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3 Common Content Writing Mistakes I Learned From Erica Schneider of Grizzle (and how to fix them)

3 Common Content Writing Mistakes I Learned From Erica Schneider of Grizzle (and how to fix them)

Hey friend, welcome to today’s issue of Efikó. This newsletter by Dozie Anyaegbunam helps you make smarter decisions in content marketing and life. Anyway, hello, it’s good to see you. You’re doing great 😀

Happy Friday you all.

Apologies, I am super late today.

If you are looking for an informal guide to your career and life, I think the above tweet by Kevin Dahlstrom is a great one.

It’s an excellent way to assess your journey through this vortex called life.

For example, I am in the 35 - 45 range. And I think I have done a good job of focusing and specializing. I know the skills I want to build in 2023. And the courses I want to take.

Heck, I have an idea of the role I want to be in within the next three years.

But all this ain't set in stone. You do you. Find the formula or framework that works for you and stick to it.

A reminder — Content queen Erica Schneider of Grizzle will write next week’s Friday Deep Dive. She’ll be sharing all she knows about writing intros.

While we wait for Friday to come by, here are three common content writing mistakes I learned from shadowing Erica and how to fix them.

3 Common Content Writing Mistakes I Learned From Erica Schneider of Grizzle (and how to fix them)

i.

The first common content writing mistake we make is not answering the "why" or "how."You leave your reader with more questions than answers when you:- Don't answer why the thesis of your piece matters- And how it can help the readerThe result? You prompt them to leave and find the answer elsewhere.We don't want that, right?So, how to fix...Always ask yourself, what are readers walking away with?And follow key statements with:

Takeaways + breakdowns so they can apply the advice to their unique situation
How to prescriptively do the thing you described
Where can they find more info
Examples

Erica goes into more detail here 👇🏾

What are readers walking away with?
👆Ask yourself this at the start & end of every writing/editing session.
This reminds you to include:
-Takeaways
-Prescriptive tips
-Hypothetical examples
-Instructions on how to actually use/apply the thing/principle in the real world
— Erica Schneider (@ericasmyname)
3:28 PM • May 19, 2022

ii.

The second? Not removing filler.

These are ideas, phrases, or words that don’t add any value to your piece.

They don’t belong there. Cut them out.

You often find yourself using filler in your writing when:

You don’t understand the topic enough or haven’t done enough research
You are writing to a broad audience
You haven’t self-edited your piece (Erica has a fantastic thread on self-editing, by the way)

How to fix?

Find a word like “then” or “just,” remove it and see if the meaning changes. If not, cut. “If you’re not watching Untucked, then you’re only getting half the story.” Instead, “if you’re not watching Untucked, you’re only getting half the story.”
Say you're speaking to an experienced marketing audience. They don't need 101 lessons. This would be filler: "USPs are difficult to write, but following certain tips helps your journey." Imagine a CMO reading that.
It’s easy for us to add filler in transitions when writing H2s. "You're about to learn how to write USPs well. Let's look at eight examples." Instead, "here are eight USPs that get it right (and why):" Get to the point.

iii.

The third mistake? Overexplaining.

Redundant words are easy to spot. Redundant ideas are harder. They creep up when you're trying to drive a point home.

So you end up saying it two different ways. This is unnecessary and adds friction to the reading experience.

How to fix?

This thread by Erica is gold👇🏾

Redundancy sucks. It's the bad habit of saying something, then repeating it in a slightly different way, which kills flow.
Cutting redundancy is one of the biggest edits I make.
Here’s how to stop talking in an endless loop so your writing is silky smooth:
— Erica Schneider (@ericasmyname)
3:48 PM • May 10, 2022

And that’s it for today, folks. Come December 2nd, 2022; Erica Schneider will be doing a deep dive on writing great introductions. I can’t wait. Have someone who might find this helpful? Forward them this newsletter to subscribe.

2 Things I am Thinking About

i.

“Think in decades. Act now.”

Shane Parrish

ii.

1 Book Recommendation

If you’re looking for a kick-your-foot-up fictional read this Christmas holidays, you can’t go wrong with Edudzi Adodo’s Children of Stardust. It’s a refreshing read.