You have your keyword report that says which keywords searchers are looking for when they search for your website or/and your product, but you might need some inspiration to add flavor and improve conversion. I have collected some words that I hope will inspire you.
People don’t notice the same things after continually exposed to them again and again. In online marketing banner blindness is the best known example. People simply get used to banners that advertising for something that is not worth there time, therefore they stop seeing the banners after a while. The same thing happens with words that are used to make us do something.
Therefore, you have to change your action words ones in a while to keep them working. The problem for most writers is that it is extremely difficult to change the words because of old habit.
I have made this list of actions word to help you change words ones in a while to keep making your web copy effectfull.
I think the categories are self explainable, if not then drop a comment.
Indicating Authority: famous, widely used, talked about, authentic, trusted by, trend setting, first choice of, widely, widely recognized as, endorsed by, well-known, , famed, renowned, eminent, prominent, illustrious, legendary, reliable, dependable, legitimate, popular, distinguished, renowned, notable, distinguished, well-known, recognized, reputed.
Indicating Uniqueness: one and only, exclusive, premium, the best, elite, unrivaled, distinguished, the top, second to none, distinctive, exceptional, number 1, undisputed, best quality, top quality, unparalleled, superior, special, extraordinary, out of the ordinary, singular, unique, outstanding, sole, only one of its kind, inimitable, matchless, incomparable, one and only, peerless, unmatched, without equal, beyond compare, unrivaled, unsurpassed, first-class, first-rate, superlative, excellent, unbeatable, advanced, outstanding, exceptional, superb.
Indicating Simplicity: easy to, simple to, safe and simple, uncomplicated, plain and simple, trouble-free, straightforward, undemanding, minimal, minimum, clear-cut, down to earth, clean, unpretentious, effortless, Effortless, plain, unproblematic, unadorned, natural, smooth, without a hitch, unembellished, without ornamentation, sticking to the facts, usual, normal, ordinary, unfussy, unsophisticated, with both feet on the ground, straight-thinking, precise, unambiguous, clear, explicit, definite, unequivocal, indisputable.
Indicating Strength: must have, indispensable, powerful, essential, vital, crucial, critical, magnificent, vibrant, compelling, awesome, superb, explode, terrific, extremely, splendid, vital, necessary, requisite, obligatory, central, very important, essential, compulsory, indispensable, fundamental, imperative, mandatory, required, influential, commanding, prevailing, dominant, potent, significant, superior, overriding, governing, principal, major, noteworthy, considerable, superseding, overruling, dominant, prime, paramount, principal, main.
Attention Grabbing: you, urgent, at last, attention, discover, learn, new, now available!, secrets revealed!, earn, for the first time, risk free, just released, announcing.
Call To Action: decide now, order now, buy now, get it now!, act now, now is the time, don’t miss, don’t wait, immediately, right now, this instant, limited supply, now or never.
Appealing to Desire: attractive, gorgeous, stunning, enchanting, appealing, sleek, dazzling, mystical, satisfying, sensual, glowing, handsome, beautiful, radiant, wonderful, crave, tantalizing, yearn, good-looking, nice-looking, striking, eye-catching, lovely, pleasing, remarkable, startling, dazzling, pretty, exquisite, charming, divine, astonishing, amazing, astounding, alluring, incredible, glamorous, superb, outstanding, terrific, splendid, fabulous, marvelous, fantastic, pleasing, enjoyable, stunning, spectacular, startling, magnificent, amazing, astonishing.
Indicating Modern or New: modern, current, contemporary, fresh, new, forward-looking, advanced, enlightened, forward-thinking, ahead of its time, futuristic, revolutionary, ultramodern, current, up-to-date, up-to-the-minute, recent, state-of-the-art, brand-new, the latest, at the height of fashion, fashionable, trendy, topical, hot, high-tech, unused, spanking-new, pristine, hip, all-the-rage, modish, stylish, chic, classy, original, ahead of its time.
