Marketing power words that will increase conversions
Catherine Bowden - 4 November 2019
In marketing, words really do matter and language can be used to influence purchasing decisions. You only have a small number of characters to use to really sell your business and to get your message across to current and potential customers. Therefore, it’s important to carefully select the words and phrases you’re going to use in your marketing campaigns and in the copy on your website and social media.
There are a number of different types of power words and phrases you can use to improve your brand messaging and increase conversions. Take a look…
Stimulating the senses
Research into purchasing behaviour has determined that particular words can stimulate the senses. Emotions influence decision-making, so inducing positive emotions in your customers is a brilliant way to make your mark on purchasing decisions.
Additionally, marketing that creates a strong emotional response helps to humanise your brand, which has a knock-on effect of generating engagement and memorability.
Some stimulating words you could use to tap into your customer’s emotions are:
- Blissful
- Breath-taking
- Love
- Luxurious
Colour is another important aspect of triggering emotion in marketing…find out more.
Tapping into fear
Fear is also an important emotion that can be used in your marketing. The concept of fear can be used to your benefit in many ways; the fear of missing out, the fear of making the wrong purchasing decision, and many more. However, remember that inducing extreme fear in your customers must be avoided as this will only decrease the persuasion of your message.
Here are some words and phrases that can induce fear:
- Don’t be fooled
- Beware
- Risky
- Alarming
Portraying trust and safety
When marketing your products or services, you need your brand to be portrayed as trustworthy and reliable. In order for your customers to spend money on your products or services, they need to trust that this investment will be worthwhile and that your business is legit.
There are a number of keywords you can include in your marketing to make your customers feel safe:
- Authentic
- Certified
- Secure
- Verified
Implying the need for immediate attention
When marketing an offer or a promotion, using words that suggest urgency is a great way to capture your target audience’s attention and boost your conversions. Fear of missing out (FOMO) is a concept you should be taking advantage of in your marketing.
Use words and phrases such as:
- Act now
- Limited time only
- Exclusive offer
- Hurry
Creating the feeling of exclusivity
The words that you select for your marketing and copy can be used to make your customers feel special and valued by your business, or to portray a product or service as exclusive to them.
To do this, you can use words including:
- Limited edition
- Unique
- Rare
- Premium
Personalisation
Another way to create a feeling of exclusivity is through personalisation. The use of ‘you’ is a useful tool in marketing because it focuses the attention on the customer and talks directly to them. As an example, saying ‘Recommendations for you’, rather than just ‘Recommendations’, makes your message all about the customer and is, therefore, a more effective use of words.
In addition, the use of personalisation in your email marketing has proven to be extremely powerful. This involves directly addressing each individual within the email copy, using customer’s first names, with personalised emails seeing a 10% increase in conversions.
Words to avoid in marketing
On the other end of the spectrum, there are also some words you should avoid in your marketing. Certain words may be seen as over the top and have the opposite effect than intended. They may even deter potential customers, as these words can often be misleading, with no way for customers to prove that these standards have been reached. These include:
- Revolutionary
- Life-changing
- Out of this world
- Miracle
Using power words in your marketing will help to capture the attention of customers and increase conversions. However, your careful selection of words is just one ingredient to a successful marketing campaign. If you’re looking for further guidance with your next marketing campaign, why not take a look at our digital marketing services? Or get in touch today to find out how we can assist you on your marketing journey.
