801+ Power Words That Pack a Punch & Convert like Crazy

Power words are like a “cheat code” for boosting conversion rates. Sprinkle in a few, and you can transform dull, lifeless words into persuasive words that compel readers to take action.

And the best part?

You can use them anywhere.

In this post, you’ll learn how to use power words like a kung fu master. Specifically:

• The definition of power words (and why they’re so powerful);
• The 7 types of power words proven to increase conversions;
• Examples of how bloggers, freelance writers, and businesses are using powerful words to boost conversions;
• A huge list of power words you can use, bookmark, and reference (again and again).

Free Bonus: Click here to download all 801+ power words in one handy, free PDF.

Want to bring your ideas to life, to make them take up residence in the reader’s mind, lurking in the background, tugging, pulling, and cajoling their emotions until they think and feel exactly as you want?

Then you’re going to love this post.

Let’s jump in.

What are Power Words?

Power words are persuasive, descriptive words that trigger a positive or negative emotional response. They can make us feel scared, encouraged, aroused, angry, greedy, safe, or curious. Authors, freelance writers, copywriters, and content marketers use “power words” to spice up their content and compel audiences to take action.

Clear as mud?

Let’s deconstruct an example from the great Winston Churchill. All the power words are underlined:

We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many long months of struggle and of suffering. You ask, what is our policy? I can say: It is to wage war, by sea, land and air, with all our might and with all the strength that God can give us; to wage war against a monstrous tyranny, never surpassed in the dark, lamentable catalogue of human crime. That is our policy. You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word: It is victory, victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival.

Inspiring, right?

Here’s why:

Power Words = Emotional Words Packed with Persuasion

Smart speakers, as well as their speechwriters, sprinkle their speeches with carefully-chosen power words drenched in sensory details, drawing the audience from one emotion to another as skillfully as any novelist or screenwriter.

And it goes beyond speakers and storytellers.

Email marketing messages, copywriting, infographics, step-by-step tutorials, sales pages, inspirational quotes, content marketing, case studies, calls to action, testimonials, tweets, and other social media posts are all designed to influence the reader (and prospective customers) in some way. You want to pass along information, yes, but you also want the reader to feel a certain way about that information.

Maybe you want to impress them, get them excited, make them cautious, get them angry, encourage them to keep going, spark their curiosity, or any number of emotions. The better a job you do at making them feel, the more influential you are, and the better your chances of getting what you want.

So…

Looking for a quick way to give your writing more punch?

Maybe add a little personality or pizzazz — that extra little “oomph” that grabs your reader’s attention?

Then you need to expand your vocabulary and infuse your content with emotional power words.

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The 7 Different Types of Power Words

1. Fear Power Words
2. Encouragement Power Words
3. Lust Power Words
4. Anger Power Words
5. Greed Power Words
6. Safety Power Words
7. Forbidden Power Words

We’ve organized our power words into seven different types, which all accomplish the same goal: Each elicits emotion in your reader.

Let’s go over each type and see why these words work.

1. Fear Power Words

Let’s do a little experiment.

Just for a moment, stop reading this post, turn on the television, and go to a major news channel. Watch it for five minutes, listening for the words below.

Chances are, you’ll hear dozens of them. Here’s why:

Fear is without a doubt the most powerful emotion for grabbing and keeping an audience’s attention. To make sure you don’t change the channel, news networks load up with fear words, making you worry you might miss something important.

Granted, you can overdo it, but in my opinion, most writers don’t use these types of words nearly enough. They really do connect with people.

How to Crank Up Emotion with Fear Words

Here’s an example of a blog post headline here at Smart Blogger that utilizes three different fear words:

Open it and you’re greeted by this fear-packed introduction:

I was in agony.

Waves of pain unimaginable shot down my spine, causing every muscle in my body to contract as if I’d been shocked with 20,000 volts of electricity. My back arched up at an unnatural angle. My arms and legs began to shake.

