How To Write Amazing Headlines With Power And Sensory Words

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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:

SmellSightTouchTasteSound
acridblearybalmyappetizingbellow
aromablurredbitingbitterblare
aromaticbrilliantbristlyblandbuzz
fetidcolorlessbumpycreamycackle
fishydazzlingchillydelectablecheer
flowerydimcoarsedeliciousclamor
funkydingycoldflavorfulclang
fragrantfadedcoolflavorlesscrackle
gamyfaintcrawlygingerycreak
mintyflashycreepylusciousgrumble
moldygaudycuddlynauseatinggurgle
mustyglancedustypalatablehiss
nidorousgleamingfeatherypepperyhowl
odiferousglimpsefeverishpiquanthush
odorglisteningfluffyrefreshingjabber
odorlessglitteringfurryripemumble
oldgloomyfuzzyrottenmurmur
perfumedglossygooeysaltymutter
piquantglowinggreasysavoryrant
pungentgrimygrittyscrumptiousrave
putridhazyhairysharproar
rancidindistincthotsourrumble
rankmistyicyspicyrustle
reekingpeerlimpspoiledscreech
savoryradiantlumpystaleshriek
scentshadowymoistsugaryshrill
scentedshimmeringoilysweetsizzle
skunkyshinypowderytangysnarl
smellsmudgedpricklytastelesssquawk
spicysparklingscratchytastysqueal
stenostreakedshiveryunappetizingswish
sweetstripedsilkyunripethud
wafttarnishedslimyvinegarythump
whifftwinklingslipperyyummywhimper
Sensory Key Words That Apply To Each Of The 5 Senses

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.

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