How To Write Amazing Headlines With Power And Sensory Words

Whether you are writing for your blog post or just a forum update, killer headlines / title will either make it or break it. Nowadays, people are becoming lazier and lazier online. And with the hundreds or even thousands of blogs, ads, pop-ups, notifications, and social media noise out there, it is important to grab your readers’ attention right from the top.

Importance Of Headlines

How you write your headline will determine whether your audience even clicks on the link to look inside. I usually spend over 3 – 4 hours just coming up with a headline. This is not a waste of time; once you get used to it, you will spend less time. All you need to understand is the reasons behind every single word, phrase and connecting word you use on your headline.

Another important thing to consider when structuring your headline is to capture the reader’s emotions right off the bat.

But how do you do this?

Follow these simple steps to crafting killer headlines:

• First, research your topic wish to write about.
• Next, narrow down the topic to and create an outline with the juicy details on the topic you are going to write about. Your topic should be something that your audience is passionate about. You want to provide an answer or solution to something that stresses them out or something that causes them to lose sleep at night.
• Next, to look at your audience’s emotional triggers. Empathize with your audience. Identify their exact pressure and pain points. Engage the senses of your audience by using sensory words.
• After that, tease your audience by giving them just a hint of what they will get when they read the content.
• Also, use Power words; these are words that will trigger your audience’s emotions while at the same time, but avoids falling into the trap of over-promising and under-delivering.
• Then nail it by writing a title that captures all these aspects that you have identified.

Don’t worry; I will give you examples of such headlines and some templates that you can use to achieve all the above.

But first, let’s analyze the components of an emotional headline. What constitutes an emotion-based headline that will instantly drive engagement to your content?

Here is the breakdown:

Use Emotional Power words

Power words simply put are words copywriters use to trigger an emotional or psychological response. The reason we call them “power words” is because of they have a level persuasive influence that people are unable to resist.

Let’s dive a little deeper and categorize power words into 8 core emotional categories

1. Greed

2. Trust

3. Vanity

4. Fear

5. Lust

6. Sloth

7. Curiosity

8. Anger

Greed Power Words

The definition of greed is the intense and selfish desire for something, especially wealth, power, or food.

Also, greed power words have the ability to trigger this emotion by playing on rarity or simply by making something sound more valuable.

Power Word Examples For Greed:

Bargain Before Best Big Billion Bonanza Bonus Cash Cheap Deadline Discount Dollar Don’t miss out Double Economical Exclusive Expires Explode Extra Fast Feast Final First Fortune

Frenzy Frugal Gift Giveaway Greatest Guilt-free Hurry Inexpensive Instantly Jackpot Last chance Limited Luxurious Marked down Massive Monetize Money More Nest egg Never again New Now Pay zero Premiere

Price break Prize Profit Quadruple Quick Reduced Rich Running out Sale ends soon Save Savings Six-figure Skyrocket Soaring Special Surge Treasure Triple Ultimate Up-sell Value While they last Whopping

Trust Power Words

In a nutshell, trust is truly what content marketing and email marketing is really about.

Also, this is true whether you write blog posts, create signup forms, send emails, or tweak your product pages, the actual purpose behind it all is to build a trusting relationship between the consumer and your brand.

Use these power words to accelerate your trust-building efforts.

According to Accredited Anonymous Approved Authentic Authoritative Authority Backed Because Best Best selling Bona fide Cancel anytime Case study Certified Dependable Don’t worry Endorsed

Ensured Expert Fully refundable Genuine Guaranteed Improved Ironclad Lifetime Moneyback No obligation No questions asked No risk No strings attached Official Pay zero Privacy Professional Protected

Proven Recession-proof Recognized Refund Reliable Research Results Safety Scientifically proven Secure Studies show Tested Track record Try before you buy Unconditional Verify Well respected Worldwide

Vanity Power Words

Most do not think of themselves as “vain”, however, researchers note that vanity is one of the most potent driving forces that lead to customer purchase decisions.

Also, we purchase things on the basis of how we think they will make us look: both to others, and to ourselves. And it’s not just that we want appear physically attractive, but we also want to give other the perception of our level of success (social status).

In addition, use power words to convey how your offer (product, service, or lead magnet) will make your visitor appear more attractive and successful.

Power Word Examples For Vanity

Ahead of the game Amazing Amplify At the top Attractive Awe-inspiring Beautiful Bold Booming Boost Boss Brassy Bravery Brazen Bright Brilliant Cheer Clever Conquer Courage Crowned Daring Dazzling Defiance Drop-dead Effective

Elegant Elite Enchant Epic Fearless Fortunate Foxy Genius Good-looking Gorgeous Guts Handsome Hero Jaw-dropping Jubilant Kick ass Knockout Legendary Lucky Magic Mind-blowing Moneymaking Notable Noteworthy Optimal Prosperous

Quick-witted Remarkable Sassy Saucy Sensational Smart Spectacular Spine Staggering Strong Stunning Successful Super-human Triumph Turbo charge Ultimate Unbeaten Undefeated Valor Vanquish Victory Wealthy Wonderful Wondrous You

The Fear Power Words

Fear can be the most powerful motivator of them all. Fear is primal instinct, and its purpose is to keep us safe from danger.

