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Increasing Readability: Power Words
MYM Tip #25
You first have to realize that thousands of hours are invested by the world's greatest admen trying to figure out what motivates people to buy. . . especially when it comes to writing headlines for ads. Believe me, it's not an easy thing to do. It takes hours and hours of work and testing to finally come up with the one headline, phrase, offer, etc. that out pulls the rest.
Even though it's tough for the great ones, I can make it easier for you by giving you a short list of power words, phrases, openings, and transitions that elicit emotion, response, and action from your prospects. For example, when John Caples analyzed the 100 greatest money-making headlines of all time, he found that these following 10 words appeared over and over and over again (the actual number of times is indicated in parenthesis):
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You (31)
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Money (6)
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Your (14)
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Now (4)
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How (12)
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People (4)
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New (10)
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Want (4)
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Who (8)
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Why (4)
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You can see that "you" and "your" appeared far more than any other words. This illustrates the importance of addressing your prospects on an individual level.
As indicated in the report, you have to talk about what your prospects want - not what you want. Remember, its called WIIFM (What's In It For Me). These next sets of words are to help you start thinking about how you should be writing to your prospects. These words will give your ads, letters, etc. life, emotion, value, and impact.
Use them in everything you write, especially headlines.
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News Value
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Interest
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Announcing
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Absorbing
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Latest
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Information
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Revolutionary
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Revealing
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Advanced
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Secrets
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Presenting
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Exciting
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Size
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Surprise
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Massive
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Amazing
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Spacious
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Astounding
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Mammoth
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Striking
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Vast
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Fantastic
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Quality
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Appearance
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Fine
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Classic
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Exclusive
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Elegant
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Rugged
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Charming
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Durable
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Spectacular
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Imported
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Lavish
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Rare
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Exquisite
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Authentic
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Distinctive
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Selected
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Utility
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Approval
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Easy
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Proven
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Handy
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Guaranteed
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Practical
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Acclaimed
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Versatile
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Tested
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Reliable
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Popular
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Lifetime
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Quick
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Money
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Miscellaneous
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Wealth
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Gift
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Fortune
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Successful
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Profitable
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Immediately
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Reduced (price)
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Absolutely
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Lowest (price)
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Only (price)
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Discount (price)
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Complete
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Free
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Other Words That Work Wonders
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suddenly
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miracle
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now
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magic
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announcing
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offer
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introducing
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quick
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improvement
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easy
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amazing
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wanted
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sensational
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challenge
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remarkable
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compare
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startling
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hurry
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Persuasive Phrases That Work
Free offers often work well in direct-response advertising. Here are some examples:
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Yours free
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Free trial lesson
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Free gift
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Free to new members
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Free booklet
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Free examination
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Ask for the free report
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Free demonstration
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Free guidebook
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Free audio cassette
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Literature free
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Free consultation
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32 page catalog free
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Try it free for 10 days
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Free sample
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Yours for the asking
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News Related Introductions
Try these fresh intros:
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Just arrived
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New method of ______
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New here
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New modernized _____
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It's here
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Latest findings
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New discovery
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Just off the press
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New and improved
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Just published
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New invention
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Just out
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Important development
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Beginning (date)
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The world's first ____
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At last
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How To Phrases
People want to know how to do things - how to get ahead, how to solve problems, how to enjoy life. In each of the following HOW phrases you can complete the phrase with your own solution to the prospect's problem.
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How to ________
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How to get the most out of ______
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How to get ______
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How to avoid _____
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How to have______
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How to end ______
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How to keep _____
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How to get rid of _____
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How to start_____
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How to conquer _____
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How to begin _____
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How I _____
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How to improve your _____
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How I improved my _____
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How to become _____
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How to enjoy _____
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How to develop _____
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How you can _____
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Information
People buy magazines and newspapers and listen to broadcasts to get information. You can successfully compete for attention by telling your prospects the things they want to know.
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Seven ways to _____
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The truth about _____
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The one sensible way to _____
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Plain talk with _____
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Profitable tips for _____
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Confidential chats with _____
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20 tips for _____
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Advice to _____
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Your one sure way to _____
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The common sense way to _____
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Guide to _____
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Facts you should know
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Mistakes you can avoid
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What you should know about _____
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Confidence Building
No matter how attractive your offer is, you must build believability into your ad. Here are some phrases that will help.
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Award winning
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Take this test
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Seal of approval
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Founded in (year)
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Over ___ thousand sold
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What others say about__
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Proven in laboratory tests
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Money back if you're not delighted
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