你有没有想过为什么有些文章去病毒吗and others just… don’t? Or why one product flies off the shelves, but a similar (or maybe even superior) product collects dust?

Imagine being able to grab the attention of yourtarget audiencewith ease, sucking them into your website, your blog, or your store. Imagine increasing your conversion rate by 12 percent or more. Now, imagine that doing so is easy.

Professional speakers, marketing specialists, copywriters, and salespeople are all aware of the magic of powerful words. Words that can influence decision making. Words that sell.

But specialists and professionals aren’t the only ones who can take advantage of the benefits of persuasive words. Changing the vocabulary you use on your website or in your online store is easy and can have a massive impact on your conversion rate.It’s entirely possible to do so simply by inserting powerful words into your copy, your advertisements, your blogs, and your call-to-action buttons.

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The Power of The Written Word

“The pen is mightier than the sword.”Edward Bulwer-Lytton

Words have the power to change minds and evict emotion.在ir book,词可以改变你的大脑, Andrew Newberg, MD, and Mark Robert Waldman write: “a single word has the power to influence the expression of genes that regulate physical and emotional stress.”

What they are trying to say is that the words you use and the words you read affect your emotional state.

Words are the foundation of understanding and communication, which is essentially what you’re doing with your ads, copy, and blogs: you are trying to communicate. You are aiming to convey a message. That message may be “buy this,” “click here,” or “subscribe,” but you’re trying to communicate that without actually demanding it. The most effective way to do that is toelicit emotionwithin your target audience.

Using powerful words gives you the ability to pique curiosity, spark anger, and ignitepassion. These kinds of strong emotions are able to drive reactions and decision making, which in turn can help your e-commerce business flourish.

Take, for example,TeeSpring’s experiment改进他们的文字-动作按钮。在example on the left, you can see the language below the button states: “This campaign will not be printed unless the goal is reached.” However, the example on the right states: “Don’t worry, you won’t be charged unless the goal is reached!” Which statement makes you feel more comfortable and more likely to invest in the campaign?

Image credit:Optimizely

This small change increased conversions on the site by a whopping 12.7 percent just by changing the language used and throwing in a few powerful words.

Powerful Words

Let’s take a look at the different types of powerful words.

We already know that persuasive words are emotionally charged, so it makes sense to break them down into the types of emotions that are elicited. In the following sections, we will give you lists of power words for you to reference based on the kind of reaction you would like to trigger, as well as real life examples of these powerful words at play.

1. Fear and Anger Words To Spark Action

Anger and fear can cause irrational and split-second decisions. This emotion has a huge bearing on how we operate in the world. According toFast Company, anger “drives you to pick long shots over [a] safe bet, succumb to stereotypes, and makes you less willing to listen to advice.”

Anger and fear come on strong and fast. While you do not want your target audience to feel angertowardsyour company, you can use anger or fear in your favor if it is directed towards something or someone else.

For example, have a look at the advertisement fromPaesslerbelow:

Image Credit:PaesslerviaUs Magazine

This ad is directing fear towards failing IT systems and the risk associated withnotutilizing their services. It uses powerful fear words such as “critical,” “fail,” and “risk.” The goal with fear and anger words is to create the emotion and then to offer up a solution.

Image Credit:Entrepreneur

In this headline and subheadline, the words “survive,” “recession,” “crash,” “rampant,” and “hurt” are all utilized to instill fear in the reader.

