Cut the Fluff is a weekly newsletter that will help you become a more confident writer & editor. If this was sent to you, subscribe here so you don't miss the next lesson.

Hey Reader,

There are three things you should never promise someone (unless you can follow through):

• Fixing something that's broken
• Keeping a secret
• Sharing "how to do something" in your content

Ok, fine, there are like a million more things you shouldn't promise (even to yourself) if you're gonna drop the ball. Like promising you'll be on time for things when you've got unpredictable toddlers who love to play, "Get me in the car seat if you can!" A game you did not agree to, which makes it even more fun for them, and terrible for you.

But I digress.

Let's focus on point three:

Never promise you'll share "how to do something" in your content unless you plan to follow through.

This is one of the biggest offenses I see when editing.

9/10, it's not the author's intention to make a promise without following through. And yet, it happens all the time.

In my opinion, there are two reasons for that:

1. You're an expert, so the "how" is too intuitive: It's so easy to think you're giving enough value when you can do the "how" in your sleep. We can blame the "curse of knowledge" here.
2. You're not an expert, so the "how" is out of your depth: This is a problem many writers run into when they're producing content on a subject they don't know much about (no amount of research can substitute real-life experience). This often happens when you're hired to ghostwrite or are writing for yourself but explaining something you just learned.

Let me give you an example:

The promise: Say you're writing a blog post, and you promise the reader you'll show them how to stop wasting time on unqualified leads.

This example follows the What → Why → How framework and is an example from my Content Editing 101 course.

What: Don't waste time on unqualified leads.

Ok, but why?

What + Why: Don't waste time on unqualified leads. They bloat your pipeline, waste resources, and lead to missed opportunities.

Cool. HOW can I avoid this mistake?

What + Why + How: Don't waste time on unqualified leads. They bloat your pipeline, waste resources, and lead to missed opportunities. Create consistent rules for flagging cold leads and prescribe an action for each one. For example, if you’ve contacted a lead five times and they’ve never opened your emails, it’s time to dump them. Send a breakup email…

Here, you’d go on to explain even further HOW to dump them.

If you're an expert, you'll likely stop before you get to the, "For example" part of the sentence. Because it's so intuitive to you how to do the thing, you forget to show your reader what you mean and how they can do it themselves.

And if you're not an expert, you'll likely stop because you don't really know how to do it, or, you're new to doing what you're describing and don't feel confident doling out prescriptive advice yet.

For non-experts:

If you're writing for yourself, the best way around this is to not make a promise at all. Be completely upfront about how you're testing something, don't really know what you're doing, and are simply sharing as you go.

For example, "Don't waste time on unqualified leads. I've been selling a new service for a month, and I'm learning this the hard way. Too many people are booking calls who don't have the budget to pay. I'm not an expert on how to disqualify poor leads, but this is what I'm testing right now (and it seems to be working):"

Here, you've deescalated the promise, so anyone reading understands that your advice is not bulletproof and is more of an experiment than a lecture.

If you're a non-expert hired to ghostwrite, you have two paths forward: do more research and/or speak to subject matter experts themselves.

And when you're self-editing, anytime you explain what something is and why it's important, make sure you follow that up with how to do it.

For the experts:

You need to overcome the curse of knowledge. Every time you think you're explaining how to do something, ask yourself, "Would I have known how to do this when I first started?"

If the answer is no, add more detail.

"But Erica, what if my audience are experts like me?"

Great question.

Still share the how, but tailor it to your audience's experience level.

For example, I was at a conference a few months back, and the presenters promised to show us (a room of experienced marketers) how to create a certain type of content. I was intrigued because I'd never created this type of content before, and I may one day.

Unfortunately, they spent the first 30 minutes going over bare-bones basics in the name of "context." I'm talking blanket rules that apply to all types of content in order to make it valuable, like "make sure it's targeted." Duh.

By the time they got to the meat of the presentation, I was a bit bored, and my excitement had waned.

As an "expert" in the audience, I would've much preferred they cut the first 30 minutes into 5. Don't teach me the context as if I need to learn it, rather, make a point that this context applies to this new form of content, too.

That way, you're setting an important foundation so I understand "the fundamentals still apply" but not boring me with lessons I don't need.

Now, I may be the asshole here because other people in the room could've needed that context. This is also a lesson in expectation-setting. Aim to give enough context to get everyone by, but cater to the majority in the room. If someone needs more, have those "basic" resources available to send as supplemental info later on.

And for both experts and non-experts, for the love of LinkedIn, please do not fall into the fluff listicle post trap:

This post has over 1,000 likes because one of the top LinkedInfluencers wrote it.

This person can "get away" with this, but even so, why would they want to? It's extreme fluff. There is zero actionable advice here. It's a dopamine hit, nothing more. And it's completely useless.

How do I edit my post to make it more accessible?

How do I edit my tone of voice?

How do I write it in a digestible format?

This is so prevalent that people who explain how to do things on LinkedIn stand out simply because they're actually helping you do a thing.

It's wild out there. I hope this lesson helps you help others so you can help yourself :)

If you're interested in leveling up your self-editing game so you can create valuable, differentiated content, grab my Content Editing 101 course. I got this message on LinkedIn this morning, and it made my heart go bump:

Cheers,

Erica

Check out my 3 courses that 1600+ people have taken, loved, and gotten meaningful results from

1. Long to Short: Turn one long-form piece into a month's worth of posts. A step-by-step system to repurpose, remix, and remaster your best ideas.

2. Hooked on Writing Hooks: Turn your ideas into content that actually gets consumed. Learn to write scroll-stopping hooks on social without resorting to clickbait nonsense that feels inauthentic.

3. Content Editing 101. Kill decision fatigue and build confidence as a writer and editor. A look inside a professional editor's workflow & best practices. Packed with lessons, examples, and a roadmap so you can stop second-guessing your writing & editing decisions.

Each course is AI-powered 🪄

You can go through them manually or use AI to play, get it done faster, and test your new skills in real time. My friend & prompt genius Rob Lennon wrote all the prompts and bots for the courses.

Get in the Content Sparring ring 🥊

Seasoned solopreneurs and founders don’t get nearly enough love when it comes to content support. I’m changing that.

What happens when you're ready to make a bigger impact? When you want to feel more fulfilled by your writing? When you want to influence more people, get better clients, and feel more creatively aligned?

Reply with the 🥊 if this is you and you want to work with me 1:1 to grow your authority even more and become known for a niche you own. And/or attract and convert people you actually want to work with (so you can ditch clients who aren't a perfect match).

​

What'd you think of today's email? Reply and let me know.

Erica Schneider

​​​

​

​