So, the problem is not that there is a lack of innovative businesses out there that are the best in their class—but they lose their cred when they describe themselves as such.

And I’m not saying the words “improve” and “effective” are wrong (I use them all the time)…they’re just, not very interesting. So when you’re writing something that you really want to pop, might I suggest these 350+ alternatives?

Power words table of contents

• Power adjectives
  • More interesting words for:  best in class | daunting | easy | effective | fast | great | important | innovative | ultimate | unique
• Power verbs
  • More interesting words for:  boost | check out | engage | improve | provide | stop | succeed
• Empowering verbs
• Adverbs
• Nouns
  • More interesting words for: guide | sale | strategies
• Pain point power words
• Ideal state words
• Hook words

How to use these power words

• Think interesting, not impressive: Don’t replace a word you have to sound smarter or to speak louder. Trying to write “wow” copy will have the opposite effect. Aim for subtle adjustments that are just different enough to be memorable.
• Think specificity: Oftentimes, the better word choice is not a fancier or hyperbolic version of that word, but something more specific. Instead of “seasoned experts,” for example, you might say “GRC-certified experts.”
• Don’t force it: Good copy reads easily. Plain language should be your base with interesting words sprinkled in like accents.

Adjectives: Power words for…

Best in class

As in, providing best-in-class solutions. This is an empty buzzword that says you’re trying to market your business, rather than share what you’re proud of and passionate about. You can throw “cutting-edge” out the window too. Here are some actual power words to use instead:

 

Daunting

This word is a hard no. If I had a dollar for every time I’ve seen the word “daunting” in an introduction to a how-to blog post, I’d be rich. It’s the right idea to express compassion around the pain point your business or piece of content solves, but there are so many be alternatives to try:

 

Easy

Let’s be clear: “easy” is a marketing power word, so I encourage you to use it. But if you’re looking for some other ways to say it or how to be a bit more specific, this list has you covered.

 

Effective

Effective is not a bad word, but if you’re trying to write compelling marketing copy, it’s weak. Effective at what? Compared to what? Be more specific or try something more interesting to stand out.

 

Fast

Instant gratitude is the name of the game these days. This is another strong word to use, especially when you need to be concise. For more creative copywriting, try out these words:

 

Great

Unless you’re going from good to great, there are lots of better words to use than this one in your blog posts, emails, and ad copy. Try more interesting synonyms to “great” or get more specific about what “great” achieves:

 

Important

The mistake with this word is not overusing it, but rather in underusing it. Most things you’re writing about are just plain important. Not crucial. Not extremely important. Not imperative. Just, important. Unnecessarily overemphasizing something often weakens your message.

BUT that doesn’t mean there isn’t a place for stronger synonyms. Save these for when they make sense:

Side note: If you want to write better introductions, stop starting your blog posts with “X is an important part of Y.” Try a personal story, fun fact, joke, stat, quote, funny warning, or an analogy. Lots of options here.

Innovative

This word is in the same camp as “best in class” and “cutting edge.” That’s not to say that you’re not actually an innovative company. But if you’re truly innovative, you’ll break away from every other business using this word in their ads and about pages and come up with something different…am I right?

 

Ultimate

What’s wrong with this word, you ask? Nothing. It’s interesting, rolls of the tongue, and compels the reader…until every guide and checklist you put out there is the ultimate one. Remember, a great headline delivers on its promise and doesn’t over-sensationalize. This word—and the synonyms below—are okay to use sparingly, just save them for when you really have something comprehensive.

Unique

If you’re looking to use this word to describe your business, abort that mission and instead just use unique words, images, and designs in your content. But if you’re sharing unique tips or strategies, and want something different to use in your ad headlines, try any of these:

 

More power adjectives

Here is a miscellaneous list of interesting description words that just bubbled to the surface in my brain while writing this post.

Verbs: Power words for…

Boost

Now this word is definitely more interesting than “increase” but I see this one everywhere, too. And while some of the words on this list aren’t necessarily as exciting, you can sometimes have a greater impact by downgrading to a less exciting but less-common (and therefore more interesting) word.

 

Check out

I use this one wayyyyy too much so I’m always looking for alternatives. It’s a harmless word that works in any scenario, but if you’re ever looking to spice things up, here are a few seasonings to try:

 

Engage

Marketing is basically one big effort to engage your audience. So as a person who markets marketing, you can bet that I find myself overusing this word. Here are some alternatives:

 

Improve

Here is another word that isn’t really overused, it’s just plain bagel. Cheese pizza. Vanilla ice cream. If you’re more of a rocky roader, these words might suit you:

 

Provide

You’ll notice that in our blog posts, the introduction always tells the reader what the piece of content is about.  As in, “In this post, we’re going to provide …” which means that I’m always trying to come up with alternative way of saying this. Here are some!

 

Stop

“Stop” is actually a great word for marketing with emotion. It can convey urgency and panic (as in, “stop paying your landlord’s mortgage) while at the same time empowering the reader. Use these stop words in your Facebook ad copy, landing page headlines, email subject lines, and more.

 

Succeed

This one is another easy fallback, especially with B2B marketing. After all, every business wants to succeed, right?

 

More empowering verbs

More power verbs

 

Power adverbs

Nouns: Power words for…..

Guide

 

 

Sale

Strategies

More interesting nouns

• Breath of fresh air
• Bridge
• Catalyst
• Guesswork
• Inside track
• Music to their ears
• Secret sauce
• Secret weapon

 

Pain point power words

Here’s how your customers don’t want to feel

 

Ideal state power words

Hook words

• Didn’t know you needed
• Or so you thought
• That might change your mind
• Think again
• Until now
• You thought you knew
• You didn’t know about
• Wish you knew about sooner

Want more power words?

If you’re looking for more creative ways to communicate with your audience, you’re in luck because here at WordStream, we happen to love words…

• 120 of the Best Words & Phrases for Marketing 
• 273 Words & Phrases for Emotional Copywriting
• 7 Power Words to Test in Your Facebook Ads

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