One moment, I was on a webinar talking to a few hundred people about traffic, walking them through exactly how to start a blog and make it popular. The next, everything went dark. I was still conscious, but just barely.

Pretty effective, right?

Here’s another one:

If I’m working from home, will I lose my sanity if I don’t read this post? There’s only one way to find out. (Click!)

Want to sprinkle fear power words into your writing? Here are a bunch to get you started:

Agony	Lunatic
Apocalypse	Lurking
Armageddon	Massacre
Assault	Meltdown
Backlash	Menacing
Beating	Mired
Beware	Mistake
Blinded	Murder
Blood	Nightmare
Bloodbath	Painful
Bloodcurdling	Pale
Bloody	Panic
Blunder	Peril
Bomb	Piranha
Buffoon	Pitfall
Bumbling	Plague
Cadaver	Played
Catastrophe	Plummet
Caution	Plunge
Collapse	Poison
Corpse	Poor
Crazy	Prison
Cripple	Pummel
Crisis	Pus
Danger	Reckoning
Dark	Refugee
Deadly	Revenge
Death	Risky
Deceiving	Scary
Destroy	Scream
Devastating	Searing
Disastrous	Shame
Doom	Shatter
Drowning	Shellacking
Dumb	Shocked
Embarrass	Silly
Fail	Slaughter
Feeble	Slave
Fired	Strangle
Fool	Stupid
Fooled	Suicide
Frantic	Tailspin
Frightening	Tank
Gambling	Targeted
Gullible	Teetering
Hack	Terror
Hazardous	Terrorist
Hoax	Torture
Holocaust	Toxic
Horrific	Tragedy
Hurricane	Trap
Injure	Vaporize
Insidious	Victim
Epidemic	Cataclysmic
Bufoon	Suffering
Reckoning	Trauma
Dangerous	Annihilate
Invasion	Volatile
IRS	Vulnerable
Jail	Warning
Jeopardy	Nerd
Lawsuit	Wounded
Looming	Cringeworthy
Last chance	Fugacious
Worry	Wreaking havoc

2. Encouragement Power Words

Let’s face it.

When they’re reading, most people aren’t exactly bouncing off the walls with energy and enthusiasm. They’re probably bored, maybe a little depressed, and almost definitely tired.

And they’re looking for something, anything, that’ll wake them up and make them feel better.

The good news?

Your writing can do that for them.

How to Crank Up Emotion with Encouragement Words

Here’s an example email from Mirasee:

With two encouraging words — life-changing and magic — in one email subject line, it’s a message that stands out in most inboxes.

Want to give your readers a pep talk and get them charged up again? Want to encourage them?

Use these persuasive words:

Amazing	Jubilant
Ascend	Legend
Astonishing	Life-changing
Astounding	Magic
Audacious	Marvelous
Awe-inspiring	Master
Awesome	Mind-blowing
Backbone	Miracle
Badass	Miraculous
Beat	Noble
Belief	Perfect
Blissful	Persuade
Bravery	Phenomenal
Breathtaking	Pluck
Brilliant	Power-up
Celebrate	Praise
Cheer	Prevail
Colossal	Remarkable
Command	Revel
Conquer	Rule
Courage	Score
Daring	Seize
Defeat	Sensational
Defiance	Spectacular
Delight	Spine
Devoted	Spirit
Dignity	Splendid
Dominate	Spunk
Effortless	Staggering
Empower	Strengthen
Epic	Striking
Excellent	Strong
Excited	Stunning
Extraordinary	Stunt
Eye-opening	Supreme
Fabulous	Surprising
Faith	Terrific
Fantastic	Thrive
Fearless	Thwart
Ferocious	Titan
Fierce	Tough
Force	Triumph
Fulfill	Tremendous
Glorious	Unbeatable
Glory	Unbelievable
Graceful	Unforgettable
Grateful	Unique
Grit	Unleash
Guts	Uplifting
Happy	Valiant
Heart	Valor
Hero	Vanquish
Honor	Victory
Hope	Win
Incredible	Wonderful
Jaw-dropping	Wondrous
Kudos	Brighten
Lovable	Radiant
Flawless	Classy
Affable	Stupendous
Virtuoso	Cheery
Openhearted	Jovial
Beauteous	Logophile
Adorable

3. Lust Power Words

Like it or not, lust is one of the core human emotions.