List of Fear/Anger Words

Aggravate

Aggressive

Agitated

Agony

Alienate

Annihilate

Apocalypse

Appalled

Assault

Atrocious

Backlash

Beating

Beware

Blinded

Blood

Bomb

Bumbling

Catastrophe

Caution

Collapse

Condemn

Control

Corrupt

Crash

Cripple

Crisis

Critical

Damaging

危险

Deadly

Death

Dejected

Deplorable

Desperate

Demoralizing

Despicable

摧毁

毁灭性的

Disadvantage

Disastrous

Disgusting

Dread

Drowning

Dumb

Eliminate

Embarrass

Enrage

Envy

Epidemic

Exasperate

Fail

Feeble

Fired

Fooled

Frantic

Frightening

Frustrating

Furious

Gullible

Hack

Harmful

Harsh

Havoc

Hazardous

Hoax

Horrific

Hurt

Impatient

Infuriate

Insidious

Invade

Jeopardy

Loom

Lunatic

Lurk

Malicious

Meltdown

Mired

Nightmare

Offense

Ordeal

Pain

Panic

Peril

Pessimistic

Plague

Plummet

Plunge

Poison

Powerless

Precarious

Provoke

Pummel

Rampant

Rebel

Recession

Reckoning

Refugee

Repulsive

Resent

Retaliate

Revenge

Risk

Scandal

Scares

Scorn

Scream

Searing

Seeth

Shame

Shatter

Shocking

Smash

Spite

Stupid

Suck

Suffer

Survive

Target

Teetering

Terror

Torture

Toxic

Tragedy

Trap

Trauma

Unjustified

Unstable

Venomous

Victim

Vindictive

Violate

Volatile

Warning

Wicked

Wound

2. Pique Their Curiosity

Next to anger and fear, curiosity is one of the most difficult feelings to ignore. It is human nature to explore the world and find answers to unresolved questions. Somepsychologistssay that curiosity is akin to hunger or thirst, that it is a drive that must be satisfied. This curiosity “drive theory” explains why humans try new experiences, seek education, and why they might follow the link on that clickbaity article. Curiosity is an urge that can’t easily be ignored.

Curiosity is the reason websites like Upworthy, Us Weekly, and People Magazine have headlines that practically beg you to click on them. Take, for example, the headline below from People Magazine:

Image Credit:People.com

The words “rare” and “never-before-seen” are powerful words that pique natural curiosity. Humans are drawn to things that are scarce or odd, such as gems or a new invention, so claiming that something is “rare” will automatically draw us towards it, even if it’s not something that is particularly important.

List of Curiosity Words

Agenda

Astonishing

Backdoor

Banned

Behind-the-Scenes

Be the first

Bizarre

Blacklisted

Black market

Bootleg

Censored

Class full

Classified

Closet

Concealed

Confession

Confidential

Controversial

Covert

Cover-up

Crazy

Cringeworthy

Divulge

Emerging

Elusive

Exclusive

Extraordinary

Eye-opening

First

Forbidden

Forgotten

Fundamental

Hidden

Hilarious

Hush-hush

Illegal

Illusive

Insane

Insider’s Scoop

Intel

Invitation only

Key

Limited

Little-known

Lost

Members only

Myths

No one talks about

Odd

Off-limits

Off-the-record

Outlawed

Plot

Priceless

Private

Privy

Psychotic

Rare

Remote

Restricted

Reveal

Ridiculous

Secret

Select

Shh!

Shocking

Sly

Smuggled

Sneak-peek

Spoiler

Stealthy

Stunning

Super secret

Taboo

Top secret

Trade secret

Truth

Unadulterated

Unauthorized

Unbelievable

Uncharted

Unconventional

Undercover

Underground

Under the table

Under wraps

Undiscovered

Unexplained

Unexplored

Unheard of

Unique

Unlock

Unseen

Untapped

Untold

Unusual

Wacky

What no one tells you

Withheld

Zany

3. Greed Words – Make Them Want More

Some say that greed isprogrammedinto our genes, and may have aided in survival at an evolutionary period when food was scarce. Greed is another feeling that is hard to suppress. It taps into cravings and instant satisfaction, as well as the desire to get as much as possible, which is why it can be utilized in marketing with relative ease.

Take a look at the following image from ablog. Which powerful words do you see here?

Image Credit:ShaneBarker.com

“Monetize,” “earn,” and “fortune” are the three marketing words that are used to generate greed in the readers of the blog.

Image Credit:SoFi

This advertisement from SoFi uses “investing” and “free” as two powerful words. They also include “yes” to reinforce the message.

List of Greed Words

Bank

Bargain

Before

Best

Big

Billion

Bonanza

Bonus

Cash

Cheap

Costly

Deadline

Discount

Dollar

Don’t miss out

Double

Economical

Envy

Exclusive

Expires

Explode

Extra

Fast

Feast

Final

First

Fortune

Free

Freebie

Frenzy

Frugal

Gift

Giveaway

Golden

Greatest

Guilt-free

Hurry

Immediately

Imminently

Inexpensive

Instantly

Instant Savings

Jackpot

Last chance

Left behind

Limited

Lowest price

Luxurious

Magical

Marked down

Miracle

Missing Out

Monetize

Money

More

Most Important

Nest egg

Never again

New

Now

Pay zero

Premiere

Present

Price break

Prize

Profit

Profitable

Proven

Quadruple

Reduced

Remarkable

Results

Revolutionary

Rich

Running out

Safe

Sale ends soon

Save

Savings

Seize

Sensational

Should

Six-figure

Skyrocket

Special

Startling

Superb

Superior

Surge

Treasure

Tremendous

Triple

Truly

Trustworthy

Ultimate

Value

While they last

高达

Worthwhile

Zero

4. Rock-Solid Words To Build Trust

Ultimately, conversions won’t happen without trust. Even if you successfully draw people in with curiosity, anger, or greed, you are unlikely to earn your audience’s business unless they trust you.

