Effective Copywriting Tips

Fluff or filler in marketing and sales copy will lose your reader’s attention and a potential conversion or sale. You have about 30 seconds to grab a reader’s attention while they scan the content, asking themselves, “how does this help me?” Writing copy that rambles will bore the reader and can be a turn-off. You may even lose their trust in wanting to buy from you. 


Excellent marketing and sales copy eliminates overly wordy sentences and paragraphs. It is concise, clear, and on topic. Great copywriting begins with a captivating opening sentence and a compelling “hook” to engage the reader. The rest is solid, practical information.


As a member of the Forbes Agency Council, I was part of a 15-panel team of experts who helped illuminate how to eliminate the fluff in marketing and sales copy. Below is the advice that I shared in the article published at Forbes.com. 


Start By Writing In Bullet Point Format 

My favorite trick to remove fluff is to begin by writing in bullet point format, often aiming for an eighth-grade reading level. Marketers like to provide a lot of context and background information, which can make sentences long and less punchy. Writing in short bullets can help identify the most salient points, and then it’s easy to expand from there as needed.


Eyeful Media structures copy by including predefined headings, subheadings, and content, coupled with a multi-step review and editing process. The well-defined structure and editing process helps us to eliminate fluff and extraneous points. 


Below is a list of 15 ways to eliminate copy filler or fluff provided by my colleagues and me at Forbes. For actionable insights, visit Forbes.com to read the full article. 


15 Pro Tricks for Removing Fluff in Marketing and Sales Copy

  1. Keep It Short and Simple

  2. Ask Someone Outside of Your Industry To Read It

  3. Write What You Want the Audience To Pass Along to Others

  4. Combine Expertise With AI Copy Tools

  5. Write Only What Solves the Reader’s Problem

  6. Use Active Versus Passive Voice

  7. Treat the Customer As the Hero of the Copy

  8. Focus on the Benefits

  9. Always Come Back to Your Single-Minded Thought

  10. Write Your First Draft As if You’re a Caveman

  11. Use Verbiage That Is Familiar to Your Audience

  12. Get All the Words Down on Paper, Then Make Cuts

  13. Start by Writing in Bullet Point Format

  14. Try Having Kids Read Your Copy and Cutting Adverbs

  15. Read It Out Loud


For details on how Eyeful Media can help you with your social media, SEO, or paid search marketing, learn what makes our digital marketing agency unique, and contact us for a consultation.

Antonella P.