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6 Redundancies that Creep into Your Writing

  • April 10 2015
  • Comments Off on 6 Redundancies that Creep into Your Writing
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There are many authors who weren’t a fan of using fluff writing in their works. Ernest Hemingway for example never used a word that was unneeded in his writing, even going as far as being able to write a story in six words. Although it can be easy to fill your content with filler or redundancy in order to attempt to write descriptively, it is best to avoid it in order to keep your writing concise. All you have to do to have a successful piece of content is to write what is familiar to your readers and choose your words carefully. Think of fluffy words as having no real value, as they really won’t add anything to your writing. Here are six types of redundancies that you should avoid at all costs in order to keep your copy compact, but still very satisfying to readers.

 

 

1.  Words That Mean the Same Thing

Avoid writing copy that has words in it that mean the same thing. For instance, writing “we keep all investments secure and safe” can be cut down to “we keep all investments safe”. By avoiding using two words that mean the same thing you are keeping your message clear, and freeing it from any unneeded fluff. The same thing applies to writing two sentences that mean the same thing. If you’ve already said something then there won’t be a need to say it again.

 

 

2.  Writing Phrases in Place of Words

There’s no need to write whole phrases when one single word would do the trick. In some cases you can cut out whole phrases by simply replacing them with a single word that will sum up everything you’re attempting to say. For instance, writing “Only perform this step once you’ve completed everything else” can be replaced with “perform this step last”.

 

 

3.  Don’t Write About What Readers Already Know

Eliminating redundancy isn’t just about using concise words; it’s also about writing content that has tangible value. If you’re going about repeating things that the reader obviously knows or just are writing about common knowledge then the entire content will be redundant, no matter how to the point and well written it is. It’s common for writers to get into trouble with this when they’re attempting to make their content easy to read for everyone. Keep in mind that copywriting is about writing for a specific audience and so your content should be geared toward your audience, acknowledging what they already know.

 

 

4.  Remove Words That Don’t Have Value 

The most redundant words are the ones that don’t add any kind of value to your writing. These words include such things as “there” and “very”, and so it’s best to replace them with words that are weightier. For example, Instead of saying “our employees are extremely friendly” you can just say, “our employees are friendly”. Another example is instead of saying “Get a free present with each purchase”; you can say, “Enjoy a free present with each purchase.” This will give the sentence more of a emotional resonance with your readers.

 

 

5.  Use an Active Voice

It’s crucial that you know the difference between writing in a passive voice and an active voice, as once you do you’ll know how to make your writing more confident and direct without relying on inputting additional redundant words. For example, saying “we will send a copy of your invoice to you through our representatives”, you can better get your point across by saying “you will receive a copy of your invoice from us”. This will get the point across without using unneeded words that lead your reader to be confused.

 

 

6.  Edit Edit Edit 

The number one way of avoiding any kind of redundancy is to edit profusely. The only means of eliminating all of the unneeded fluff in your content is to go back and reread it, and cut out anything that you think you could do without. It’s recommended that you take a step back from your writing once you’ve completed it in order to take a breather. This way you can get a fresh perspective that will allow you to cut away the words and phrases you decide don’t add anything to your content.

 

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Cameron Mackey

Cameron is the Content Manager for the Vorongo Blog. He has spent three years in various content marketing roles. When he is not working with Vorongo he enjoys photography and hiking.

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