One of the most effective ways to motivate your readers to take action–use these power words to instill fear of what might happen if they choose not take the action you are suggesting.

(Don’t take it too far.  You will want to provide an actionable solution to their problem to remove that fear.)

Power Word Examples For Fear

Agony Annihilate Apocalypse Armageddon Assault Backlash Beating Beware Blinded Blood Bloodbath Bloodcurdling Bloody Bomb Bufoon Bumbling Cadaver Cataclysmic Catastrophe Caution Collapse Corpse Crazy Cripple Crisis Danger Dangerous Deadly Death Destroy Devastating Disastrous Drowning Dumb Embarrass Epidemic Fail Feeble Fired

Fool Fooled Frantic Frightening Gambling Gullible Hack Hazardous Hoax Horrific Hurricane Insidious Invasion IRS Jail Jeopardy Lawsuit Looming Lunatic Lurking Meltdown Mired Mistake Murder Nightmare Painful Pale Panic Peril Piranha Pitfall Plague Played Plummet Plunge Poison Poor Prison

Pummel Pus Reckoning Refugee Revenge Risky Savage Scary Scream Searing Shatter Shellacking Silly Slaughter Slave Smash Strangle Stupid Suck Suffering Tailspin Tank Targeted Teetering Terror Terrorist Torture Toxic Tragedy Trap Trauma Vaporize Victim Volatile Vulnerable Warning Worry Wounded Wreaking havoc

Lust Power Words

Lust is typically associates as sexual, but in reality it’s just a strong desire for any object. When lusting for something, we crave it so intensely that rational thought goes out the window

Power Word Examples For Lust

Alluring Brazen Captivating Charismatic Compelling Crave Depraved Desire Dirty Enchanting Engaging Exotic Exposed Fascinating Flirt Forbidden Hypnotic Intriguing

Lascivious Lick Lonely Lovely Lust Magnetic Mind-blowing Mischievous Mouthwatering Naked Naughty Obsession Passionate Pleasurable Promiscuous Provocative Riveting Scandalous Sensual

Sex Shameless Sinful Sleazy Sleeping Spank Steamy Stimulating Striking Sweaty Tantalizing Tawdry Tease Thrilling Uncensored Urge Wanton Whip Wild

Sloth Power Words

Sloth is the avoidance of work: meaning people do not have the motivation to do more than the bare minimum or anything at all for that matter.

These power words are ones you can use in your lead magnets to sound easy to use or understand, making your headlines more enticing.

Power Word Examples For Sloth

Accessible All-inclusive Basic Building blocks Cheat sheet Child’s play Cinch Clear Complete Components Comprehensive Copy Downloadable Easy Economical Efficient Effortless Elementary Elements Factors Fail-proof Fill in the blanks Formula Free

Freebie Gift Guide How-to In less than In record time Index Ingredients Instant Itemized Kickstart Light List Manageable Manifest Mere Minutes Model Mold No nonsense No problem No sweat Nothing to it Now

On demand Painless Pattern Picnic Piece of cake Plain Printable Quick Ready Replicate Report Roadmap Simple Simple as ABC Smooth Smooth sailing Snap Straightforward Steal Steps Swipe Template Tools Uncomplicated

Curiosity Power Words

According to curiosity-drive theory, curiosity is a naturally occurring urge that simply must be satisfied, similar to how we satisfy hunger by eating or thirst by drinking.

Power words will make your articles, blog posts, headlines, email subject lines and landing page headlines irresistible.

Power Word Examples For Curiosity

Astonishing Backdoor Banned Be the first Become an insider Behind the scenes Bizarre Black market Blacklisted Bootleg Censored Class full Classified Closet Concealed Confessions Confidential Controversial Cover-up Covert Crazy Cringeworthy Dark Elusive Extraordinary Eye-opening Forbidden Forgotten Hidden Hilarious

Hush-hush Illegal Illusive Incredibly Insane Insider Interesting Invitation only Key Limited Little-known Login required Lost Members only Myths Odd Off the record Off-limits On the QT Outlawed Priceless Private Privy Psycho Remote Restricted Ridiculous Secret Secrets Shh!

Shocking Smuggled Sneak peek Spoiler Strange Stunning Supersecret Thought-provoking Top secret Trade secret Unauthorized Unbelievable Uncharted Unconventional Under the table Under wraps Underground Undiscovered Unexplained Unexplored Unheard of Unique Unlock Unsung Untold Unusual Wacky Withheld Zany

Anger Power Words

Anger will always have a huge impact on people’s perception, reasoning, and decisions. It causes irrationality, with the potential to lead to make decisions or choices that have no direct relation to the thing that made us angry in the first place.

