The 5 Most Persuasive Words And How They Lift Conversions
Anthony Nebel · updated · 1 min read
In short
The five most persuasive words in English are often listed as you, free, because, instantly and new. Tests back them up: giving a reason with "because" raised agreement in a Harvard copier study from 60% to over 90%, and Sumo saw a 422% conversion lift from adding "new".
Key takeaways
- Five of the most persuasive words in English are you, free, because, instantly and new.
- Give a reason. In a Harvard study, adding "because" raised agreement to cut a copier line from 60% to over 90%.
- Encyclopedia Britannica lifted conversions 103% with a headline that starts with "get".
- David Ogilvy's 20 persuasive words include announcing, introducing, quick, easy and hurry.
- Personalize. Hearing "you" or our own name lights up the brain, and people pay more for personalization.
Power words have a powerful emotional impact on the human brain. Learn how others have harnessed it and how you can do the same.
Case Studies
A test was done by marketing teams for Encyclopedia Britannica that replaced an empty headline starting with the word “get” and increased conversions by 103%.1
Sumo had a 422% increase in conversions just by adding the word “new.”2
In a line where people would get a free tattoo, 68% of people who lined up wouldn’t have gotten a tattoo if it wasn’t free.3
The Power Of “Because”
In a study done at Harvard University, a researcher tested different wordings to students waiting in line if they would let her cut in line.4
- “Excuse me, I have 5 pages. May I use the xerox machine?” 60% agreed.
- “Excuse me, I have 5 pages. May I use the xerox machine, because I have to make copies?” 93% agreed.
- “Excuse me, I have 5 pages. May I use the xerox machine, because I’m in a rush?” 94% agreed.
Takeaway: Start using the word “because” in your writing when you are showing why something works.
Applications
What words should you start using in your writing?
The most persuasive words in the English language are5
- You
- Free
- Because
- Instantly
- New
20 Most Persuasive Words Via David Ogilvy6
- Suddenly
- Now
- Announcing
- Introducing
- Improvement
- Amazing
- Sensational
- Remarkable
- Revolutionary
- Startling
- Miracle
- Magic
- Offer
- Quick
- Easy
- Wanted
- Challenge
- Compare
- Bargain
- Hurry
Fun fact: Did you know that using “you” and hearing our own name lights up in our brain?7 And people would gladly pay more for personalization?8
Sources:
- https://marketingexperiments.com/copywriting/copywriting-britannica-increased-conversion
- https://sumo.com/stories/persuasive-words#1
- http://danariely.com/2010/11/10/the-power-of-free-tattoos/
- https://jamesclear.com/copy-machine-study
- https://www.copyblogger.com/persuasive-copywriting-words/
- https://buffer.com/library/words-and-phrases-that-convert-ultimate-list
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1647299/
- https://www.helpscout.com/blog/the-psychology-of-personalization-how-waiters-increased-tips-by-23-percent-without-changing-service/
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