Sloppy content? Most common writers pitfalls

There’s no place for sloppy copy in your digital marketing. It wastes your reader’s time. It erodes the trustworthy, authoritative brand your team has worked so hard to establish. And it’s kind of embarrassing if you’re a professional who wants to create work you’re proud of. Whether you’re an up-and-coming content writer or an experienced editor, you can easily fall into bad habits that lead to weak writing if you aren’t careful: Poor time management. SEO confusion. Overconfidence or imposter syndrome. All of these factors and more can wreck your writing quality. But they’re all fixable if you know what to do.  In this guide, we’re covering the most common pitfalls of the writing and editing processes that result in subpar copy.  Ready to hone your skills? Sharpen your proverbial pencil and circle any of the sections below that apply to you. Whatever you’re struggling with, we’ve got a solution for you. Tough love included.  Why Does Good Content Writing Matter? Simply put, the quality of your content writing can make or break your marketing efforts. Excellent writing supports reading comprehension and audience engagement. It’s a safe harbor for readers who are tired of wading through a sea of mediocre content. It’s also great for SEO. Search algorithms prioritize helpful content. A disorganized blog riddled with errors isn’t as helpful as a clear, concise one.  Plus, good writing is essential to establishing trust with your readers. As Edelman’s 2022 Trust Barometer found, consumers’ distrust and fake news fears are at an all-time high. We can all agree: Poorly written content just looks sketchy. What Is Good Writing, Anyway? Believe it or not, there is such a thing as objectively good writing. As a writer or editor, you can train yourself how to spot and strengthen mediocre copy. At a basic level, good writing should be: Grammatically correct.Well-organized, with a seamless flow between ideas.Built on the principles of logical reasoning. There’s more to it, of course. An HBR piece about the science behind effective business writing sums this up in a series of eight S’s to follow: Simplicity: Make your copy easily digestible to help readers understand your writing. Long-winded sentences and passive voice can reportedly slash reading comprehension by 10%. Specificity: Make every word count. Precise language helps get a deeper message across.Surprise: Give readers a novel experience — no pun intended. One study found that articles containing elements of surprise were 14% more likely to get shared.Stirring language: Enhance your message with emotion. This sparks a stronger reaction in the brain compared to cut-and-dry content.Seductiveness: Allow readers to follow their curiosity and anticipate what’s to come. Smart thinking: Let readers have “aha” moments along the way. These create flurries of brain activity and contribute to feelings of delight and satisfaction.Social content: Insert a person-centric angle into your copy. Any sort of human connection will stick with readers longer than an impersonal explanation will.Storytelling: Build a captivating narrative into your copy and you’ll tick many of the other S’s on the list. Run down this list and see if your copy includes enough of these characteristics. That’s a good “do” to start with. Now, what about the “don’ts”? Let’s jump into the writer pitfalls that may be tripping you up and hampering your content quality: Subscribe toThe Content Marketer Get weekly insights, advice and opinions about all things digital marketing. Thanks for subscribing! Keep an eye out for a Welcome email from us shortly. If you don’t see it come through, check your spam folder and mark the email as “not spam.” As a Writer… 1. You’re Rushing Through the Writing Process When deadlines loom large and time is scarce, you may be tempted to prioritize speed over quality. But hastily written content often features sloppy errors, lacks coherence and fails to engage readers.  The fix: Give yourself sufficient time to research, draft and revise. With ample time to craft your content thoughtfully, you can take a second pass to ensure your copy is clear and free of mistakes before you hit publish. 2. You Lack Confidence in the Subject Matter If ever you feel uncertain or uninformed about the topic you’re writing about, your readers will know right away. Content that lacks depth and authority won’t resonate with your audience; it will only undermine your brand’s credibility. The fix: Start by familiarizing yourself with the subject matter. Arm yourself with foundational knowledge before diving into in-depth research. Once you’re ready to hit the blank page, pull on your “confident content writer” hat and remember to write in an authoritative tone. 3. You Aren’t Self-Editing If you fail to review and revise your work before it goes live, you can easily end up with copy that’s riddled with grammatical errors, inconsistencies and awkward phrasing. These mistakes can sneak in when you’re busily typing away or toggling between tabs of research, notes and project briefs. Overlooking simple errors will diminish your writing’s quality and erode your readers’ trust. The fix: Edit along the way. Take a break from your copy and review it with fresh eyes one more time before you finish. Focus on clarity, coherence and conciseness. Look for places where sentences can be tightened, ideas clarified and errors corrected. Try to catch and fix as many writing issues as possible before your editor can spot them. 4. You Don’t Realize You’re Making an Error With so many grammatical rules for professional writers to keep track of, you wouldn’t be alone if you unknowingly break a few. But knowledge gaps can lead to errors that look like lazy mistakes to discerning readers. The fix: Commit to enhancing your understanding of writing mechanics. Read about common grammatical errors and learn the correct usage. Lean on resources like grammar guides, online courses and copywriting workshops to deepen your knowledge. Until you commit the do’s and don’ts to memory, create a self-editing checklist or display important writing rules on sticky notes so they’re impossible to miss. 5. You’re Having an “Off” Day You’ve no doubt experienced days when your creativity seems out of reach and the words refuse to flow. These sluggish stretches can feel frustrating and demoralizing, but yielding to them leads to sluggish copy. The fix: Find strategies to reignite your creativity and restore your focus. Whether you prefer to take a walk, switch to a different task for a while or make yet another cup of coffee, find something to help you snap back into the task at hand. Don’t let those pesky “off” days dictate your writing quality.  6. You’re Struggling to Meet Word Count Requirements Fulfilling high word count requirements can be daunting, especially if you’re working under tight deadlines or with limited source material. Be careful, though: Padding your content with wordy, fluffy filler content will dilute its value. The fix: Prioritize clear and concise writing. Eliminate redundancies and fluffy passages that don’t contribute to your overall message. Do additional research or examine your topic from new angles to gather more material. There’s always a way to write more; just make sure your version of “more” is truly worth reading. 7. You’re Trying to Squeeze in Awkward Words or Phrases for SEO Incorporating keywords unnaturally will disrupt the flow of your content. You’ll end up with forced, clunky copy that won’t meet “helpful content” SEO objectives, anyway. The fix: Prioritize the reader experience. Work keywords that enrich your content’s value into sentences that flow naturally. Consider cutting any random phrases that don’t quite fit in; this can only improve your writing quality and it most likely won’t ruin your ranking potential.  8. You Aren’t Applying Previous Feedback or Guidance Ignoring or overlooking constructive criticism can stall your project and limit your growth as a writer. It can also make it look like you don’t listen or take direction well — not great for your reputation as a professional content creator. The fix: View feedback as an opportunity to strengthen your writing skills. Keep notes to track one-off suggestions and recurring themes, then actively work to address them in your writing. A self-editing checklist or sticky note reminder can help here. If you aren’t sure how to implement a piece of feedback, reach out with questions. Whatever you do, don’t just ignore it. 9. You Aren’t Working With an Editor If you’re too protective of your work to let an editor touch it,…



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