, you might miss out on the fluff and filler words in your content. It's okay. Also, you may consider some words and sentences to be important while your readers may not necessarily agree with it. It's all about good practice.
When writing, stay open to ideas. If possible, take feedback from your seniors or colleagues. They might point out things that you had missed. It's one of the best ways to get rid of fluff content.
The more you practice eliminating fluff out of your content, the more you can improve the quality of the text. However, don't let yourself slip into the same trap once you learn. Avoid fluffing, and don't pad your content with unnecessary phrases.
7. Avoid Jargons
Avoid jargon unless you're a technical writer or writing on complex topics. Complex terms often end up in you creating long sentences. Rather than this, use easy words and phrases. It's best to summarize the key ideas in a few words. Jargons result in making it harder to read and understand the content.
So, when you're writing, try to keep everything concise. If any key terms or phrases need an explanation, keep it shorter. Also, you might add some details here and there in the content to add some quality and variety. It also helps in avoiding redundancy.
8. Help Your Text Gain Some Muscle
We all know that the demands for quality content writing are increasing in this digital era. In addition, people use the internet to gather information related to different topics, products, and services.
Therefore, always focus on the points and elements to ensure stronger writing. When you're focused, you can avoid fluff writing.
If wondering how to add muscles in your content to make it appealing, here are some tactics:
- Avoid clichés.
- Delete the overused phrases and words.
- Include action verbs.
- Restrict the use of adjectives.
Through this, you get rid of the fluff and prioritize your readers' interest. That's the best way to convey your message and connect with the readers.
9. Add Expressive Verbs
Writers are well aware of the importance of expressive and sharp verbs. When writing, it's best to avoid the weak ones and use the best ones that add value to the sentences. It adds the required crunch to your write-up.
You can tighten up your sentences and eliminate all unnecessary and filler words by adding expressive verbs. Here are some of the good verbs that help in keeping the readers hooked:
- Scan
- Serve
- Attack
- Amplify
- Hack
- Grope
- Lead
- Peer
- Transform
- Revitalize
- Gleam
- Zap
- Gobble
Most of these words sound interesting as these are replacements for the commonly used words. For instance, amplification can be used in place of increase and revitalization can be used instead of refresh and renew.
Hence, it's best to look for good and catchy verbs when writing. These make your content appealing.
10. Replace Adjectives
Remember that a lot of adjectives make your content look exaggerated. Therefore, it does not give a good impression. We remember as children, we all were taught that adjectives make the content exciting.
No, it doesn't.
In professional writing, you need to limit the use of adjectives as much as possible.
For example, if you keep on writing that your product is 'unique' and 'innovative,' after every two lines, you can easily lose the attention of your potential customers.
So, if you aren't sure how to replace your adjectives, get in touch with the professionals to help you out. You can connect with WSH for quality content writing services. Also, you can spend some time reading your text louder. Highlight all the adjectives in it, and then replace or delete them. The key is that don't overdo anything. If there are more than 3 or 4 adjectives in each paragraph, eliminate them.
Ways to Learn Writing Good Content
These days, you'll find many talented writers. They have the potential to convey their message and hook their audience instantly. If you believe you are adding too much fluff and filler words in your content, explore the web to find what other writers are doing to avoid it.
A writer can always develop skills by learning the key tactics. All you need is good grammar, knowledge, research skills, creativity, and the willingness to write. Unfortunately, when writing, we've seen that people easily develop the habit of adding too many words. Mainly, they focus on meeting the word count. Hence, if you want to be a successful writer, it's best to avoid this; it will help in the long run.
It's best for business writers to learn from the successful and most viewed websites. Through this, they can find the dos and don'ts of writing. For this, you'll have to choose some sites and update yourself with their work regularly.
How Does WSH Provide You Fluff-Free Quality Content for All Niches and Industries
Writing Services Hub is one of the best service agencies that offer quality content writing services for all niches and industries. We have highly professional and experienced writers who produce fluff-free text to increase organic traffic and readership on your website.
The expert team working here knows how to define fluff and filler and the best practices used to avoid such content. These writers focus more on substance and create richer content that easily grabs readers' attention.
With WSH, you don't have to worry about the quality of content. We are known for ensuring quality content writing services that meet clients' expectations and amplify organic traffic on the sites. Through this, we ensure the competitiveness of your website, which facilitates ranking better on Google and other search engines.
Our team of expert writers has been specifically trained to provide fluff-free content for years. You can visit our website and review the testimonials by our clients to gain more reassurance. We produce quality content writing services that meet your demands and your deadlines!
So, get in touch with the best and most professional content writers today to get the proper assistance with your content marketing needs!