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If you make just one resolution for 2015, let it be this – stop publishing fluffy content. You’ve read the statistics. You know the importance of content marketing. You blog regularly and make an effort to stay active on social media. But are you contributing to the conversation or fostering “fluff”?

Unfortunately, the web is far too crowded with pointless articles that serve virtually no purpose at all. If you want to be part of the noise rather than the static, you’ve got to cut the fluff and create something of quality.

Here are three ways to make sure you’re creating well-informed content and avoiding the fluff:

  1. Make sure you have a point of view.

    Is there a byline on your blog posts or is your company publishing as “XYZ staff”? While having a solidified brand voice throughout your company website is important, your blog is a place for key players at your company to get a little personal and share their expertise. Whether you have one or a dozen spokespeople for your company publishing through your blog, it’s important that the audience knows who they are hearing from.

    This makes each blog post more unique – it’s not just another post on the challenges of corporate project management. It’s Tom, your project manager, sharing his personal point of view on these challenges and how he made changes for improvement. With this tactic – using blog writers from within your own company – your blog instantly has a point of view that takes it out of the realm of fluff.

  1. Start a conversation with your audience.

    Fluffy content is written in a vacuum. It doesn’t invite a response or spark any sort of action by the audience. Your company blog isn’t a soapbox – it’s more like a public forum. But you need to encourage your audience to get involved. You can do this by making sure your content has authenticity and purpose.

    As you consider a blog post topic ask yourself “would my audience really care?” if the answer is “no,” then rethink your approach and develop a topic that your audience is more likely to respond to. Take a contrarian view to a popular topic. Ask key questions throughout the article to invite comments. If you put your best thinking out there, you’ll invite a response.

  1. Provide essential details that inspire your audience to look further.

    Fluffy content is thin on details. It paints generalities about situations, and glosses over the intricacies. Strive to be as detailed as possible with your content in order to paint an intriguing picture for your audience. Details take your content out of the fluff zone and turn it into a valuable asset.

    Put on your journalist hat and ask the age-old questions “Who, What, Where, When and Why?” Review your content before you publish and be sure you’ve provided answers to this. This tactic will help ensure that you’re providing all of the necessary details – and making your content count.

Just say no to fluff!