As writers and editors, we know that our word choices are important. Some messages call your readers to action – others not so much. What is it that makes one paragraph soar while others fall flat? According to fictitious studies published some 40 years ago, certain power words capture our attention more than others. Though the studies are fictitious, they have been viral for over 40 years! How’s that for setting a trend?
If you’re a blogger and writing to impress clients, the following are the words that transcend decades. Take them to heart and they’ll help grab your reader’s attention.
You – pretty obvious here. Humans are essentially interested in themselves. “You” captures our attention and keeps it there. Instead of writing a blog using the safe and boring 3rd person, jazz it up. You’ll see the results.
Results – Hey hey! People are essentially results-driven. If you want to see good results, follow these steps and create engaging copy.
Health – Playing on our collective fears here. Our own mortality is important to us. Thus, our eyes pick up on words like health, well-being, and longevity.
Guarantee – We want to be sure of things. This is why we marry, why we fear death, and why deep water is spooky – the uncertainty of what we can’t see, don’t know, makes us queasy. If you can offer a guarantee to your customers, I can guarantee your customers will appreciate it.
Discover – Apparently it’s fundamental to being human to thrill at discovery. We’re delighted to discover things we didn’t know before. We’re called by what’s beyond the next peak, around the next corner.
Love – It’s what drives us to action, conquers death, and is the only thing worth living for. This and “hope” are all we have left.
Proven – Certainty again. We don’t want to gamble with our money on shady services. We want proven results. If you can offer this, or include “proven” in your copy, things will work better for you.
Safety – Another thing humans appreciate – knowing when we’re danger-free and safe and sound.
Save – Money? Time? Headache? Heartache?
New – Noticing a trend here?
And there you have it – a list of the top 10 words you should include in your copy to engage your readers. This isn’t to say that if you pepper your work with these you’re guaranteed to increase your readership or engage your customers. People still want unique, interesting copy, but this list is a good way to keep these hard-hitting words at the top of your memory.
–Hudson Hornick
Alchemy On Demand