Ad Copy Cheatsheet: 500+ Marketing Power Words To Turbo Charge Your Conversions

So, you want to consistently create high-converting marketing copy.

You know your content deserves to go viral, but you just aren’t sure how to go about it.

Our suggestion? Start relying on marketing power words.

Your time and energy are just as precious as your capital — you can’t afford to waste any of it.

That’s why instead of trying to reinvent the marketing wheel, you’re going to take the time to build a strong ad copy foundation and start empowering your marketing campaigns with a reliable list of power words.

And once you’ve established that strong foundation, you’ll be able to take those power words and maximize their impact at each stage of the ad copy process.

But before we dive right in, let’s take a second to understand exactly what makes these power words so effective.

How Power Words Elevate Your Marketing Copy

For the sake of simplicity, we’re going to define ‘power words’ as “words/phrases designed to capture a reader’s attention or elicit a response”. 

But this isn’t just about finding the perfect clickbait title or saying something outrageous just for the sake of attention. 

Attention is often seen as the building block of any successful marketing strategy, but you need to have content that compels action.

It’s a bit like being a street performer. You wouldn’t want people to just stop for a second and walk away. You’d need to be captivating. And your marketing content should be too.

The most common ways to do this are to rely on either A) Curiosity or B) Emotion. 

Curiosity alone can be a powerful tool, using power words like “proven” and “reveal” can already start to intrigue readers.

But when you combine that with emotional power words like “mistakes” or “quickly”, you start to paint a picture of what the content will do for readers.

Think of it this way: would you rather hear about “5 airline stories” or a story that “Reveals 5 Embarrassing Airline Mistakes”? 

Audiences need something to latch onto if you expect them to actually click on your Facebook Ad.

Here’s a look at Indeed, using their Facebook Ad to tap into the emotions of a college grad. 

“Opportunity” is just the tip of the iceberg. The video goes on to talk about “Presents” and Congratulates them. 

Provide an emotion, and give readers something to look forward to when they click on your link.

For a masterclass in power words and driving emotion, take a look at The Rock’s promotional post for Hobbs & Shaw.

His posts always start strong, triggering reader curiosity. From there, he builds momentum using emotional power words like “driving force” and talking about his costar’s “bad ass skill set”.

Using power words gives you a reliable way to speak to the heart of what your audience cares about: how your product/service is actually going to help them.

The List: 500 Power Words To Turbo Charge Your Copy Writing

Brutal	Spectacle	Secret	Security	Greed	Power
Agony	Alluring	Admit	Safety	Budget	Absolute
Apocalypse	Amazing	Breaking	Accuse	Bonus	Authentic
Battling	Mind-Blowing	Confession	Assault	Barrage	Authority
Corruption	Astonishing	Divulge	Broken	Bargain	Backed
Crazy	Astounding	Elite	Beware	Affordable	Complete
Death	Awesome	Emerging	Caution	Cheap	Comprehensive
Disgust	Awe-struck	First	Cheating	Convert	Document
Fighting	Badass	Hidden	Catastrophe	Double	Expert
Frenzied	Bomb	Insider	Dangerous	Drive	Final
Hatred	Brilliant	Little-known	Diagnosed	Free	Formula
Insanity	Catapult	New	Dirty	Forever	Genuine
Lunatic	Charming	Popular	Emergency	Immediately	Honest
Menace	Defying	Priceless	Ethical	Instantly	Ironclad
Pain	Delicious	Rare	Exactly	Increase	Legitimate
Poisonous	Delightful	Release	Hoax	Money	Objectively
Sabotage	Dreamy	Reveal	Fierce	Now	Proven
Struggle	Epic	Secret	Horror	Never	Official
Treachery	Explosive	Sly	Lifetime	Overnight	Powerful
Uncontrollable	Exquisite	Sneaky	Protect	Off-limits	Reliable
Vicious	Greatness	Special	Jeopardy	Promotion	Report
Violence	Heavenly	Stealthy	Provoke	Profits	Solution
Weakness	Incredible	Trend	Punch	Sales	Strategy
Wild	Jaw-dropping	Truth	Recession	Triple	Psychological
Dying	Badass	Uncovered	Sacred	Today	Studies
Horrific	Legendary	Unadulterated	Safe	Master	Validate
Insulting	Mesmerizing	Undercover	Scared	Unlimited	Masterclass
Fierce	Mouth-watering	Underused	Shaking	Envy	Capacity
Chaos	Show-stopping	Unique	Survive	Lucrative	Ability
Madness	Spellbinding	Untapped	Terrifying	Steal	Potential
Relentless	Sublime	Unseen	Belong	Craving	Influence
Cruel	Triumph	Worst	Promise	Unstoppable	Sway
Harsh	Unbelievable	Unbelievable	Stop	Selfish
Ruthless	Unleashed	Unorthodox	Signs	Quota
Frank	Polarizing	Sneak-Peek	Guard	Growth
Blunt	Dominating	Confidential	Buffer
	Magnificent	Top Secret	Insurance
	Wonderful	Classified	Shielding
	Remarkable	Undisclosed	Precaution
	Phenomenal	Cryptic
	Miraculous
	Extraordinary
	Sensational
	Striking
	Outstanding
	Eye-catching