Just look at the men’s and women’s magazines in the checkout aisle, and you’ll see what I mean. Nearly every headline on the cover is either blatantly or indirectly about sex.

And it works, not just for headlines in men’s and women’s magazines, but for messages to your email list, subheads in your articles, ad copy — anything.

As a writer, you can use words that inspire lust to make almost anything intriguing.

How to Crank Up Emotion with Lust Words

See if you can spot the lust words in this headline from Cosmopolitan:

Okay, the orange underlines probably give it away, but my hunch is you didn’t need them.

Power words like captivating and love jump off the page. And if you use them properly, they can stir all sorts of emotions in your readers’ heads. (Want to see your click-through rates soar? Add a lust word or two.)

Here’s a lascivious list of descriptive words to get you started:

Allure	Naughty
Arouse	Nude
Bare	Obscene
Begging	Orgasmic
Beguiling	Passionate
Brazen	Pining
Captivating	Pleasure
Charm	Provocative
Cheeky	Racy
Climax	Raunchy
Crave	Risque
Delight	Rowdy
Delirious	Salacious
Depraved	Satisfy
Desire	Saucy
Dirty	Scandalous
Divine	Seduce
Ecstasy	Seductive
Embrace	Sensual
Enchant	Sex
Enthralling	Shameless
Entice	Sinful
Entrance	Sleazy
Excite	Sleeping
Explicit	Spank
Exposed	Spellbinding
Fascinate	Spicy
Forbidden	Steamy
Frisky	Stimulating
Goosebumps	Strip
Hanker	Sweaty
Heavenly	Tantalizing
Hottest	Taste
Hypnotic	Tawdry
Impure	Tease
Indecent	Tempting
Intense	Thrilling
Intoxicating	Tickle
Itching	Tight
Juicy	Tingle
Kinky	Turn on
Kiss	Unabashed
Lascivious	Uncensored
Lewd	Untamed
Lick	Untouched
Lonely	Urge
Longing	Voluptuous
Love	Vulgar
Pleasurable	Charismatic
Riveting	Obsession
Mouthwatering	Compelling
Magnetic	Enchanting
Lovely	Engaging
Intriguing	Fascinating
Flirt	Alluring
Lure	Wanton
Luscious	Wet
Lush	Whip
Lust	Wild
Mischievous	X-rated
Mouth-watering	Yearning
Naked	Yummy
Sneak peek	Promiscuous

4. Anger Power Words

As writers, sometimes our job is to anger people.

Not for the fun of it, mind you, but because someone is doing something wrong, and the community needs to take action to correct it.

The problem is, with wrongdoing, most people are pretty apathetic — they’ll wait until the situation becomes entirely intolerable to do anything, and by then, it’s often too late.

So, we have to fan the flames.

How to Crank Up Emotion with Anger Words

The authors of this Forbes headline don’t pull any punches:

I didn’t realize some people get angry over business jargon, but apparently it’s a thing. And this headline, undoubtedly, had such people frothing at the mouth.

If you want to connect with people’s anger and slowly but surely work them into a frenzy, use the power words below.

Just be careful who you target. Lawyers can eat you alive if you pick on the wrong person.

