When you look up copywriting tips, you’ll often find lists of power words for copywriting. Words like …

breakthrough
astounding
special
secret
hidden
truth
temptation
forbidden
never
revealed
limited
crushing
proven

Wow…those words pulse with energy! You could get tired just reading through them.

But they’re not necessarily the most powerful words a copywriter can use.

Two words that pack REAL power … and they’re gentle as a kitten.

“Because…”

One of the first lessons I learned as a copywriter was the power of “because.” Research has shown that people will comply with a request if you give them a reason, even if it’s a silly reason.

You may have heard the story of the student at the copy shop. As part of a social psychology experiment, he asked to cut into the line “because I need to make a copy.” Surprisingly, other busy students let him go ahead. We’re programmed to accept reasons, even lame ones.

Copywriters often use the “because” structure when writing persuasive bullets, to unite features and benefits.

For instance, you have the benefit-because-feature style: “Never be late to work again because your device includes a built-in alarm clock.”

Then you have the “feature-so-that-benefit” which amounts to the same thing in reverse: “Your device includes a built-in alarm clock, so you’ll never be late to work again.”

“Even if …”

This phrase is one of my favorites when writing headlines or bullets. The idea is to respond to an objection, such as, “But I couldn’t qualify…” or, “It seems like a lot of work.”

For example:

“Create a compelling sales letter … even if you flunked high school English.”

“You can become a storytelling ninja … even if you hate to speak to groups.”

Use variations of “even if” when you want to make specific claims:

“Write a high-converting sales letter without becoming a copywriter.”

“Storytelling makes copywriting convert more website visitors, without adding to your marketing workload.”

So why are these words so powerful?

Each phrase adds a psychological dimension to the narrative.

“Because” adds purpose. You’re encouraging your prospect to arrive at a conclusion as a result of logical thinking.

“Even if” suggests conflict, particularly inner conflict. The outcome seems so good … but will you benefit from this service? Or will you be setting yourself up for more work?”

Each phrase invites the reader to tell a story.

“Now you can high-converting sales letter” might raise an eyebrow. Can you really do this? What’s the promise?

“Now you can write a high-converting sales letter without becoming a copywriter” suggests a storyline. “Becoming a copywriter” surfaces as the obstacle. “High converting sales letter” represents the goal.

Readers get involved when they hear a story. They become even more involved when a headline inspires them to compose one.

And that’s a lot more powerful than power words like “crushing,” “forbidding,” and “astounding.”

Copywriting involves a lot more than wordsmithing. Download my free guide, 3 Big Ways a Copywriter Can Help Your Small Business.

Learn more:

Take my ridiculously affordable Udemy course, Copywriting For Non-Copywriters. This link gives you a significant discount: http://mycopy.info/copy20

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