Everyone knows that advertising texts must be catchy and, at the same time, explain why the product is relevant to the reader. But this creates a dilemma. On the one hand, you can’t type every message in Caps Lock with a ton of exclamation marks. On the other hand, you don’t want the copy to be a bunch of boring lines about product specs. The goal is to create something appealing that strikes a balance between information and emotion. Copywriters understand this and are very deliberate about word choice.
What Are Power Words?
Adding just the right amount of “spice” to invoke emotions is where power words come in. On the surface, power words are just plain old synonyms. But, through research, reading, and instinct, copywriters can guess which terms will catch the eye and produce the desired feeling. It is only through experimentation and split testing that a brand will discover exactly which words do the trick for their audience.
The most common use of power words is to encourage the reader to take action. For a product description, this usually means conversion, in the form of clicking a CTA. However, as we will see, product descriptions can have all kinds of objectives, and power words play an essential role in accomplishing them.
Power Words and Product Descriptions
You might have twenty words or twenty lines, and a product description has that space to deliver several messages.
Value
Nothing is more important in a product description than the value proposition. It’s been said that the core question of all marketing material is “what’s in it for me?” and here is where the copy will answer that question.
For copywriters who need to build a succinct explanation of value, formulas might help, along with a selection of power words such as:
- Proven
- Professional
- Best selling
- Extra
- Unique
Authority
Establishing your brand as an expert in the market or as supplying the most sought-after product is a savvy move. Testimonials can really go a long way towards creating this image, but that’s not part of copywriting. Instead, you can back up good reviews, even if they are somewhere else on your site, by referring to them with power words like:
- Approved
- Most popular
- Join X people
- Highly rated
- Outselling
Trust
Particularly when somebody is a first-time buyer, trust is an essential ingredient for making a sale. Unfortunately, the online era has led to many ways in which a consumer’s trust can be abused. This ranges from delivery of a shoddy product to selling personal details. To counter the perception that a company is just another unreliable online retailer, copywriters should use words that inspire confidence, such as:
- Guaranteed
- Free trial
- Cancel anytime
- Confidential
- Secure
Of course, company policies must back up these claims.
Urgency
An important aspect of copywriting is being able to grab the attention of the audience, but even the greatest advertising texts won’t keep them reading forever. At some point, the reader will either convert or click away.
By using power words that create a sense of urgency, copywriters can maximize the number of shoppers who take immediate action. But this responsibility cannot be handled solely by the CTA. Peppering your product descriptions with terms that encourage a prompt reaction increases the chances of a purchase. These terms include:
- Stock-out
- Immediate
- Limited offer
- While supplies last
- Deadline
Precision
Especially when it comes to the CTA, product descriptions need to be clear about what the converting audience will receive. This is more than a trust issue. When a product page and/or a sales funnel provide ambiguous or confusing information, the audience will simply bounce onwards to a competitor’s website. Similarly, because most product descriptions have accompanying images, it is important to be clear about what the audience will receive when they convert. Combining power words with the relevant detail (for example, the exact product name) can ensure that the buyer’s expectations are fulfilled:
- Receive
- Begin
- Try
- Save
- Increase
Product Descriptions that Use Power Words
Putting our (power) words into practice, let’s take a look at some real world examples. In each case, the power words are in bold.
Supersnorkel – Trust
This entire product description is outstanding. With five numbered bullets, it gives just the right amount of information. It’s also interesting and mentions points that add value (“easy breathing” and “see more wildlife”). See below one excellent use of power words to instill trust:
High-Density shatterproof lens, equipped with the longest tube available on the market. Lifetime Warranty and Satisfaction Guarantee.
Oransi – Authority
They might use too many capital letters, but otherwise, this product description clearly establishes the brand as having a basis in technical expertise. In their copy for the Max air purifier, Oransi states:
Rated #1 in Only Comprehensive University Study for the Performance You Need
Conversion Rate Experts – Precision
This website would also win points for authority – apparently they created the term “conversion rate optimization” and won two awards from the Queen of England. But their CTAs are interesting and tell you exactly what you are going to get:
Schedule your FREE Session
See our clients and results
Everlane – Value
Here is another all-around great product description showing humor, knowledge of the customer, and a way of explaining several value points using power words:
A heel you can walk in. All. Damn. Day. The Day Heel’s ballet-inspired silhouette is designed with a rounded toe, a walkable two-inch block heel, and an elasticized back for extra comfort.
Caraway – Urgency
This product description is loaded with elements that create urgency, from a $100 sale to a “notify me” button because this color is not in stock at the moment (instead of the usual, and hopeless, “out of stock”). Of particular interest is this line:
The Fastest Way to Receive Your Cookware
Power Words and the Power of AI
Anyword taps into the power of power words with its copy generating platform. Anyword’s technology is based on the analysis of about $250 million dollars’ worth of advertising spots. Anyword tracks the correlation between language, audience, and conversion rates to automatically build copy with the words that trigger action.
Through this ability, Anyword creates copy across platforms and for numerous assets. Need to write some social media texts for a young female audience? Or maybe rephrase some of your product descriptions? What about creating that weekly blog? Anyword does it all, and even provides you with a Predictive Performance Score to give you an idea of the conversion potential of the copy it produces. This greatly reduces the need for A/B testing and the resources that it requires. But one thing that Anyword can’t do on its own is get you started – but even that’s easy, with a 7-day free trial. Check it out and experience the power of Anyword.
