Power Words - much like power ballads and power suits, evoke an emotion.

Successful content marketing relies on words: specifically, power words. These power words, or trigger words, evoke an emotional response which results in conversion.

You can google and quickly find lists of 200plus power words. Any content strategist will tell you that it is more than just slotting the words in. The power words you use need to match your brand and understand where your client is on their relationship journey.

 What gives a word power?

All power words will have at least one of the following features:

·      Controversial or inflammatory

·      Unique

·      Shocking or surprising

·      Descriptive

·      Action

It creates a reaction in the reader which is strong enough to result in action.

 Every word counts

Every piece of writing should be as short as possible. Our attention span is short, and the demand on our time high. Power words hit hard. They get reaction through emotion. You want to create excitement, awe, and curiosity. You want to evoke greed: maybe an emotion with negative associations but in content marketing when you have a greedy reader, they want more. They will read, click and purchase.

 What emotion works for you?

The power words you need to use will depend on your sector. Beautiful, stunning, and exquisite will evoke vanity which is ideal for a photographer or wedding dress retailer. Forceful, command, and influence will evoke power and will suit certain watch brands targeted at men, or formal clothing. How to and imagine would be fantastic power words for a therapist or counselling service. Reliable, well-respected and expert would be suitable for a logistics or warehousing firm.

 Lost Opportunity

Not using power words, or using the wrong power words, will lose conversions and lower retention. A power word can evoke the emotion to get your email opened, the link clicked or the product purchased.

 Warning

A power word can be more than one word. For example, “save money”.

Be aware of other responses. Inexpensive will receive a more positive response than cheap, which is often associated with poor quality.

Once your email is opened, or your article read – deliver. Don’t use power words in your headline, and then not deliver on what has been promised.

 Great places to use power words

You can grab attention by using power words in headlines. “How to command attention to your emails” versus “How to get your emails read”.

Product names, particular E-knowledge products, can incorporate power words in their names turning a mundane topic into something enticing and intriguing: “The Ultimate Guide to completing your tax return” versus “How to complete your tax return”.

Your website pages can be titled with power words.

Call to Actions can be more successful with power words. “Grab Your Free Guide on Ridiculously Easy Ways to Increase sales” versus “Click here for a guide on increasing sales”.

 New ways for you to instantly get results

New, You, Instant – three of the five most persuasive words in the English language. Using trigger words in a sub-header can keep your reader scanning your content.

3 words to guarantee your content will be shared

Using numbers is powerful. It increases credibility and gives confidence in hard-hitting facts.

And keeping in mind, you should always deliver what your headline promises – discover, create and tell us.

Give it a go. See what happens when you add some power to your content.

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