Types of power words
Whether you are in the process of marketing a food product, promoting a local service, or simply attempting to draw attention to a virtuous cause or organization you represent, you can use power words in many different avenues.
From using your favorite power words in printed marketing materials to incorporating all the power words that are relevant to your brand in various online promotions and pieces of content.
When it comes to powerful words, there are many different types of power words. Understanding the meaning of power words is essential before applying any emotion-evoking words to your marketing materials, content, or to your brand itself.
Appealing to a wide range of emotions when you use emotional power words is a way to directly affect specific individuals based on the target demographics you are trying to reach.
Trust and comfort power words
Incorporating trust and comfort power words can help with building trust between you and prospective customers or clients.
Whether you are attempting to generate sales of products and services or establish yourself as an authoritative source in a particular market, you can do so with the right trust and comfort power words.
When you write a blog post, using trust and comfort power words can help to connect with your audience while building a bond between you and those who visit your website.
Some common trust and comfort power words include:
- According to X [expert/source]
- Accredited
- Anonymous
- Approved
- Authentic
- Backed
- Best-selling
- Certified
- Endorsed
- Ensured
- Expert
- Global/globally
- Guaranteed
- Improved
- Lifetime guarantee
- Money-back
- No questions asked
- No risk
- No strings attached
- Official
- Proven
- Recession-proof
- Refund
- Research
- Results
- Safety
- Scientifically-proven
- Secured
- Studies show
- Surveys show
- Unconditional
- Worldwide
Greed power words
While this may seem counterintuitive if you want to build a long-lasting trustworthy relationship with customers and users of your brand, greed power words are also extremely powerful in many different corporate scenarios, from generating sales to creating a sense of urgency among customers.
Examples of greed power words include:
- Bargain
- Best
- Big
- Billion
- Cheap
- Economical
- Exclusive
- Giveaway
- Greatest
- Guilt-free
- Hurry
- Limited
- Luxurious
- Massive
- Money
- Prize
- Profit
- Quick
- Rich
- Save
- Savings
- Skyrocket
- Soaring
- Surge
- Treasure
- Triple
Curiosity power words
Evoking curiosity among your online visitors, followers, or customers can also go a long way in building and establishing credibility for your business and brand. Curiosity power words can motivate users to make purchases while also encouraging and/or incentivizing them in a positive manner.
A few curiosity-based power words might include:
Astonishing
Banned
Bizarre
Black market
Blacklisted
Censored
Classist
Classified
Illegal
Insider
Invitation-only
Limited
Members only
Shocking
Sneak peek
Spoiler
Strange
Top secret
Unauthorized
Unbelievable
Unpredictable
Vanity power words
Appealing to an individual's own vanity is nothing new. In fact, it is one of the oldest tricks in the books for marketers who work in fashion and retail today.
Vanity power words can motivate individuals to make purchases based on appealing to their pain points or their own ego.
Using the following vanity power words can help you to appeal to an individual's ego:
- Amazing
- Awe-inspiring
- Bold
- Boost
- Clever
- Conquer
- Elegant
- Elite
- Epic
- Fearless
- Genius
- Gorgeous
- Knockout
- Legendary
- Lucky
- Quick-witted
- Remarkable
- Sassy
- Smart
- Strong
- Stunning
- Successful
- Triumphant
- Ultimate
- Undefeated
Angry power words
Using angry power words is not always an optimal choice, although it can be entirely suitable in the appropriate scenarios. With the use of anger power words, you can appeal to an individual's emotional attachments and personal pain points that impact their everyday lives and themselves personally.
Some anger-based power words that can be used to evoke strong responses in those who view them might include:
- Abuse
- Agitate
- Arrogant
- Broke
- Brutal
- Bully
- Corrupt
- Crooked
- Foul
- Hostile
- Liar
- Lies
- Loser
- Morally-bankrupt
- Narcissistic/Narcissist
- Rant
- Revolting
- Ruthless
- Smug
- Sneaking
- Snob
- Snooty
- Stuck Up
- Thug
- Vicious
Lust power words
If you are attempting to sell products or services that relate to sex, connections, or relationships, use words that relate to lust to appeal to an individual's senses and motivate them to engage in your brand or make a purchase of their own.
A few examples of lust power words include:
- Alluring
- Breathtaking
- Beautiful
- Compelling
- Depraved
- Desire
- Dirty
- Exotic
- Flirty
- Forbidden
- Lonely
- Magnetic
- Mouthwatering
- Obsession
- Passionate
- Provocative
- Riveting
- Sexy
- Shameless
- Sleazy
- Stimulating
- Tantalizing
- Teasing
- Thrilling
- Uncensored
Fear power words
Fear is one of the most powerful emotions known to mankind. The use of fear-driven marketing is also nothing new, especially when you are attempting to sell a life-changing product or service to your customers.
With fear-based marketing, you will evoke self-preservation emotions and responses from prospective customers, which may then encourage people to make a purchase.
Common fear-based power words that are used in many different mediums include:
- Agony
- Apocalypse
- Armageddon
- Assault
- Backlash
- Beware
- Blinded
- Fooled
- Frightened
- Gullible
- Hack
- Horrific
- Reckoning
- Revenge
- Risky
- Savage
- Selfish
- Shattering
- Terrorize
- Trap
- Trauma
- Volatile
- Vulnerability
- Warning
- Worry
- Wounded
Use power words in your emails
When you write an email, using power words that resonate with your current subscribers is a must, especially in the highly competitive email marketing world that exists today.
To use power words in your emails, outline your emails properly and be selective with the elements of your emails that you want to stand out most. When crafting your email when you use power words, be sure to keep the following tips in mind.
Purpose and goals
What is the purpose of the email you are sending to your current subscribers? Are you trying to solve a problem for your users, offer a unique product, or possibly provide an option that is unavailable anywhere else on the market?
Are you attempting to convert subscribers into premium users, customers, or followers online? Defining your goals ahead of time can help with selecting the right power words list based on your ultimate vision.
Target demographics
Who are you targeting with your emails? What age range, gender, and location do you intend to appeal to with your emails? Will you be honing in on specific demographics, or are you attempting to spread the visibility of your brand as much as possible?
The more specific your target audience is, the easier it is to choose the right power words that are likely to resonate with them on a personal level.
Headers and subheadings
Choosing the right power words for each individual header and subheading you incorporate into your emails is extremely important. Be sure to choose power words that are relevant to the tone you want to convey to your readers whenever you create catchy email subject lines.
Response
What type of emotions do you want to evoke with your emails when you use power words? Before you begin crafting your copy, consider the ideal response you are seeking from your current subscribers and future potential readers.
Boosting your conversions with power words is possible once you understand the audience you want to reach, their pain points, and the overall message you are trying to convey for your brand.
When you use power words, you have the opportunity to connect with subscribers, loyal followers, and committed customers on a deeper level, which can significantly boost your conversions, whether you are looking to generate online sales or simply attract new followers on social media.