Abhorrent	Money-grubbing
Abuse	Nasty
Annoying	Nazi
Arrogant	No good
Ass kicking	Obnoxious
Backstabbing	Oppressive
Barbaric	Pain in the ass
Bash	Payback
Beat down	Perverse
Big mouth	Pesky
Blatant	Pest
Brutal	Phony
Bullsh*t	Pissed off
Bully	Pollute
Cheat	Pompous
Clobber	Pound
Clown	Preposterous
Cocky	Pretentious
Corrupt	Punch
Coward	Punish
Crooked	Rampant
Crush	Ravage
Curse	Repelling
Debase	Repugnant
Defile	Revile
Delinquent	Revolting
Demolish	Rotten
Desecrate	Rude
Disgusting	Ruined
Dishonest	Ruthless
Distorted	Savage
Evil	Scam
Exploit	Scold
Force-fed	Sick and tired
Foul	Sink
Freaking out	Slam
Full of sh*t	Slander
Greedy	Slap
Gross	Slay
Harass	Smash
Hate	Smear
High and mighty	Smug
Horrid	Sniveling
Infuriating	Snob
Jackass	Snooty
Kick	Snotty
Kill	Spoil
Knock	Stuck up
Knock out	Suck
Know it all	Terrorize
Lies	Trash
Livid	Trounce
Loathsome	Tyranny
Loser	Underhanded
Lying	Up to here
Maul	Useless
Broke	Stink
Fear	Raise hell
Sneaky	Screw
Rant	Miff
Diatribe	Vicious
Weak	Diminish
Provoke	Hostile
Morally bankrupt	Worst
Thug	B.S.
Agitate	Boil over
Annoy	Violent
Misleading	Violate
Lollygag	Quixotic

5. Greed Power Words

The legendary copywriter Gary Halbert once said, “If you want people to buy something, stomp on their greed glands until they bleed.” Graphic, yes, but also true.

Skim through good marketing copy on an e-commerce site, and you’ll find a lot of power words based on vanity or greed. Many of them are so overused they’ve become cliché, but that doesn’t stop them from working.

The truth is, nearly every human being on the planet is interested in either saving or making money.

How to Crank Up Emotion with Greed Words

Its explicit and implicit use of greed words makes this popular book from Dave Ramsey a great example:

“Money” is hard to miss — it’s probably the ultimate greed word and it’s sitting there in capital letters.

But a title like “Total Money Makeover” also implies another greed word (even though it doesn’t directly state it): money-saving.

(It also gets bonus points for using alliteration and the safety power word “proven”, which we’ll discuss in a moment.)

If you want to stomp (which is also an excellent example of onomatopoeia, by the way) on your readers’ greed glands, use these power words:

Bank	Jackpot
Bargain	Lowest price
Best	Luxurious
Billion	Marked down
Bonanza	Massive
Booked solid	Money
Cash	Money-draining
Cheap	Money-saving
Costly	Nest egg
Discount	Pay zero
Dollar	Prize
Double	Profit
Explode	Quadruple
Extra	Reduced
Feast	Rich
Fortune	Savings
Don’t miss out	Fast
Giveaway	While they last
Instantly	Expires
Never again	Premiere
Final	More
Hurry	Sale ends soon
Value	Monetize
Big	Save
New	Deadline
Handsome	Noteworthy
Kick ass	Moneymaking
Knockout	Lucky
Notable	Amplify
At the top	Attractive
Wealthy	Ahead of the game
Legendary	Beautiful
Optimal	Good-looking
Successful	Bold
Fortunate	Sassy
Smart	Elegant
Gorgeous	Clever
Foxy	Quick-witted
Genius	Effective
Elite	Drop-dead
Crowned	Dazzling
You	Turbo charge
Bright	Super-human
Brassy	Booming
Boss	Unbeaten
Undefeated	Boost
Exclusive / Exclusivity	Frugal
Special	Price break
Before	Running out
Upsell	Bonus
Free	Six-figure
Freebie	Skyrocket
Frenzy	Soaring
Prosperous	Surge
Gift	Treasure
Golden	Triple
Greatest	Waste
High-paying	Wealth
Inexpensive	Whopping
Cheat sheet

6. Safety Power Words

Greed isn’t the only emotion you want buyers to feel. You also want to make them feel safe.

