SPA Girls Podcast – EP241 – Power Words

May 27, 2020

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In this episode we talk about power words. Those take action words that entice your readers to click that BUY NOW button!

Research and numerous studies from psychologists and social scientists have come to a consensus on the five most powerful words in the English language.
You
Free
Instantly
Because
New

But first, remember it’s really important to know:
– Who you’re writing your advertising copy for
– How that person thinks
– What that person needs
So before you craft your beautiful book description or facebook ad, keep top of mind your understanding of your readers – what tropes they like, what type of hero, what you actually want them to DO (eg buy now, read more, visit website, enter giveaway etc).

David Ogilvy (“The Father of Advertising)*’s top twenty power words were:
Startling
Miracle
Revolutionary
Bargain
Announcing
Sensational
Compare
Improvement
Now
Suddenly
Magic
Quick
Easy
Hurry
Wanted
Offer
Remarkable
Amazing

Greed words – we want more!

Bargain, bonus, cheap, discount, 99c, ultimate, expires, limited, new, now, before, ultimate, value, running out. (don’t miss out!)

Curiosity words – what’s going on?

hush-hush, banned, be the first, behind the scenes, class full, little known, login required, sneak peek, strange, top secret, unauthorized, insider. (not everyone knows about this…)

Sloth words – how can I make this easier?

All-inclusive, cheat sheet, downloadable, easy, effortless, kickstart, how-to, in less than, piece of cake, roadmap, freebie, gift, guide, no problem. (I want to do it but only if it’s easy)

Lust words – I really, really want this!

Captivating, compelling, crave, dirty, mind-blowing, steamy, sex, urge, forbidden, exposed, mouthwatering, naughty. (How can I not want this?)

Vanity words – I don’t want to look bad…

At the top, amazing, awe-inspiring, boost, booming, fearless, sassy, saucy, spectacular, jaw-dropping, kick-ass, legendary, conquer, courage, hero, dazzling. (How can I be like this?)

Trust words – They know what they’re talking about.

Approved, accredited, authority, official, results, secure, refund, proven, well respected, world wide, USA Today bestseller, NYT bestseller. (I can trust this to be good)

Anger words – This makes me angry!

Abuse, agitate, arrogant, backstabbing, foul, greedy, hostile, lies, loser, ruthless, smug, sneaky, brutal, morally bankrupt, diminish, evil, victim, violent, payback. (I hate those nasty peeps, I love it when they get theirs)

Fear words – I don’t want to miss out! (most powerful motivator of all)

Hack, danger, dangerous, fail, looming, mistake, pitfall, catastrophe, agony, annihilate, backlash, beware, bloodbath, corpse, destroy, poor, prison. (I don’t want to make this mistake, so I’ll do what you ask)

As a writer there are many areas we can amp up with power words:

Your manuscript – think about word choice: Eat vs devour or nibble, walk vs stride or stalk, smile vs smirk or grin.

Your blurb – this is sales copy. You need to use a strong hook, and even stronger words to evoke emotion.

Your tag line – Short, sharp, evoking emotion.

Your FB Ads – use power words to trigger emotional or psychological responses in readers.

Your AMS Ads – limited words, make sure you use powerful ones.

Your FB Posts/ Your Instagram Posts / Your Twitter Posts – appeal to your readers by knowing the emotion you’re trying to elicit, and the action you’d like them to take.

Your Newsletter – again, know the emotion you want to elicit. Know how you want them to feel about your book.