Prideful	Detail	Originality	Desire	Speed	Tragedy
Absurdity	Completely	Discover	Begging	Blast	Alarming
Awkward	Copy	Challenge	Craving	Amp	Death
Blunder	Essential	Extraordinary	Decadent	Ignite	Deceptive
Clueless	Impenetrable	Hack	Fantasy	Jumpstart	Crushing
Dumb	Meticulous	Latest	Delirious	Kickstart	Devastating
Cringeworthy	Practical	Life-changing	Forbidden	Launch	Exposed
Failure	Replicate	Ingenius	Irresistible	Quick-start	Heartbreaking
Fail	Recreate	Miracle	Provocative	Speedy	Sadly
Faux Pas	Painstaking	Remarkable	Naked	Supercharge	Shaming
Idiot	Overcome	Sensational	Seductive	Accelerate	Suffer
Lame	Master	Shocking	Sexy	Turbocharge	Avoid
Last	Perfect	Spoiler	Sinful	Smuggle	Demoralizing
Mediocre	Genius	Suddenly	Satisfy	Expedite	Problem
Mistake	Step-By-Step	Magic	Tantalizing	Swift	Issue
Obvious	Best	Unexpected	Lust	Immediate	Disaster
Pitiful	Truly	Strange	Need	Rapid	Catastrophe
Reject	Packed	Weird	Undeniable	Promptly	Misfortune
Ruin	Deep	Odd	Enthusiasm	Velocity	Mishap
Rookie	Better	Unusual	Hunger	Haste	Agony
Senseless	Extremely	Unique	Eagerness	Hurry
Shameful	Total	Clever	Determination
Silly	Proven	Inventive	Want
Stupid	Undeniable	Resourceful
Threaten	Features	Daring
Useless	Factor	Unconventional
Waste	Circumstance
Honor	Component
Dignity	Accessory

Simple	Luxury	Thrilling	Shocking	Intensity	Joy
Basics	Prestige	Bold	Awe-inspiring	Gravity	Happiness
Cheat-Sheet	Expensive	Fascinating	Breathtaking	Huge	Zen
Easy	Premium	Intriguing	Dazzling	Gargantuan	Alive
Effortless	High-quality	Riveting	Stunning	Intensity	Inspiring
On-Demand	Glamorous	Compelling	Swoon	Massive	Profound
Painless	One-of-a-kind	Tempting	Swoon-worthy	Goddamn	Heartwarming
Rules	Exclusive	Transform	Gorgeous	Seriously	Light
Savvy	Priceless	Exciting	Impressive	Gigantic	Healthy
Tricks	Comfort	Inspire	Incredible	Enormous	Delight
Tweaks	Wealth	Motivate	Surprise	Impressive	Triumph
Ingredients	Prosperity	Spirited	Unexpected	Strength	Treat
Minimalist	Stylish	Inspirational	Sensational	Power	Buzz
Step-by-Step	Fancy	Passionate	Fantastic	Potent	Positive
Plain	Lavish	Stimulating	Wondrous	Magnitude	Incredible
Straightforward	Fashionable	Dramatic	Wonderful	Forceful
Fundamental	Chic	Impassioned	Exciting
Pure	Deluxe
Honest	High-class

Stunning	Humor	Satisfaction
Captivate	Funniest	Guilt
Genius	Hilarious	Guilt-free
Incredible	Ridiculous	Indulgence
Impressive	Hysterical	Ravenous
Unforgettable	Outrageous	Fixated
Undeniable	Comedy	Lazy
Embarrassing	Witty	Fulfill
Memorable	Clever	Content
Thrilling	Amusing	Enjoyment
Phenomenal	Absurd	Excess
Imposing	Cringe-worthy
Mind-blowing
Astonishing

Feel free to take your time with that list, we know it can be a bit overwhelming. In fact, go ahead and bookmark this page and come back whenever you need some ad copy inspiration!

Of course, it’s not enough to just know what the words are. You’ll need to know how to use them properly. 