They need to trust both you and your product or service. They need to have confidence you’ll deliver, and they need to believe they’ll get results.

Of course, building that kind of trust starts with having a quality brand and reputation, but the words you use to describe yourself and your product or service also matter.

How to Crank Up Emotion with Safety Words

On the landing page for one of our Smart Blogger courses, we use power words to make sure our potential customers feel safe:

In addition to “legitimate” and “guaranteed” in the screenshot above, our landing page is sprinkled with numerous safety words:

• Money-back
• Results
• Refund
• Proven
• Risk-free

They work for us, and they can work for you.

Help your customers feel safe by using as many of these power words as possible:

Above and beyond	Privacy
Anonymous	Professional
Authentic	Protected
Automatic	Proven
Backed	Recession-proof
Bankable	Refund
Best-selling	Reliable
Cancel anytime	Research
Certified	Results
Clockwork	Risk-free
Endorsed	Rock-solid
Foolproof	Science-backed
Guaranteed	Scientific
Moneyback	Bona fide
Recognized	Authority
Studies show	Because
Scientifically proven	Genuine
Worldwide	Authoritative
Safety	Accredited
Fully refundable	Case study
Well respected	Dependable
Improved	Ensured
Expert	According to
Track record	Approved
Ironclad	Secure
Legitimate	Sure-fire
Lifetime	Survive
Money-back	Tested
No obligation	That never fails
No questions asked	Thorough
No risk	Trustworthy
No strings attached	Try before you buy
No-fail	Unconditional
Official	Verify
Permanent	World-class
Guilt-free	Don’t worry

7. Forbidden Power Words

Remember when you were a kid, and someone told you NOT to do something? From that point on, you could think about little else, right? Curiosity always got the better of us.

The truth is, we’re all fascinated by the mysterious and forbidden. It’s like it’s programmed into our very nature.

So why not tap into that programming?

How to Crank Up Emotion with Forbidden Words

This Ahrefs article tempts you with its headline:

What’s the “secret”? Only one way to find out.

Whenever you want to create curiosity, sprinkle these power words throughout your writing, and readers won’t be able to help being intrigued:

Ancient	Lost
Backdoor	Never seen before
Banned	Off the record
Behind the scenes	Off-limits
Black Market	Outlawed
Blacklisted	Private
Bootleg	Restricted
Censored	Sealed
Remote	Be the first
Ridiculous	Become an insider
Secrets	Bizarre
Shocking	Class full
Ssshhh!!!	Closet
Spoiler	Elusive
Supersecret	Hilarious
Thought-provoking	Illusive
Top secret	Incredibly
Trade secret	Insane
Uncharted	Interesting
Unconventional	Invitation only
Undiscovered	Key
Unexplained	Login required
Unexplored	Members only
Unheard of	Myths
Unsung	Odd
Untold	On the QT
Unusual	Priceless
Wacky	Privy
Zany	Psycho
Classified	Secret
Cloak and dagger	Smuggled
Concealed	Strange
Confessions	Tried to hide
Confidential	Unauthorized
Controversial	Uncensored
Covert	Under wraps
Cover-up	Undercover
Exotic	Underground
Forbidden	Under-the-table
Forgotten	Undisclosed
From the vault	Unexpected
Under the table	Unlock
Hush-hush	Unreachable
Illegal	Unspoken
Insider	Unveiled
Little-known	Withheld
Hidden

Back to Top

Now that we’ve looked at the different types of power words (and gone over a few quick examples), let’s go over all the different places you can use them:

Powerful Words in Action: 14 Places Where Strong Words Can Help You

1. Headlines
2. Subheads
3. Email Subject Lines
4. Opt-In Boxes
5. Homepage
6. Business Names/Blog Names
7. Product Names
8. Sales Pages
9. Testimonials
10. Bullet Lists
11. Button Copy (Call to Action)
12. Author Bios
13. YouTube Videos
14. Book Titles

1. Using Power Words in Headlines

Any writer or blogger who’s been in the game for a while knows the headline is the most important part of writing your blog post.

