Hi my friend!
A little Sunday edition of Content Backstage this week! Friday got away from me with some deadlines, so here we are.
I've been writing a lot lately, which also means reading a lot of articles for research.
And it's got me thinking about what makes a piece of content actually good.
For me, high-quality content isn't just about covering a topic thoroughly. It's also giving readers clear, specific, and useful information without boring them or making them dig for it.
And a lot of that comes down to editing. Sometimes, instead of adding more, you need to remove what's getting in the way.
Here are three things I look for when editing a first draft.
1. Sentences that announce what you're about to say
You know the ones:
"There are several benefits of using a CRM for your business. Let's explore some of the key advantages."
And then comes a list of benefits.
The heading probably already told readers what to expect. So why make them read another two sentences before getting to the actual information?
I usually get straight to the point.
2. Repeated ideas disguised as new information
Sometimes, a paragraph explains something clearly, and the next sentence repeats the same idea in slightly different words.
It's easy to miss when you're writing, especially in longer articles.
But if a sentence doesn't add new information, clarify something, or help the reader understand the point better, does it really need to be there?
3. Vague statements that could appear in any article
Things like:
"This can help businesses save time, improve efficiency, and drive better results."
Okay, but how?
These sentences sound useful without telling the reader much.
I either make them more specific or remove them entirely.
I write long articles myself, so I'm definitely not saying shorter is better. But if I can explain something in two sentences instead of five without losing anything important, I will.
A little exercise for your next editing session: Read through a draft and highlight every sentence you could remove without losing important information.
You might be surprised by how many you find.
See you next Friday,
Kate š
