Effective copywriting does not depend on the number of words in your vocabulary but in the way you use them to get your point across. The art of persuasion in writing relies on your ability to attract an audience using specific words. In the digital age, most web users tend to scan rather than read. So it’s important to know how to reel them in so they consume and interact with your content.
Before choosing the right words, you should know your audience first before creating content. Research about your target readers so you know how to perfectly cater to what they’re looking for. If you’re creating content about esports tournaments, the majority of your audience will be gamers. After deciding on your niche, it’s time to put power words to use.
What are power words?
Power words deliver the biggest impact in writing. When used effectively, these also prompt a response from your audience whether it’s psychological or emotional. Power words also trigger a form of action from readers, depending on what type of content you’ve written. If your audience clicked the link you wanted or signed up to your site because of your content, you’ll know that your power words worked.
There are many power words you can use depending on both your article and audience but here are some common ones generally used in digital copywriting:
- You – Make the article all about your audience. While it’s necessary to provide all the information that they need, your readers’ experiences and biases should also be considered in your content.
- Because – Reasoning adds to the art of persuasion. If you’re selling a product or service through copywriting, always remember to give reasons as much as possible to your readers. One of the questions you always need to answer in your content is, What’s in it for me? Explain to your readers in the simplest, most powerful way possible why they should stay and read, instead of scan.
- New – Brand image research suggests that the idea of novelty activates the reward centres in your brain. One way of exciting your audience is by using this power word.
- How to – The how-to strategy is a simple but effective plan in digital marketing. How-to’s work because they are the best way to show off information to your audience. This is also one of the most shareable articles online. Whether it’s a retweet or a Facebook post, how-to’s are highly popular.
- Free – Who doesn’t like free stuff (or atleast the concept of it)? Research shows that readers show less resistance and are more open to taking action if you mention or offer something for free.
Other effective copywriting tools
Fully utilise your content by using other copywriting tools aside from power words. However, still keep in mind that these should still cater to what your audience wants.
- Headlines – A great persuasive content should include great headlines. Try to make 20% of your content compelling headlines. Aside from preventing your articles from being blocky and lengthy, great headlines highlight and improve the idea you want for your readers.
- Bulleted and numbered lists – If the majority of web users scans rather than reads, it’s better to still give them bits of information. Bulleted and numbered lists are perfect for this. They’re easy to spot right away and are considered a visual break from the usual paragraphs.
- Relevant links – Your article can be doorways to other forms of content. Internal linking connects your works online and helps your audience to consume more information. You can go for external links as well. They can back-up the topic or idea of your content.
The art of persuasion in the digital age
Even though some mediums of content have changed over the years, the art of persuasion remains the same. After pulling out all the power words and using every marketing tool, the main focus of your content should still be your audience. Did you give them what you promised in your content? Did they get what they came for? Persuasion starts with being empathic with your audience.
