A single word can hold a lot of meaning. Power words are specific words that invoke an immediate response from a reader. It might invoke curiosity or summon an emotion or reveal something about the product or service that influences whether or not you decide to purchase. 

Why some words tickle our brains more than others is something linguists and psychologists have long studied, but you know it when you see it. (Or, err, read it.)

Power words may not be poetry, but they can transform boring writing into compelling copy and inject your headlines with the kind of energy that keeps your readers engaged and scrolling down the page.

Places to Use Power Words

You can use power words anywhere, but they really shine when they’re used in shorter copy elements. You can use them sporadically throughout your body copy, but you might run the risk of writing unnecessarily wordy fluff-filled sentences. In general, stick to:

• Website headlines

• Sales page headlines

• Ad Copy

• Blog Post Titles

• Button copy / Calls-to-action

• Benefits bullets

• Email subject lines

• Microcopy

• Product names

Here’s a before-and-after headline example:

Inspire your team to take action.

-VS-

Galvanize your team to take action.

In this example, “inspire” is lackluster, but “galvanize” conveys a sense of urgency around a collective purpose and elevates the brand’s mission with one simple word swap. 

Will Using Power Words Increase My Conversions?

Yes and no. You still need to have a strong offer and a central idea to make your audience give a hoot about what you’re selling. Think of power words as the icing on the cake. Are you more likely to choose the undecorated sponge cake or the one with marble-swirled, cream cheese and caramel frosting?

Overusing power words risks hyperbole, and losing your audience’s trust.

For example:

My signature, invitation-only, one-of-a-kind, 90-day coaching program will help you level up your leadership, and turbocharge your marketing so you can build a world-class, recession-proof, iron-clad business.

Like, whoa, Becky. Either you have a lot to prove or you need to put down the double espresso and do some breathing exercises. 

In the example above, you might have been going for energy and excitement but the sentence was hard to follow, the main point got buried, and you actually came across like a used car salesman meets corporate jargon robot. (And we all know this is the exact reason you’re afraid to write your own sales copy in the first, place, right?)

The key to using power words is to use them sparingly so they retain their effect. Reserve them for copy sections where you need to make a point and pique your reader’s interest or snap them back to attention. Not every line of copy needs to be gilded in gold.

100+ Power Words to Spice Up Your Copy

ACTION

• Awaken

• Compel

• Fire up

• Galvanize

• Inspire

• Jolt

• Jump in

• Kickstart

• Maneuver

• Pique

• Plunge

• Prime

• Pull the trigger

• Pump up

• Pursue

• Tackle

• Take charge

• Urge

CURIOSITY

• Ancient

• Be the first

• Become an insider

• Behind the scenes

• Bizarre

• Classified

• Confessions

• Confidential

• Covert

• Elusive

• Exotic

• Forbidden

• Forgotten

• From the vault

• Hidden

• Hush-hush

• Insider

• Invitation only

• Key

• Little-known

• Lost

• Members only

• Myths

• Never seen before

• Off the record

• Off-limits

• Private

• Privy

• Ridiculous

• Sealed

• Secret

• Secrets

• Shocking

• Spoiler

• Ssshhh!!!

• Strange

• Supersecret

• Thought-provoking

• Top secret

• Trade secret

• Uncensored

• Uncharted

• Unconventional

• Under the table

• Under wraps

• Undercover

• Undiscovered

• Unexpected

• Unexplained

• Unexplored

• Unheard of

• Unlock

• Unsung

• Untold

• Unusual

• Unveiled

• Wacky

• Zany

FEAR

• Cringeworthy

• Dangerous

• Deadly

• Deceiving

• Devastating

• Disastrous

• Doom

• Epidemic

• Fail

• Feeble

• Frantic

• Hack

• Hazardous

• Horrific

• Insidious

• Last chance

• Looming

• Lurking

• Panic

• Peril

• Pitfall

• Plague

• Risky

• Sanity-saving

• Searing

• Shame

URGENCY

• Back into the vault

• Exclusive

• Last chance

• Limited

• One time only

VALUE

• Golden

• High-paying

• Instantly

• Jackpot

• Knockout

• Legendary

• Lowest price

• Luxury

• Marked down

• Massive

• Monetize

• Money

• Money-saving

• Moneymaking

• Optimal

• Premiere

• Profit

• Rich

• Six-figure

• Skyrocket

• Surge

• Turbocharge

EMOTION

• Alluring

• Beguiling

• Brazen

• Captivating

• Charismatic

• Charm

• Cheeky

• Compelling

• Delirious

• Divine

• Enchanting

• Heavenly

• Hypnotic

• Intoxicating

• Juicy

• Luscious

• Lush

• Magnetic

• Mischievous

• Mouth-watering

• Mouthwatering

• Pining

• Pleasurable

• Riveting

• Shameless

• Sneak peek

• Spicy

• Tantalizing

• Tempting

• Thrilling

• Tickle

• Turn on

• Unabashed

• Untamed

• Yearning

• Yummy

ENCOURAGING

• Astonishing

• Astounding

• Audacious

• Awe-inspiring

• Blissful

• Breathtaking

• Brilliant

• Colossal

• Daring

• Easy

• Effortless

• Empowering

• Epic

• Eye-opening

• Fierce

• Graceful

• Heroic

• Jaw-dropping

• Legendary

• Level up

• Life-changing

• Magical

• Marvelous

• Masterful

• Mind-blowing

• Miracle

• Phenomenal

• Power-up

• Radiant

• Remarkable

• Score

• Seize

• Spunk

• Staggering

• Striking

• Stunning

• Supreme

• Thrive

• Titan

• Unbeatable

• Unleash

• Win

RISK/SAFETY

• Algorithm-proof

• Accredited

• Anonymous

• Approved

• Automatic

• Backed

• Bankable

• Best-selling

• Bona fide

• Cancel anytime

• Certified

• Clockwork

• Dependable

• Endorsed

• Expert

• Failsafe

• Foolproof

• Fully refundable

• Guaranteed

• Guilt-free

• Improved

• Ironclad

• Legitimate

• Lifetime

• Money-back

• Moneyback

• No obligation

• No questions asked

• No risk

• No strings attached

• No-fail

• Official

• Permanent

• Privacy

• Professional

• Protected

• Proven

• Recession-proof

• Recognized

• Refund

• Reliable

• Research

• Results

• Risk-free

• Rock-solid

• Safety

• Science-backed

• Scientific

• Scientifically proven

• Secure

• Studies show

• Sure-fire

• Tested

• Thorough

• Track record

• Trustworthy

• Try before you buy

• Unconditional

• Verify

• Well respected

• World-class

• Worldwide

• Worry-free

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