 So, it is a good idea to avoid stirring up anger in your visitors and customers, especially when it is targeted at your company. On the other hand, you can make anger work for you, if you direct the emotion of anger is directed at something that your business can provide a solution to through a product or service you offer.

Also, Consider what makes your prospect angry about your industry. Instead of stirring up the hornets’ nest with these power words, and then save the day with the solution.

Power Word Examples For Anger

Abuse Agitate Annoy Arrogant Ass kicking B.S. Backstabbing Beat down Boil over Broke Brutal Buffoon Bullshit Bully Corrupt Coward Crooked Crush Diatribe Diminish Disgusting Evil Exploit Fear

Force-fed Foul Greedy Hate Hostile Know it all Lies Loathsome Loser Lying Maul Miff Money-grubbing Morally bankrupt Nazi No Good Obnoxious Payback Pitiful Pound Preposterous Provoke Punish Raise hell

Rant Revolting Ruthless Screw Sick and Tired Smug Sneaky Sniveling Snob Snooty Snotty Stink Stuck up Thug Underhanded Vicious Victim Violent Waste Weak Worst Woun

Sensory Words List

Now to add “sensory words”. The right combination of power words and sensory words are the ingredients that will make your headline irresistible. In addition, using sensory words helps to provide additional details to the reader and examples of what you topic is all about.

We are going to segment sensory keywords under one of the five senses; Sight, Sound, Taste, Touch and Smell. Feel free to use this list and add to it as you learn more sensory words.                 

Use sensory words like:

Smell	Sight	Touch	Taste	Sound
acrid	bleary	balmy	appetizing	bellow
aroma	blurred	biting	bitter	blare
aromatic	brilliant	bristly	bland	buzz
fetid	colorless	bumpy	creamy	cackle
fishy	dazzling	chilly	delectable	cheer
flowery	dim	coarse	delicious	clamor
funky	dingy	cold	flavorful	clang
fragrant	faded	cool	flavorless	crackle
gamy	faint	crawly	gingery	creak
minty	flashy	creepy	luscious	grumble
moldy	gaudy	cuddly	nauseating	gurgle
musty	glance	dusty	palatable	hiss
nidorous	gleaming	feathery	peppery	howl
odiferous	glimpse	feverish	piquant	hush
odor	glistening	fluffy	refreshing	jabber
odorless	glittering	furry	ripe	mumble
old	gloomy	fuzzy	rotten	murmur
perfumed	glossy	gooey	salty	mutter
piquant	glowing	greasy	savory	rant
pungent	grimy	gritty	scrumptious	rave
putrid	hazy	hairy	sharp	roar
rancid	indistinct	hot	sour	rumble
rank	misty	icy	spicy	rustle
reeking	peer	limp	spoiled	screech
savory	radiant	lumpy	stale	shriek
scent	shadowy	moist	sugary	shrill
scented	shimmering	oily	sweet	sizzle
skunky	shiny	powdery	tangy	snarl
smell	smudged	prickly	tasteless	squawk
spicy	sparkling	scratchy	tasty	squeal
steno	streaked	shivery	unappetizing	swish
sweet	striped	silky	unripe	thud
waft	tarnished	slimy	vinegary	thump
whiff	twinkling	slippery	yummy	whimper

Now let’s get to the exciting part. Here are ten examples of emotion-based headlines that have been proven to drive engagement, and they still work.

I will highlight the words that bring out the emotions in the title. Try to come up with your titles using the same approach.

10 Emotion-Based Killer Headline Examples That Drive Engagement

1. 10 Reasons Why It Sucks To Be A Blogger.
2. 9 Simple Ways To Dramatically Improve Your Golf Swings
3. 50 Easy Ways To Have More Fun With Your Blog
4. 13 Programmers Share Their Secret To Success After Tasting Failure.
5. 17 Quotes That Will Make You Feel Better About Your Life.
6. What The Princes Did To The Homeless Will Make You Tear Up – So Heartwarming.
7. 23 Simple To Learn Chess Moves That Will Make You Feel Smart.
8. 9 Cute Puppy Photos You Must See That Will Make You Cry.
9. The US Government Spent A Whopping 1.2 Trillion Dollars To Fight The Pandemic.
10. Why You Should Never Drink Ice-Cold Soda.

Notice how the combination of numbered headlines, power words, and sensory words delivers the knockout with a one, two punch.

Conclusion: How To Create Headlines with Power and Sensory Words like a Professional Copywriter

Practice writing great headlines that will grab your reader’s attention instantly.  Develop your skills by writing 20 versions of your headline and seeing which one stands out to you the most.  Ask yourself these questions; Which headline jumps out the most to you? What headline creates the emotion you are trying to capture? Is there factors in one headline that you can incorporate with another to create the perfect headline? With practice, you will be able to write hundreds of headline variations in a couple of minutes.