So, let’s take a look at how you’ll want to use these power words throughout your site.

Power Words and Headlines

Headlines are the tip of your content marketing spear, and you’re going to want a headline filled with plenty of power words. 

Take a look at how Forbes put together its headlines:

Not only do these headlines trigger curiosity, but Forbes is also sure to include plenty of power words to encourage an emotional response.

Power Words and Sub-Headers

When you’re creating content, you should assume that a portion of your audience is just going to scan. 

Fortunately for you, that’s something you can take advantage of.

You don’t have to be obnoxious, you can just focus on communicating directly and clearly with your audience. Take a look at how Buffer handles their sub-headers.

See? Nice and easy, but still compelling.

By including more power words in your sub-headers, you’ll satisfy those who’d rather scan than read and engage an otherwise lost reader.

Power Words and Product Names

Don’t shy away from power words in your product names either. 

You want to convey that your products and services are an experience, and using power words is an easy way to do just that.

But don’t take our word for it, take a look at how Apple sells their MacBooks.

As long as you’re consistent with your branding, there’s nothing wrong with being a little bold.

Power Words and Popups

Make no mistake: exit popups are here to stay. So, make sure that your popups are designed to increase the likelihood of engagement.

Here’s how Neil Patel handles it:

Again, nothing fancy here. This popup just uses a variety of emotional trigger power words to get readers thinking about benefits instead of costs. 

“Traffic”, “leads”, “sales”, and “revenue” all speak to this popup’s message: growth is the goal, and signing up will get you there. 

And that’s the beauty of power words. Just a bit of tweaking can help make your content significantly more compelling.

Power Words and Landing Pages

When it comes to landing pages, the goal is to successfully bridge the gap between marketing and sales. 

They’ve taken the leap of faith to end up on your site. Now it’s up to you to give them a good reason to say ‘yes’.

Here’s how Shopify handles their landing page:

Shopify uses the word ‘free’ twice here, and it’s easy to see why. If you remove the most common objection users might have, you’re one step closer to securing a sale. 

But not what makes this ad so compelling. What sets this ad apart is the way they validate their claims. Not only is there an emphasis on getting you ‘selling’ , but the fact that nearly 1 million other businesses trust this brand provides an incredible amount of social proof.

Remember: audiences are more likely to trust the word of another consumer. You might have a bias, but consumers are interested in value, plain and simple. If you’ve got plenty of online reviews stating how great your business is, potential customers are more likely to consider you. Never underestimate the power of an objective complement.

Power Words and Buttons

Your buttons are an easy way to expose your audience to more power words. 

Take a look at how Hubspot’s button guides readers while using power words to ensure engagement.

In a highly competitive marketplace, staying updated is critical. And Hubspot promises to keep you up to date on all the latest marketing and sales news. 

But it’s not just that Hubspot is offering plenty of value in exchange for a small investment. It’s that Hubspot used power words to frame it properly. They’re not ‘asking’ for your email — they’re ‘giving’ you information. 

Power Words for Facebook Ads

If you want a Facebook ads campaign that’s profitable in both the short and long term, your best bet is to constantly experiment. 

Your audience targeting, promotion schedules, and ad copy should improve over time. More specifically, when you consider the impact that power words can have on readers, it’s important that you test out new ideas for engaging ad copy.

Melio

When you take a close look at Melio’s Facebook ads, you’ll notice that their message is all about offering growth via increased security.

In just one ad, they used “secure” and “empowers” to imply safety and growth. They also made sure to mention words like “avoid” and “fraud” to further play up the security angle.

Slack

Slack prides itself on simplifying its UX, and that comes across clearly through their Facebook ads. More importantly, they use a variety of power words to convey this message.

Words like “simpler” and “reduce” are used to establish exactly how their service empowers readers. You’ll even see words like “productive” pop up to establish an improved sense of growth. 

Bambee

Bambee takes a unique approach in that they lean into the fear angle. By highlighting the dangers of having a poor HR experience, they’re able to provide a clear incentive to readers that might be on the fence.

By using words like “neglected”, “failed”, “mistakes”, and “safety”, Bambee ensures that readers will walk away with a crystal clear picture of what will happen if they don’t use Bambee’s service.

Conclusion

Power words work because they get readers to lower their guard by helping them focus on what’s really important: solving their own problems.

When you’re creating marketing content, you should always ask yourself “how compelling is this to the reader?” 

Let’s face it: there are plenty of competitors out there that sell good products/services. But if you can cultivate a brand voice that’s consistently engaging and draws consumers in, you’ll be one step closer to dominating your industry.