According toClickz.com, a whopping 84 percent of millennials do not trust traditional advertising. They want to know that what they are purchasing, and the company they’re purchasing it from, is safe and secure. So, building trust is hugely important.

This is where these powerful words come to play. On top of having a reputable and high-quality brand, these persuasive words can lend you a helping hand.

Take a peek at this advertisement fromCaspermattresses:

Image credit:Casper

Adored. Trusted. Acclaimed.Original. Most popular. Award-winning. Loved. This ad is rife with catchy words that make you want to trust the company.

List of Trust Words

Absolutely

According to

Accredited

Accurate

A cut above

Adaptable

Advantage

Always

Anonymous

Approved

Approving

Assured

Astonishing

Astounded

Authentic

Authoritative

Authority

Backed

Because

Best

Best-selling

Bona fide

Cancel anytime

Case study

Certain

Certainly

Certified

Clarity

Confident

Conscious

方便

Definitely

Delighted

Dependable

别担心

Easy

Ecstatic

Effective

Emphasize

Endorsed

Ensured

Excellent

Expert

Extremely

First ever

Foolproof

Freedom

Fulfilled

Fully refundable

Genuine

Guaranteed

Highly effective

Honest

Honored

Humility

Improved

Instantly

Introducing

Investment

Ironclad

Lifetime

Loved

Moneyback

Never fails

No obligation

No questions asked

No risk

No strings attached

Official

Pay zero

Privacy

Professional

Protected

Proven

Recession-proof

Recognized

Refund

Relaxed

Reliable

Research

Responsible

Results

Rock-solid

Safety

Scientifically proven

Secure

Self-sufficient

Solid

Stable

Studies show

Supported

Supportive

Sure

Tested

Track record

Transparency

Trusted

Trusting

Truthful

Try before you buy

Unconditional

Verify

Well respected

Worldwide

5. Words To Satisfy Desires

Have you noticed a pattern among these categories of powerful words? They all relate to deeply ingrained human drives and emotions. When hearing the words “desire” or “lust,” most people assume it has to do with the birds and the bees. While it may be true that “sex sells,” lust can refer to having a strong desire for anything, including a product or a service.

The difference between “lust” and “want” is that lust usually terminates rational thinking. With lust words, you can create or recognize a desire within your consumers and then offer a way to sate the thirst for it.

The ad below fromMax Factorhas a slew of “desire” words:

Photo credit:Luxurytopics.com

Can you pick them out? This list of lusty marketing words includes: gorgeous, flawless, caring, perfected, glamour, and statement. These powerful words are meant to create a desire for perfect skin among the consumers.

List of Desire Words

Alluring

Arouse

Bare

Begging

Beguiling

Brazen

Captivating

Charismatic

Charming

Cheeky

Climax

Compelling

Crave

Deliriously

Depraved

Desire

Dirty

Divine

Ecstasy

Embrace

Enchant

Enchanting

Engaging

Enthrall

Entice

Excite

Exotic

Exposed

Fantasy

Fascinate

Fascinating

Flirt

Forbidden

Frisky

Hanker

Heavenly

Hottest

Hypnotic

Impure

Indecent

Intense

Intoxicating

Intriguing

Juicy

Lascivious

Lewd

Lick

Lonely

Lovely

Lust

Magnetic

Mind-blowing

Mischievous

Mouthwatering

Naked

Naughty

Nude

Obscene

Obsession

Orgasmic

Passionate

Pining

Pleasurable

Promiscuous

Provocative

Racy

Raunchy

Risque

Riveting

Salacious

Satisfy

Saucy

Scandal

Scandalous

Seduce

Seductive

Sensual

Shameless

Sinful

Sleazy

Sleeping

Spank

Spellbinding

Spicy

Steamy

Stimulating

Striking

Sweaty

Tantalizing

Tawdry

Tease

Thrilling

Tingle

Uncensored

Urge

Voluptuous

Wanton

Whip

Wild

Yummy

Conclusion

There are dozens of ways to sneak power words into your copy, advertisements, and your blogs. And there are countless other words and catchy terms that you can use on your website to evoke the response you desire.

Do you have any favorite powerful words that were not included in these lists? If so, share them in the comments below!

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