Its purpose, after all, is to entice the reader to read the rest of your content. If your headline fails to get attention, potential readers will ignore it when it shows up in their tweets and social media feeds.

Download All 801+ Power Words(in one handy, free PDF)

And just one or two power words in your headline is usually enough to make it stand out.

Just look at this headline from BuzzFeed:

The word “Unveiled” makes it feel like a secret is being exposed, and the word “Breathtaking” makes you curious to see what the photo looks like.

Here’s another example from BoredPanda:

People generally love anything adorable, so this headline will easily catch attention. (The fact that it refers to snakes will only make people more curious.)

The headline then drives it home by using the powerful verb “Conquer.”

Here’s one from BrightSide:

While one or two power words are often enough, this headline proves you can use more when it fits.

This headline has four powerful words, but they feel natural in the headline, which keeps it from feeling like over-the-top clickbait.

Last one:

This headline from our How to Make Money Writing: 5 Ways to Get Paid to Write in 2020 post incorporates two greed words: “money” and “get paid.”

It’s one of our most-popular posts, and its headline’s use of power words is a big reason why.

2. Using Power Words in Subheads

Too many writers overlook the value of subheads, which is a mistake. Once people click on your headline, most will scan the post first to see if it looks worthy of their attention.

Adding some power words to your subheads is a good way to make your post look like an interesting read.

For example, here are three subheads from our post on E-book mistakes:

See how the power words in these subheads grab your attention and make you want to read the text that follows?

Power words can help with SEO too. Adding one or two power words to your subheads will compel readers to stick around longer, which will increase your dwell time — a big deal in Google’s eyes.

3. Using Power Words in Email Subject Lines

Having an email list is of little use if only a handful of readers bother to open your emails.

And these days, most people’s inboxes are flooded, so they’re selective in which emails they open.

You can stand out in their inbox and raise your open rates by including power words in your subject lines.

Just look at this one from Ramit Sethi:

If this subject line would’ve read “The rules of learning,” do you think it would be as appealing? The powerful word “unspoken” is what makes it interesting.

Here’s another one from Cal Fussman:

Both “Triumph” and “Tragedy” are powerful words full of emotion.

And finally, here’s a good example from AppSumo:

The power phrase “Unleash the power” makes you feel this email is hiding something incredibly powerful inside.

See how that works?

When you send out emails to your list, try to add a strong word to your subject line so it stands out in readers’ inboxes.

4. Using Power Words in Opt-In Boxes

As a blogger, one of your main goals is to grow a large and engaged readership, and the best way to do it is by converting readers into subscribers.

That means — unless you’re using a blogging platform like Medium which doesn’t allow them — you should have opt-in forms scattered across your website.

You can place them on your homepage, at the end of your posts, in your sidebar, in a popup, or anywhere else.

But no matter where you place them, your opt-in boxes must catch people’s eye and make them want to share their email address with you. Because they won’t give it away to just anyone.

(Remember, their inboxes are already flooded, so they’re not necessarily eager to get even more emails.)

Fortunately, you can use power words to make your offer more enticing.

As an example, here’s an old popup from Cosmopolitan:

This popup had power words everywhere, but it avoided feeling like overkill. I bet it converted like crazy.

Here’s a slightly more subtle example from Betty Means Business:

It’s understated, but still quite effective.

Again, you don’t have to overdo it with the power words on these. A little can go a long way.

Here’s one final example from Renegade Planner:

In short:

If you’re not using power words in your opt-in boxes, you’re missing out.

Big time.

5. Using Power Words on Your Homepage

Your homepage is the face of your website and it’s usually one of the most visited pages. Many people who visit your website will see this page first, so you want it to make a good first impression.

