Power words, when used correctly,
can transform your overused words and boring copy
from drab to fab,
but what exactly are power words,
why are they so important,
and how can you find and use them
to effectively enhance your writing?
Well, stay tuned because that's exactly
what we're going to cover today.
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Hey, posse, what's up?
It's Alex, coming at you this week
with another super practical tutorial
that will help you take your copywriting
to the next level.
Yes, you are going to learn how to pique burning curiosity,
stop scrolls on a dime,
and most importantly, evolve, grab,
and keep your audience's attention longer.
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Now, if there is one thing that every copywriter knows,
it's that being able to capture the attention
of an overstimulated internet scroller
is more than half the battle.
I mean, let's face it, we copywriters are in the business
of attention and retention before anything else.
So trust me, it pays to put a little bit of extra thought
and effort into making sure that you can effectively hook
the attention of your audience with your copywriting.
And one of my absolute favorite and easiest ways to do this
is through using language that I call power words.
And if you follow me on Instagram @Copyposse,
then you've probably seen quite a few
of my power words posts like these ones.
Now, first things first,
what exactly is a power word?
Well, in the most basic definition,
power words are words that evoke emotion and action.
They are words that you honestly don't see
being used very often.
Whereas, there are certain words,
like huge, top, best, great,
and the list goes on and on,
that are used literally all of the damn time in copywriting.
These words are overused so much in copywriting,
content writing, and basically all types of writing
that they really begin to lose their impact.
In other words, readers just sort of glaze right over
the word and really don't take much time
to consider the meaning or the reference.
Power words, on the other hand,
are much more descriptive in nature.
They evoke emotion in the audience and inspire them
to keep reading and of course, ultimately,
take some sort of action.
Power words are way more likely to capture attention
and spark curiosity in your audience
than using those basic and overused words.
So, let's take a look at a couple of examples.
Instead of the word difficult,
one might use a word like Herculean, tough,
grueling, hefty, challenging,
strenuous, demanding, grisly, back-breaking.
Right, instead of the word great,
you could use words like unprecedented, fail-proof,
transformational, outstanding, game-changing,
invaluable, mind-blowing, astonishing,
remarkable, or wildly popular.
Did you see the difference? (laughing)
Now, these are just two examples of overused words
that can be massively enhanced
with different language choices.
And if you're interested in seeing even more examples,
make sure to stick around to the end of this video,
because I will be giving away a free copy
of the Copy Posse Power Words Cheatsheet
with over 250 power words,
and you will definitely wanna print out this bad boy
and keep it handy in your workstation
so that you can refer to it the next time
you sit down to write.
But first, a word of caution.
Use this cheatsheet responsibly.
I don't want to see you try to jam pack your writing
with as many power words as humanly possible,
because here's the thing.
Power words pack a serious punch.
They are meant to be used wisely and yes, sparingly.
Remember that you don't wanna fill your copy
with a bunch of fancy, complex,
"I'm trying too hard" language,
because that'll have the opposite effect.
Right, you want your copy to flow easily and effortlessly
and be simple to digest for your readers.
So, when applying power words to your writing,
remember to be strategic with your choices
and always, always, always remember the golden rule
of copywriting, keep it simple.
Okay, so now that you know what a power word is
and why they are so crucial to include in your copy,
how can you actually find these power words
and then use them effectively to enhance your writing
without risking the integrity of your message?
I know, right, it's a lot to remember.
Use some, but not too many.
Well, right now, I'm going to walk you through
my three-part process for finding and using
the right power words.
Step number one, write the first draft.
Right, super simple, step number one is simply to write.
Get all those thoughts, ideas and copy out of your head
and onto the page without worrying about a single power word
or any special languaging at all.
This step is crucial because here's the thing.
If you begin a copywriting project trying
to use all that fancy language or words
that really pop out,
then you're going to get in your head and before you know it,
you'll be struggling with writer's block
and cursing the computer screen
because you can't seem to get into writing flow.
Trust me, I have been there,
so do me and yourself a huge favor
and just forget that power words are even a thing
until you've got your first draft out the way.
Okay?
Now, step number two, spice it up.
Okay, so once you have the first draft done,
now you get to do the fun part,
which is combing back through everything you wrote
and checking for a multitude of things,
like flow, readability, redundancy, grammar.
This is where you turn from writer to editor.
And yes, part of that process is finding where
in your writing you can strategically replace
boring or overused words with power words
for greater effect and maximum impact.
Now, remember my word of caution from before?
You do not wanna get too crazy with this part.
Some of the best and most effective places
you can think about adding power words
are in your headlines, section openers,
benefit bullets, and just before your calls to action.
In my experience, these are the most important places
to make sure that your copy is leaving the biggest impact
on the reader.
Alright, now, the final step in the process,
step number three, find the right power words.
So, once you've identified a handful of boring words
that could really use some added spice,
you have to actually go find the right word
to substitute it with.
Now, sometimes the perfect word will just come to you,
right, once you put on that editor hat,
and it does get easier and easier
with more time and practice.
But, you could also use a thesaurus
and see what synonyms you can find that work,
or whip out your handy Power Words Cheatsheet
and see what treasures await you inside.
Alright, guys, that is it for this tutorial.
I hope you walked away with some juicy nuggets
of valuable insight to make your copy stand out
and sell out.
And as promised, you can grab your free copy
of this Power Words Cheatsheet in just a second
at the end of this video.
I hope you enjoyed it.
Give me a thumbs up below if you wanna see more videos
like this one, and until next time,
I'm Alex, ciao for now.
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