Do you ever sit quietly and wonder how the most successful bloggers seem to effortlessly generate never-ending engagement? Maybe you assume they are all just extremely gifted in the wordsmithing realm. If you do, you’re right, but only in part. Blogging success is credited to much more than just knowing how to write. Here’s what you can’t always see from the surface, as a reader of the final product, and how to transform your blog into an engagement magnet. Read on to learn more about some of the best editing tips that are going to power your blog posts.
This Is the Secret to a Successful Blog
Do not, for one moment, believe that editing is just proofreading for grammar and spelling. If you do, you’ll miss out on the entire spectrum of color that your writing can portray. In truth, editing is mostly about removing the unnecessary fluff surrounding your message. Believe that you don’t have fluff? Think again. A seasoned editor will remove up to 25% of a manuscript before sending it to be published. Blogging is no different; the secret to blogging success lies in the editing process.
Where Can You Find a Blog Editor?
Hiring an editor for your blog could end up being the best decision you’ve ever made. Before you can, you have to know where to look. Here’s where blog editors can be found.
Local Classifieds – do a local search on Google or check out Craigslist. Freelance Websites – have you ever hired on Upwork, or Digiserved? Fiverr – you’d be amazed what you can get for $5. Writing Service — you can use the help of professional writers to do the editing for your blog.
Don’t Want to Hire an Editor?
You may want to make your blog edits yourself, rather than outsource to someone else. That’s great. Aside from proofreading for grammar and spelling, you need to learn some intermediate editing tips. Get started with these. Tip No. 1: Remove unnecessary “padding” from your posts A grammar expletive is any phrase that begins with it is, it was, it won’t, it takes, here is, there is, or there will be. Expletives do nothing besides pad your article, so toss these elements first. Examples: (cut out the words in italics) 1. There are several tactics to ensure that your blog is well-written. 2. When writing a blog, you can start to create more engaging posts with powerful edits and hacks. Tip No. 2: Use powerful verbs Using weak verbs can hinder the delivery of your message. You spot a weak verb by the momentary impact… Rather than “seemingly executing” the action, “execute” the action. Examples: 1. He Writes. instead of He is writing. 2. She thinks highly of herself. instead of She seems to think highly of herself. 3. They stay home. instead of They never go anywhere that could be considered worthwhile. 4. He chose the best option. instead of He had several options before he settled on this one. Tip No. 3: Remove weak adjectives To spot weak adjectives, look for the words “really” and “very” – this is where they often hang out (really tired, very cold). Rather than using a weak adjective, replace it with a more powerful synonym. Examples: 1. …scorching instead of …hot. 2. …chilly. instead of …cold. 3. …emerald. instead of …green. 4. …at snail speed. instead of …slow. Tip No. 4: Scour your sentences for flab Cutting out the excess will serve you as well as these other tips. Your readers have a short attention span, so don’t give them more than they need. Scour your sentences for flab (unnecessary verbiage) and remove it. Examples: (cut out the words in italics) 1. Well, the truth of the situation is… 2. Each individual… Everyone… 3. …what it is that makes… Tip No. 5: Nothing is really, very, or extremely anything Though you may want to enhance a descriptive word by making it really red, very emotional, or extremely hard, don’t. Instead of enhancing a word by supplementing one of the crutches above, switch it out for a more impactful word or simply remove the crutch word. Examples: (cut out the words in italics) 1. Thursday’s homework was extremely difficult. 2. They really wanted to make the deadline. 3. So many people want to know.
Conclusion
Following these editing tips will power your blog posts. Before you hit the publish button, make sure your editor does their magic, or you take these steps:
- Remove expletives that provide unnecessary padding. 2. Ensure the use of powerful verbs. 3. Replace weak adjectives with impactful synonyms. 4. Remove unnecessary verbiage. 5. Delete the words “very,” “extremely,” and “really” where they aren’t necessary. Following these steps will improve the readability of your posts. Try them out now, and experience the difference.