Some people use their homepage to promote their email list, others use it to promote one of their products, and others use it as a red carpet — welcoming new visitors and explaining what their site is all about.

In any case, your homepage is a good spot to add a few power words, as it can determine whether people stay (and take the action you want them to take) or leave (never to return).

Look at this value proposition on the homepage for Nerd Fitness:

“Nerds,” “Misfits,” and “Mutants” are unusual power words that work well for Nerd Fitness’ target audience. These words immediately separate it from all the other fitness blogs out there.

But they push it even further with “Strong,” “Healthy,” and “Permanently.”

Here’s another value proposition from MainStreetHost’s homepage:

It’s quite minimal, isn’t it? They just wrote down three power words and follow it up with a service they provide.

Of course, you don’t have to limit your use of power words to the top of your homepage.

You can use it in other parts of the homepage too, as Ramit Sethi does here in his list of what you’ll get when you sign up for his email list:

Go look at your homepage now and see if you can find any areas you can spruce up with some power words.

6. Using Power Words in Business Names/Blog Names

Having a forgettable name is poison to your website’s growth. So when you start a blog, you want to make sure you have a name people can easily recall.

If you haven’t chosen your blog name yet (or if you’re thinking about rebranding), you should use a power word to give it some punch. The right word will make you stand out from all the boring, forgettable brands out there.

Just take a look at the collection of blog names below and see how well they’ve incorporated power words:

7. Using Power Words in Product Names

Just like you can use power words to spruce up your blog name, you can also use them to make your product names pack more of a punch.

It can make the difference between your potential customers thinking, “Ooh, this product sounds cool!” and them thinking, “Meh.”

Just check out this subscription product from Nerd Fitness:

It has such a powerful name that you’d almost want to sign up without learning anything else about it. Who wouldn’t want to be part of a community of rising heroes?

Here’s another good example from Pat Flynn:

It’s a powerful name for his podcasting course that instantly informs you of the benefit.

So if you’re about to launch a product (or if you’ve launched a product with a tepid name), consider giving it a power word to make it pack a punch.

8. Using Power Words on Sales Pages

You can also use power words to spruce up the copywriting on your sales pages and make them more effective at selling your e-commerce products or services.

They will grab people’s attention when they arrive on the page, they will keep their attention as they scroll down, and they’ll help seduce readers before they reach your “buy” button.

Just look at this headline on Ramit Sethi’s sales page for his product 50 Proven Email Scripts (which also has a power word in its name):

And as you scroll down, you see he keeps using power words throughout his sales page.

His headline is followed by emotion-packed subheads:

And he even uses power words in his guarantee:

9. Using Power Words in Testimonials

Power words are also tremendously effective in testimonials.

Of course, I’m not suggesting you change people’s testimonials to include power words. But you can certainly select the ones that already use them to great effect.

Just look at this example from Betty Means Business:

Or look at this one from Farideh’s blog:

And here’s another example from Renegade Planner:

All these testimonials will lend extra credibility and excitement due to their power words and phrases.

10. Using Power Words in Bullet Lists

Many sales pages include a list of benefits of the product they’re selling. Many opt-in forms include a huge list of reasons you should sign up to their email list. And many case studies use bullet lists to quickly summarize information.

You can use power words in these lists to inspire more excitement in your reader as they read through them.

Here’s one example from Ramit Sethi’s sales page for his How to Talk to Anyone course:

And here’s another example from an opt-in form on Restart Your Style:

Without these power words, these lists wouldn’t convince nearly as many readers to buy or subscribe.

11. Using Power Words in Button Copy and CTA (Call to Action)

Yep, you can use power words in your button copy too — even if you only have a few words you can fit in there.

One of the most common power words used in buttons is “Free” (as in the example below):

But you can be more creative with buttons than you might think.

Takes this button from the sales page for the book The Renegade Diet:

“Immediate,” “Money Back,” and “Guarantee” are all incredibly powerful words, and the author manages to squeeze them all into one button.