Indicating unconventional: unconventional, alternative, unusual, exceptional, odd, quirky, different, appealing to take action: affordable, challenging, alert, competitive edge, allure, comprehensive, applause, compromise, avoiding, concept, crucial, big, billboard, daring, block busting, danger, bonanza, destiny, boom, dirty, bottom line, distinguished, brain picking, dividends, bravo, dynamics, breakthrough, buy, eager, buyer’s guide, easy, eat, giant, economic needs, good-looking, effective, growth, emerging growth, gut feelings, endurance, energy, happy, enterprising, heritage, envision, high tech, epidemic, high yield, excitement, hit, exercising, hopless, expert, hot property, explain, hybrid, exploit, hurry, favorable, idea, find out, imagination, flex, inflation-beating, flourishes, innovative, focus, investigative, foothold, instatiable, forecast, formula, just in time, fueling, fundamentals, keep in touch, funny, kidding, gaining, last-minute, gallery, lare-breaking, generic, launching, get, liberated, lifeblood, pioneering, lively, portfolio, longevity, preppie, lucky, profitable decision, luxury, promising, mainstream, recruiting, make, remarkable, mania, reminiscent, marvelous, renaissance spirit, masterpiece, reviewing, measure up, revisited, medicine, revolution, merit, rewards, monitor, rich, monumental, right now, naked, sampler, nest egg, save,new,sawy, newswire, school of thought, next frontier, scorecard, nostalgic, security, novel, show me, shrewd, obession, simplistic, opportunities, skill, overrated, slash, smart, perspective, spiral, philosophy,soar, specialized, test-drive, speed up, timely, spotlight, top dog, stardom, traces, starter kit,stop, ultimate, stubborn, underpriced, successful switch, unlock, surefire, upscale, surging, survival,value, tax-resistant, willpower, tech revolution, word-of-mouth, technolog, tell,young.
Colloquial words vs. normal words
A colloquial words is an informal, often entertaining word or phrase used in everyday conversation. When you use colloquial words, you draw your reader closer because you appear more familiar, more friendly, more up close and personal instead of distant and at arm’s length.
Beaware that using colloquial words to much to the wrong market segment can have the opposit effect.
Use colloquial words that are understandable to most people with a reasonable familiarity with English. Here are some exsambles of normal used colloquial words that have found their way to mainstream online communications:
| Colloquial Words | Normal Words |
| dough | money |
| laid-back | calm and relaxed |
| make waves | cause trouble |
| bent out of shape | become upset |
| come up for air | take a break |
| cool | great |
| defect | glitch |
| twenty grand | $20,000 |
| keep your cool | remain calm |
| blown away | greatly impressed |
| megabucks | a lot of money |
| blow a fuse | lose your temper |
| bummed | depressed |
| con | deceive |
| has deep pockets | has a good source of money |
| glitzy | ashionable |
| honcho | boss |
| get a kick out of | enjoy |
Indicating of Rational vs. Emotional: You might have heard the concept of right-brain and left-brain functions: The left hemisphere of the brain is the rational, logical, organized, analytic, linear, critical side; the right hemisphere is the creative, emotional, intuitive side, the realm of the imagination.
Most people buy on emotion, the more you appeal to the right side of the brain, the more you’ll sell. You do this by using emotional words, not intellectual, rational, bland, and boring words. Here are a few examples:
| Left-Brain (Rational) | Right-Brain (Emotional) |
| accelerate | speed up |
| accolade | Applause |
| additionally | here’s more/there’s more |
| aid | Help |
| allow | Let |
| anticipate | Expect |
| astute | Smart |
| at an end | Over |
| attractive | good looking |
| avid | Eager |
| beneficial | good for |
| challenge | Dare |
| circular | Round |
| combat | Fight |
| completed | Finished |
| concerned | Worried |
| concerning | About |
| construct | Build |
| courageous | Brave |
| demise | Death |
| difficult | tough/hard |
| diminutive | Small |
| disclose | reveal/explain |
| donate | Give |
| elderly | Old |
| facilitate | Ease |
| famished | Hungry |
| fatigued | Tired |
| fearful | Afraid |
| following is/are | here’s/here are |
| for | Because |
| fortunate | Lucky |
| futile | Hopeless |
| gratification | Enjoyment |
| hasten | Hurry |
| huge | Giant |
| Humorous | Funny |
| ill | Sick |
| immediately | right now |
| inform | Tell |
| Intelligent | Bright |
| I regret | I’m sorry |
| jesting | joking |
| large | big |
| learn | find out |
| manufacture | make |
| notion | idea |
| nude | naked |
| observed | seen |
| obstinate | stubborn |
| omit | leave out |
| perceive | see |
| perhaps | maybe |
| peril | danger |
| perspiration | sweat |
| pleased | happy |
| preserve | save |
| prevent | stop |
| purchase | buy |
| propitious | favorable |
| receive | get |
| requested | ask for |
| reply | answer |
| select | pick/choose |
| soiled | dirty |
| stomach | belly |
| strike | hit |
| subsequent to | since |
| sufficient | enough |
| superior | better |
| tardy | late |
| terminate | end |
| tidings | news |
| utilize | use |
| wealthy | rich |
| youthful | young |
I know these lists of big words are nowhere close to be complete, so if you have been using other big words, then please share.