Here’s an example from Tim Ferris:

He could’ve used “Send Me the List” as most people would do, but “Unlock” makes it sound a lot more intriguing — like you’re getting access to something that’s been kept hidden away.

Now take a look at the buttons on your site.

Do you see any opportunities to spruce them up with a power word?

12. Using Power Words in Author Bios

Your author bio is another extremely important part of your marketing.

When you guest post for another blog (or write a paid article as a freelancer), your author bio has the difficult job of making readers want to know more about you so they click through to your site.

That means your author bio needs to spark attention and interest. And you usually only get three sentences, so you need to carefully consider the words you use.

As an example, here’s the author bio from Henneke Duistermaat in her post on overcoming writer’s block:

Henneke’s author bio is full of power words. It shows her uniqueness and makes her stand out from other copywriters.

You can tell she has carefully picked each perfect word for maximum impact.

Here’s another example from Sarah Peterson’s post on blog ads:

She opens strong immediately by mentioning her guides are insanely useful. And just the name of her report alone is full of power words: “Free,” “Reveal,” and “Begging.”

Makes you want to get your hands on that report, doesn’t it?

13. Using Power Words on YouTube Videos

If you’re publishing videos on YouTube and you want to get more views, you should use power words in your titles.

All the biggest YouTube channels do this.

They understand most of their views will come from their subscribers finding them in their feeds, and from people finding them in the sidebar of other videos.

In both cases, you’re competing with many other videos for their attention. If you want your video to stand out and be the one they choose to watch, your title has to be captivating.

See how Philip DeFranco does it below:

“Disgusting,” “Punishment,” and “Controversy” are all attention-grabbing words (and that’s besides the attention-grabbing names of Brock Turner, Star Wars, and Kim Kardashian).

Note also how he has capitalized “Disgusting.” It’s another smart trick many YouTube channels use to stand out more in YouTube’s lists of video suggestions.

Style vlogger Aaron Marino often does it as well:

By capitalizing the power words “Don’ts” and “Stupid,” his title catches a lot more attention (as you can see for yourself by the millions of views it’s received).

14. Using Power Words in Book Titles

If you’re interested in writing your own book, adding power words to your titles will help it sell better.

With all the competition in the book market these days, you need a title that grabs people’s attention and makes them want to peek inside.

Here are a few quick grabs from Amazon’s list of bestsellers in the self-help niche:

I’m sure you’ve seen this title before.

You might say Stephen Covey’s use of power words in his title has been highly effective. (See what I did there?)

Here’s another:

Mark Manson’s bestselling title is packed with power.

The power word “Subtle” juxtaposes well with the F-bomb in the title, and his use of “Counterintuitive” will spark some interest as well.

One more:

Lastly, Jen Sincero’s encouraging book title makes you want to flip it open and read it in one go.

The use of “Badass” alone will make it stand out in the self-development section, but her use of “Greatness” and “Awesome” in the subtitle truly seals the deal.

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Go Ahead and Tell Me. What Powerful Words Did I Miss?

They’re known by many names…

Emotion words. Good words. Strong words. Powerful words, creative words, sensory words, trigger words, persuasive words, descriptive words, impactful words, interesting words, positive words, unique words, and even — yes, seriously — awesome words.

But whatever you call them; smart, attractive people such as yourself have mastered the strategic use of power words and use this valuable communication skill every day to pack their writing with emotion so they can increase conversions.

Yes, this is an enormous list of words, but with so many power words and power phrases available, you’d need a thesaurus or Word of the Day dictionary to catch every single word on the first pass. (Plus, new words seem to be added to the English language every day.)

What are some other good words that seem to have that extra little spark of emotion inside them? Do you have favorite power words?

Share them in a comment below.

The post 801+ Power Words That Pack a Punch & Convert like Crazy appeared first on Smart Blogger.