How exactly does one use the left brain? I mean is there something you must to affiliate yourself with it or is it a natural reaction to an action?? These words that you place in this document have helped me. It’s a genius list of words. You might want to do a bit on spelling.
Left-Brain (Rational) VS Right-Brain (Emotional)…it’s really interesting…clearly the Right-Brain side of the equation sells…
So what can I do when I have to write a pretty formal copy…that’s meant to sell anyway?
Cheers from Italy
Laura
“How exactly does one use the left brain? I mean is there something you must to affiliate yourself with it or is it a natural reaction to an action?? These words that you place in this document have helped me. It’s a genius list of words. You might want to do a bit on spelling.”
You wrote this using the left side. If the post ‘felt’ right, you were using teh right side. People are predisposed by a number of variables to use more of one side of their brain than the other. Most people are right handed, for instance, because the left hemisphere handles spacial problems very quickly. However, it’s proven that while the rational (left) part of the brain is dominant in everyday actions, the emotional/visceral (right) makes most of the decisions for most people. Those who are predisposed to making decisions with the right side of their brain are more inclined to be artistic, for instance. That’s why the number of people who are artists that are left handed far exceeds those who are artists that are right handed.
Did you catch my spelling error? You’re among the minority that ignores ads.
The author’s post catches on a very important human sympathetic response: People want things that make them ‘feel’. Those of you that disagree or feel strongly the opposite are generally people who are either perceived as “weird” or “more intelligent”. How do I know this? Because it took a blanket statement about sympathetic response to incite you to emotion. It’s a logical fallacy.
“So what can I do when I have to write a pretty formal copy…that’s meant to sell anyway?”
There are plenty examples of what would be considered formal copy that is visceral and appeals to emotion. Shakespeare is a good example. Be creative. This list is by no means a defacto or declarative list. It’s just a way of thinking meant to get your juices flowing.
If you understood that last sentence, you’re on the right track
Anyway. A great list of words and comparisons. I’ve referenced it many times.
I think you are onto something Aaron
it was acknowleging
“Those of you that disagree or feel strongly the opposite are generally people who are either perceived as “weird” or “more intelligent”.”
Are you seen me through the screen right now? I’m pretty scared
Just one question: do you think a “left brain copywriter” like me can write a true “emotional piece of copy”? Are there ways to improve the use of the right brain, or should I study NLP all my life to be effective in my writings?
Thank you for this great post,
Francesca
Hi Francesca,
Just use your right side of your brain to insert some “big smart words” and you be fine.
Even I think true emotions come then you are passionate about what you write about.
I hope this big word list will help you.
Hi Brian,
do you think “left-side-brained” copywriters can exist? I’m passionate about writing, but most of the time I don’t care about what I write about.
It’s a strange situation but I’m not able to apply my “feelings” to my pieces of copy.
Thank you for the article!
Hi Lidia,
I wrote the article because it is not easy for me either;-)
Different people like to experience the world in different ways. Some like to imagine, hear, feel or make sense of things. Just try to study a little NLP and you see.
This is a little cheat sheet to insert feeling in your writing.
A small exercise that help me is to site back and ask myself what I feel.
If that doesn’t help you, you can imagine what other people feel or ask them.
I hope that helped?
Hi Brian,
one thing that helps me to write “emotion” copy is to make the first draft when it’s late evening and I’m completely tired…
Maybe my left-side rational brain is a little bit sleepy after a long working day, so the copy that comes out is more direct and emotional
Thanks for the post!
Laura
Great post, I loved the statement: “Most people buy on emotion, the more you appeal to the right side of the brain, the more you’ll sell.” that is so true but they buy on impulse and when the logical left side comes in you might find yourself with a returned item. So I suggest that a combination is always best, to selling more anyhow.
I must say you have a weird way of expressing your analogies. Its been really helpful, because I have been struggling to get the right fix of words in my holidays website. I really need to go back to the drawing board of understanding how the different parts of the brain work and how I can take advantage of them to convert.
Spot on with this write-up, I actually assume this website wants much more consideration. I’ll in all probability be once more to learn much more, thanks for that info.